


Rockman.EXE: Defrag

by StephODell



Series: Rockman.EXE: Defrag [1]
Category: Rockman.EXE | Mega Man Battle Network
Genre: All Birthday Celebrations Are Mandatory, Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, CW: Death, CW: death mention, CW: trauma, Enzan is a complete mess but I love him anyway, FIGHT SCENES FIGHT SCENES FIGHT SCENES, House turning into a robot is galaxy brain, I decided not to tag a specific character because of reasons, I get a perverse pleasure out of causing my ocs pain, I made sure to include the most important element, I might have gone a little too hard, I swear it's not as bad as those warnings imply but I'm not taking any chances, I was super excited to write the training camp chapter, It's for work though, It's time for the obligitory christmas episode(s), Leave some room for Rockman, More Fluff, Multi, No one on the EXE team was brave enough to make Crash canon, Please don't try expanding your lungs the way Laika is there are much better (safer) methods, Rockman continues to be terrified of ghosts, Saki gets a baby crush, Spooky, TAMAYA, TW: Broken limb, The cafe I used as reference had a picture of a cat outside of it, Why fly to a vacation house?, Yaito is living in 3020, Zer0 had the right idea of it: idols are just seducing people into becoming thralls, cw: strangulation, cw: violence, fly the house to the vacation!, humor.prog is the best upgrade fight me, poor people have to stick together, so i did it myself, take bets now: will I ever stop writing food scenes, tfw you write an excessive amount of fluff and it's so good, the bourbon-drinking grape is here, tw: bullying, tw: physical abuse, tw: slur, tw: verbal abuse
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-02-17
Updated: 2021-02-23
Packaged: 2021-02-28 02:00:03
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 43
Words: 410,027
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22765870
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/StephODell/pseuds/StephODell
Summary: A boy named Saki Tanaka does something nice and gets rewarded for it, right before he gets tricked into being recruited into a government funded program.
Relationships: Blues.EXE | Protoman.EXE/Rockman.EXE | MegaMan.EXE, Hikari Netto | Lan Hikari/Ijuuin Enzan | Eugene Chaud
Series: Rockman.EXE: Defrag [1]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1636786
Comments: 10
Kudos: 23





	1. A Perfectly Normal Everyday Encounter

**Author's Note:**

> _Thank you for reading! This universe has been some 13 years in the making. Over the last ten years or so, me and my partner have refined the characters and story into something we truly love, and hope you all love too! Even though the main characters are original characters, Netto and the others will appear too. I'll work hard to make sure your favorite isn't left out. There will be shipping later on, and content warnings near the end, but I'll make sure to tag them as they come up. I'm also a bit of a slow writer, so updates won't be regular. I apologize in advance!_
> 
> _This story is a what-if scenario set after the end of Beast (in the anime). I've sort of taken bits and pieces of the games, anime, and manga to form a world that is (mostly) cohesive. I try to keep all the names of people, places, and things in Japanese. Full Syncro and Cross Fusion both make appearances. There are also references to other media, mostly other CAPCOM properties but sometimes other popular ones as well. See if you can spot them all!_
> 
> _Once again, thank you for reading! I hope you enjoy!_

The brakes screeched a little as a boy brought his powder-blue bicycle to a stop in front of the ramen shop that he worked in, running deliveries. He swung his leg over the frame and dismounted, grabbing the delivery box off the back of the bike, and pushing his long hair behind his ear. He thought about how he should have pulled it back into a ponytail before his shift, but had forgotten, and now he was regretting his decision. It was warm for spring, and the long hair trapped heat in his neck and on his back. He flapped his uniform top a little to try and dissipate a little of the excess heat as he walked into the ramen shop.

It wasn't much different inside the building. Steam from the water and soup pots curled into the air, and the air smelled of miso and shoyu broth. The fans were running on high, but the heat wasn't really moving. Still, there were plenty of people willing to sit in the humid heat and eat hot soup. 

But it was spring, not summer. He sighed. It was almost time for the cherry trees to bloom. He thought about organizing a flower viewing party, with his family. It might be a nice change from everyone's busy schedules.

His plans would have to wait, as his boss, an older man with greying hair and warm eyes, waved to him and broke him out of his own thoughts.

“All done, Saki?” his boss asked.

“For now,” Saki replied. “Until the next wave of orders.”

His boss looked up at the clock with a thoughtful noise. “It's after two.” He looked at Saki kindly. “You haven't eaten yet, have you?”

Saki thought about it. No, he hadn't eaten since breakfast, which had been quite early in the morning. His stomach gave a small grumble of protest.

“Not really,” Saki admitted sheepishly.

“Want me to make you something?” his boss asked.

“No thank you,” Saki replied politely. “I brought my own bento, so I'm okay.”

His boss sighed. “Why don't you take your lunch. If you run a little long, I don't mind.”

Saki flushed. He felt like his boss was too kind to him, and it made him unsure of how to handle it.

“Then I might go eat at the park,” Saki said. “It's a nice day today.”

“You should go,” a woman from the back kitchen said, shuffling up to the counter to address Saki. “Here, take this too.” She pulled something from her pocket, and beckoned Saki to hold out his hand. When he did, she dropped a 500 zenny coin into his hand.

“Buy something nice at the convenience store!” she said with a smile.

Saki smiled back shyly. “Th-thank you, ma'am.” It was hard not to feel a little embarrassed about being treated like a kid. He was sixteen now, and sometimes it was a little condescending to be given pocket change. Still, it was thoughtful, and he understood why she would do it. The owner and his wife (his boss and the lady respectfully) had only recently felt the loneliness of an empty home, as their children went off to college and careers father away. Saki had been going to the ramen house with his family for so long that the owners often spoiled him and his sister like family. If it meant being treated like a kid sometimes, he would bear it for their smiles.

“I'll be going then,” Saki said, bowing his head a little. He retreated to the employee room to change out of his uniform, and retrieve his bento box, carefully wrapped in an indigo cloth. With his lunch in hand, he left the store, hopped back on his bike, and rode towards the park.

Along the way was a convenience store, and he parked his bike out front before entering. The door gave its little electronic chime, and the cashier said, “welcome!” cheerfully. Saki quickly ducked into the bread isle, and paused as he looked at the carefully wrapped breads for sale. The melon bread caught his eye, and he clenched his fists.

 _Would I be able to buy that and a drink?_ he mused. _The bread is probably 150 zenny, and the drink is 350 zenny...ahh, but what about tax?_ He bit down on his left thumbnail. _I suppose I could try and cover the tax myself._ He pulled out his wallet, and checked his change. He could see several 5 zenny coins, and a 50 zenny coin. He felt like it was enough.

 _It's a good thing I don't have to ride the train often,_ Saki thought. _Or I wouldn't be able to afford being this selfish._

He picked up the neatly wrapped melon bread, and walked to the back case, where the drinks were displayed. Opening the glass door, he grabbed an oolong tea, and shut the door again. The brief blast of cold air had been welcoming, and he was reluctant to leave it, but he had only so much time for lunch.

He walked to the register, and set both items down before pulling out his wallet, and the coin he had been given.

After the cashier had scanned both items, she asked if he wanted a bag. He replied yes, and she asked if he wanted his bread warmed up.

“No, thank you,” he replied shyly. It was always a little awkward to have to stand there for a moment while things heated, even if warm bread was best. Besides, it would cool down again before he could eat it.

After handing her his coins, and her giving him his change and the bag of food, she said, “Have a nice day!” and bowed her head as he left.

Outside, Saki paused, and took a deep breath. Somehow, interacting with strangers was taxing on him. She had been very kind, but he had felt very awkward the whole time.

Getting back on his bike, he started towards the park again, but barely a block later, he spotted the figure of a man sprawled out, face down, on the sidewalk.

Saki brought the bike to a screeching halt. He stared at the collapsed man intently, as if unsure what to do.

 _Is he dead?_ Saki thought. _Or hurt? Should I find a police officer?_

After a moment of wrestling with his thoughts, Saki got off his bike and walked cautiously towards the man. Kneeling down, he carefully poked the man with his finger. The man groaned in response.

 _Good, he's not dead,_ Saki thought, relieved. He stood up, ready to leave.

Suddenly, Saki felt a hand clamp around his ankle, and he screamed a little before slapping a hand over his mouth. He looked back towards the collapsed man, and saw him lift his head weakly.

“So...hungry...” the man groaned out.

“H-how is that _my_ problem?!” Saki shrieked, clearly panicking.

“So...hungry...”

“There's a convenience store not that far from here!”

“Can't...mo...ve...”

Saki felt himself grind his teeth. It was frustrating that this man was asking for help in such a pitiful way, because it made him look like an awful person for not helping him. He could feel people's stares as they passed by, and the quiet whisper of, “That poor man!” reached his ears, upsetting him further. Saki yanked his ankle free from the stranger's grasp.

“What do you expect me to do?” he asked, harsher than he intended. “Go get a police officer?”

“Food...” the man answered, lifting a shaking hand to point at the convenience store bag. “...please...”

After a long pause, Saki heaved an enormous sigh. Of course. Of course it had been too good to be true. Getting a long lunch, getting some money so that he could get his favorite snack. Of course there had to be a catch. Since when was fate ever kind to him without some kind of repercussion?

“Damnit—!” Saki yanked the melon bread out of his bag, and stared at it longingly before shoving it into the stranger's hand. “Take it before I change my mind, okay?!”

He was being unnecessarily abrasive, and he knew it. But he just couldn't seem to stop himself. He wished that he hadn't stopped for the stranger, had kept on riding past him. But then he would have felt guilty. His honor would have caused him to be crushed under his own guilt. The frustration of such a no-win situation irritated him to the point of exploding.

He watched the man push himself to his knees, and tear open the package before shoving half the bread into his mouth. He was quite obviously hungry, and Saki couldn't help but chide him.

“Hey! Eat slower or you'll choke! Do you want a stomach ache?! Make sure you chew thoroughly!”

Sure enough, the man choked, and pounded his chest to clear his airway before coughing.

Saki yanked the bottle of oolong tea out of his bag, and shoved it at the man. “Drink this, okay?”

The man twisted the cap off hurriedly, and drank a long swallow of the tea before coughing again, and then sighing.

“Thank you,” he murmured.

The unhappy clench in Saki's stomach of having to watch his prized snack be eaten by someone else started to subside. The man seemed better than before. _He needed it more than me,_ Saki thought to himself.

After polishing off the bread and tea, the man stood up, and brushed himself off. “Well, that was mortifying. I can't believe I let myself get to this state.” He gave Saki a smile, and offered his hand. “Thank you for that, err...”

“Saki,” he replied, reluctantly shaking the man's hand. “Saki Tanaka.”

“Saki-kun then,” the man said happily. “You can call me Meijin.”

“Meijin...san...” Saki replied slowly.

“No need for formalities,” the man grumbled out.

“What were you doing on the sidewalk starving to death, Meijin-san?” Saki asked, ignoring the man's statement.

Meijin sighed before answering. “I pulled too many all-nighters and forgot to eat. I was headed out to get something, but I must have collapsed on the way.” He paused, rubbing his chin. “It's odd that no one else thought to help me.”

 _Probably because they were smart enough not to get involved in something strange!_ Saki thought angrily.

“Well then—” Meijin started to say something, but was cut off by the sound of his stomach rumbling loudly. “Ahh! How embarrassing! I suppose I should get something else to eat then...” He reached into his pocket, and then frowned. “Uh oh...” He rifled through his pockets, and Saki felt a stab of fear.

 _Leave now, or you'll regret it!_ his common sense screamed.

“It seems I left my wallet back at the office,” Meijin said, laughing a little. “How unfortunate.”

_No, don't give in! Leave! This isn't your problem!_

“Ahh, but I've troubled you enough,” Meijin told Saki. “No sense in me asking you for more help.”

Another deep sigh fell out of Saki, coming from deep in the bottom of him and rushing out in a long exhale of frustration and disappointment. He pulled out his bento, and shoved it at Meijin.

“Here,” he growled, refusing to make eye contact. “Take my lunch then.”

 _Why do you do this to yourself?_ came the utterly dejected voice of his common sense.

Meijin seemed surprised, and Saki could almost see the man blink behind his mirrored glasses. After a moment, he gently took the bento from Saki.

“What about you then?”

“I'm fine,” Saki lied. “I work at a ramen shop, I can just get lunch there.”

Meijin looked at the bento thoughtfully, and then at Saki again. “There's a park not far from here. Do you mind if we eat there?”

“Huh?” It was Saki's turn to be surprised.

“You'll want your box back, I assume. And besides, it would be rude of me to take your lunch from you, so it's only right that we share.”

Saki's face flushed crimson. “N-no, it's fine. Wouldn't sharing be kind of strange?!”

“Strange how?” Meijin asked.

“W-well...” Saki stumbled over his words. “Only couples...do that kind of thing...”

Meijin tilted his head. “What about your friends at school? Don't you share with them?”

Saki shook his head.

“Come to think of it...” Meijin looked contemplative. “Shouldn't you be in school right now?”

 _Uh oh..._ Saki tried not to look flustered. “I...don't go to school.” He braced for Meijin's response, but it never really came. Instead, Meijin shrugged.

“Well, shall we?” He jerked his head in the direction of the park.

Saki retrieved his bike, and followed Meijin in silence.

* * *

For the most part, Saki could not decide what to think of Meijin. The man ate piece after piece of food almost mechanically, and Saki could barely get a bite in, mostly because he thought it would be very awkward to use the same chopsticks as a stranger. Not a word was spoken while they ate, and Saki kept looking around, hoping no one would think that something rather unsavory or strange was occurring.

Once Meijin was finished, he set the chopsticks down. “Thank you for the meal,” he said. Then he sighed happily, and added, “That was delicious!”

Saki looked away, embarrassed. “I'm glad you liked it.”

“Who made your lunch for you? Your mother?” Meijin seemed very keen on knowing. “You're very lucky to have lunches like that every day!”

Blushing, Saki squirmed uncomfortably. “I...I made it.”

“Oh!” Meijin was impressed. “You have such skill! The flower carrots were a nice touch.”

Saki slid down a little lower in the bench. “Oh, uhh...thanks, I guess.” He cleared his throat. “I make lunch for myself and my mother and my sister every day. Sometimes breakfast and dinner too.”

“That's a lot of responsibility for someone so young,” Meijin noted. “You must be very reliable.”

“I...” Saki hesitated, unsure of how to answer. “I don't know...I try to be, I guess.”

Meijin studied Saki for a long time. “You don't handle praise well.”

“I guess I'm just not used to it,” Saki replied. “It's hard to know what to say.”

“Say thank you,” Meijin said, matter-of-factually. “When someone pays you a compliment, you should accept it graciously. After all, not accepting it really is the same as throwing it on the ground.”

Saki furrowed his brows. “That's a strange analogy.”

Meijin seemed to ponder this over. “You seem well read for a kid who dropped out of school to work at a ramen shop.” He leaned in a little closer, and Saki flinched. “Are you in some kind of trouble? Did your parents get you into debt? Being pressured by some unsavory types?”

“Haaa?” Saki utter, perplexed. “No! I just...” He shuffled back a few inches, and composed himself. “I just wanted to support my family financially. There's no way my mother would be able to afford college for my little sister, on top of keeping a roof over our heads and food on the table and clothes on our back.”

After a moment, Saki's face flushed furiously. He realized he had just admitted his family situation to a complete stranger. He cursed himself mentally.

 _What am I doing? Why can't I just shut up?!_ he thought desperately.

A soft laugh escaped Meijin. “As I thought. A little _too_ responsible for his own good.”

Saki suddenly became defensive. “So what?! I can make my own decisions about my life!”

Meijin held up his hands. “Easy there. I wasn't trying to judge your choices. Rather, I was making observations about your character.”

Saki wanted to retort back with something snippy, but held his tongue. He'd always had a problem controlling his temper, and it had gotten him into quite a bit of trouble growing up. It wouldn't do to make a scene now, in a public place.

“What's so important about _my_ character?” Saki asked.

Putting a finger to his chin, Meijin replied, “Well, at the moment, I'm trying to understand you as a person. I find you rather fascinating: you were the only one who stopped, and despite all your protesting you seemed genuinely caring about my situation. I want to know what drives you, what your core values are. What type of justice do you believe in? How would you handle the kind of conflict that would force you to make a sacrifice?” Saki almost thought he felt a piercing, scrutinizing gaze from behind Meijin's mirrored glasses. “If given power, would you abuse it, or use it to lift others up out of despair?”

Saki shuddered. He couldn't explain it, but he almost felt like he was being tested by some demon. Swallowing, he prepared himself to answer.

“The people who lord their power over others are cowards. Only the heartless who turn their backs on suffering. No matter the situation, one must always conduct themselves with dignity, and aid those who cannot help themselves.”

Despite his best efforts, Meijin snickered and turned his head away, shaking with laughter.

Saki felt his ears heat up. “What? Why are you laughing?!”

“Forgive me,” Meijin said between fits of giggles. “It's just that...you sound like a samurai from a period drama.”

“What's wrong with that?!” Saki felt embarrassment welling up inside him, turning into anger and boiling over. “So what if that's what I sound like!”

“Nothing's wrong with that!” Meijin insisted. “It's just...very unexpected, that's all.”

Still upset that a grown-up was laughing at him so readily, Saki turned away and pouted.

“You must lash out in anger a lot,” Meijin said, having calmed down.

A long moment passed before Saki answered, his voice tense. “Yeah. I do.”

“It's a bad habit,” Meijin said. “Have you tried to curb it at all?”

'Nothing helps,” said Saki. “I've tried meditating, venting my anger into running or hitting a punching bag, positive affirmations in the mirror...everything people suggested to me, I tried. Nothing seemed to work.”

“Hmm. A hot head might not work...but then again...” Meijin muttered to himself under his breath.

Confused, Saki looked at Meijin, but said nothing.

“Still, a hothead with a sense of justice...might be just the thing I need.” With a triumphant look, Meijin pointed at Saki. “How would you like a Navi upgrade?”

Saki was completely taken aback, and simply stared at Meijin for a long moment. “What the hell are you talking about?”

“I mean, I can give you a custom Navi upgrade!” Meijin replied. “You see, my job is to make custom Navis. I'm somewhat of an expert in my field.”

“Not really all that famous if I've never heard of you,” Saki replied flatly.

Meijin seemed upset, and cleared his throat before continuing. “Usually, I make Navis and give them to people, all out of the kindness of my heart.”

Saki narrowed his eyes. “What's the catch?”

“No catch!” Meijin said. “Ahh, well, maybe _one_ catch.”

“I knew it,” Saki said.

“The catch is letting me do maintenance on it for you. They are quite sensitive, after all, and might develop bugs if tinkered with by someone else.”

“That's...actually pretty reasonable,” Saki replied.

“Isn't it?” Meijin beamed.

“However,” Saki said, “There is a slight problem—I don't actually _own_ a Navi.”

“Oh,” Meijin said. There was a long pause. “That's actually not a problem at all.”

“It isn't?”

“No! For you see, the Navi I have in mind is a fully completed Navi, so there's no need to have a base to put it on. All I need to do is download it to your PET.”

Saki glared at Meijin. “How do I know I can trust you?”

“Honestly, you can't, you'll just have to take my word for it.”

“Not reassuring,” Saki griped.

Meijin waited while Saki thought it over. “Well?”

With a soft sigh, Saki nodded, “I guess I don't have anything to lose.” He reached into the back pocket of his jeans, and pulled out his PET, and held it out to Meijin.

The older man took one look at the PET's long hand grip, and rounded body, and looked at Saki. “A V2? Kind of vintage, isn't it?”

“As if I can afford to upgrade,” Saki said through gritted teeth. “Besides, it works for what I use it for.”

“It's fine,” Meijin said, taking the PET from Saki. “I have a fondness for vintage models myself. But there might be some slight input lag.”

Saki frowned. “Will that matter much?”

“Only in Net Battles,” Meijin said. “A slow input could mean defeat in a critical moment.”

“Well, that's good then, because I don't plan on Net Battling anytime soon.”

Meijin gave Saki a wry smile, but said nothing. Instead, he pulled out a laptop from his satchel and opened it up. Hitting a few keys, it came to life, and he plugged in Saki's PET to the laptop via the PET's cable.

“Now the really time-consuming part,” Meijin muttered. “Data transfer for something this complex can take a long time. Plus, I have to format your PET in order for it to be compatible.”

Saki thought about how long he had already been gone. “I can't wait around,” he said, “I have to get back to my job. Besides, I have a shift at the convenience store after this.”

“Two jobs?” Meijin sounded surprised.

“Three, actually.” Saki sounded proud, and then realized what he was saying. “Whatever. I just don't have the time right now is what I was trying to say.”

“Then I'll bring it to you when it's finished,” he said. “Tell me your address.”

Saki pulled a face. “Like I'd tell a stranger my address!”

“It's useless for me to do this for you if I can't even give it to you at the end,” Meijin said. “Besides, if you want your PET back, I'll need to know where to bring it.”

With a sigh, Saki relented. He told Meijin his address, who made a note of it in his own PET.

“Expect me later tonight or tomorrow morning,” he said. “I'll take this back to the lab to help it finish quicker.”

“You have a lab?” Saki asked, skeptical.

“Of course I do,” Meijin replied. “Maybe you'll see it one day soon.”

“Sure,” Saki said and gathered up his bento box and chopsticks. Once he had repacked everything, he stood up, and started to leave. He stopped, however, and turned back.

“You're really odd, did you know that?”

Meijin smiled. “But isn't it boring to live like everyone else?”

Saki didn't comment, but he waved as he walked off.

***

“I'm home,” Saki announced as he entered his family's home, and pulling his shoes off.

“Welcome home!” came the small, cheerful voice of his little sister. She ran up to meet him, and he knelt down to give her a warm hug.

“Did mom leave for work?” Saki asked.

The little girl nodded. “Mhm. But she left a snack.”

Saki stood back up, and ruffled his sister's hair. “Did you eat your snack, Michi?”

Michi nodded again. “I made sure to leave you some too!”

Saki couldn't help but smile softly at his sister. “And did you have homework?”

“I did,” she replied, “But I did it already.” Looking up at Saki with pleading eyes, she asked, “Can I watch the Steel Samurai now?”

A bemused sigh escaped Saki. “Sure you can.”

Gleefully, Michi ran over to the TV, and turned it on, before plopping down on the floor in front of it. As Saki set his things down, and headed into the kitchen, he heard the opening notes of the Steel Samurai theme play, and Michi singing along excitedly.

Once inside the kitchen, he spotted a note on the fridge that read, “Saki and Michi; as usual, I cannot make dinner before I leave, but there are some onigiri in the fridge as a snack! Pickled plum! Please enjoy! Love Mom.”

Saki pulled the fridge open and saw four onigiri on a plate on the top shelf. He pulled them out, and set the plate on the counter before surveying the contents of the fridge.

“Hmm...not much here. I could probably make omurice though. Michi would love that.”

Closing the fridge and standing back up, Saki stretched. An eight hour shift at the ramen shop and a four hour shift at the convenience store left him drained. Thankfully, he didn't have a shift at the restaurant tonight, so he could at least rest after dinner.

Picking up the plate, he walked back out into the main room, and sat at the low table near the TV. He munched on the onigiri while the Steel Samurai was on. During the short breaks, he would ask Michi about her day.

“School was the same as always,” Michi said. “But Ryu was kind of mean again.”

“Oh?” Saki asked, raising an eyebrow.

“Yeah, he told me that only babies use old model PETs and didn't have Navis.”

Saki stiffened, his hackles rising. Part of him wanted to go slug Ryu in the face, but part of him knew he couldn't go assault an eight year old for making fun of a classmate.

“What did you say?” Saki asked.

“Nothing,” Michi replied. “There's no point in trying to tell him I'm not a baby and that I don't need a Navi.”

Saki relaxed. He was glad that Michi always seemed to take the high road with Ryu's teasing.

“How was your day, big brother?” Michi asked.

“Strange,” Saki replied. He then proceeded to tell Michi about the incident with Meijin.

“You told me not to talk to strangers,” Michi said.

“And you shouldn't,” Saki agreed, “But I was very careful, and I made sure I was safe at all times.”

Michi looked over her shoulder. “So then what happened?”

“He...asked me if I wanted a Navi,” Saki replied slowly.

“Did...did you take it?” Michi asked.

Saki didn't reply right away. Finally, he said, “Yes.”

Michi turned back to her TV show, and didn't say anything else.

The silence between them hung for a long time. Saki finished his snack, and Michi finished her program. When they were both done, Michi joined Saki at the table.

“Big brother? Why didn't you ever buy a Navi?”

Saki swallowed. “I never could afford it.”

“But you're always saving money,” Michi said. “You always save money and never spend it.”

“That's—” Saki didn't know how to reply. How could he explain to his sister that the money was for her, that it would eventually be so she could go to high school, to the college of her choice?

“I don't know why you think it's bad to spend money,” Michi said sadly, “But I just want you to do nice things for yourself sometimes.”

“I do!” Saki insisted. “I buy myself bread sometimes!”

Michi puffed up her cheeks angrily. “That's not what I mean and you know it!”

Saki sighed. “I'm sorry, Michi, you're right. But...there's a very good reason why, I promise.” Michi didn't seem convinced, so Saki squeezed her hand. “Mom is doing her best to support us both, so I have to support us too. It's...it's what Dad...would have done.” He bit his lip.

Michi looked at Saki's hand around hers. “Promise me you'll be good to yourself from now on?” she asked.

Saki smiled and mentally crossed his fingers. “I will.”

Seeming to be satisfied, Michi smiled at Saki, and turned back to the TV. Saki stood up from the table, and walked back to the kitchen. He hated lying to Michi, but he was convinced that the end justified the means.

 _If Dad were still here..._ Saki contemplated what things would have been like if their father were still with them as he cut up the vegetables and chicken for the omurice. Their father had been the main breadwinner of the family as a firefighter and firehouse chef. He made all the meals he was home for, and even taught Saki how to hold a knife. _If dad were still here, Mom wouldn't be struggling so much. Maybe I could have even gone to high school..._

He set his knife down. Even his mother had tried to get Saki to go to high school, but Saki had stubbornly refused. He told her he could work and that it was enough.

 _Everything I do is for my family,_ he reminded himself, glancing at Michi still in front of the TV. _I can't waver in my resolve._

After mixing ketchup into the cooked rice and vegetables, he put it in a bowl and set it aside for the next step. He had to focus on making the perfect omelet.

 _Just like Dad taught you,_ he told himself. _Wait until it's just cooked enough, then add the filling and fold it up and over._ With a little patience, he flipped a perfect rice omelet down on the plate, and grinned.

“Only the best for the best little sister in the world!”

He drew a heart on the omrice with ketchup, and then made one for himself.

***

Early the next morning, Saki was woken up by the sound of knocking on the front door. He dragged himself out of bed and out of the closet where he slept, out of the sleeping room, through the main room and stumbled into the entryway. Upon opening the door, he was shocked to see Meijin standing there, a grin on his face, and Saki's PET in his hand.

“It's finished,” he said.

Saki blinked the sleep from his grey eyes, and took the PET from Meijin. He still hadn't fully processed what was happening.

“Finished...?” He looked at the screen, and noted the new layout of his home screen. Suddenly, somewhere in his sleep-addled brain, something clicked. “Oh! The Navi's finished installing!”

Meijin grinned wider. “I can't wait to see your expression when you meet him.”

Staring at his PET screen, Saki wasn't really sure what to do. He'd never had a Navi before, and was nervous. What would it be like? What kind of a personality would it have? His finger hovered over the button to unlock his home menu, but he never did.

Suddenly, a sleepy “Good morning,” from behind him broke him out of his thoughts, and made him jump nearly out of his skin. He turned to see his mother standing in the entryway behind him, bundled in a robe, her long hair tousled from sleep, and her eyes blinking slowly.

“Good morning,” Meijin greeted her politely.

“Mom, you scared me,” Saki said. He paused a moment, and then asked, “Did I wake you when I got up?”

“I suppose,” she said sleepily. “Oh, but I didn't know we'd be having company so early in the morning.”

“It's a long story, Mom,” Saki replied.

There was a small silence as everyone sort of looked at one another, and then Saki's mother clapped her hands together.

“Well then, there's nothing to be done for it, I'll have to make some tea.” She looked at Saki expectantly. “Don't just leave your guest on the porch, invite him in.”

“Oh, uhh...” Saki looked at Meijin. “Right. Come in, I guess...”

With a small nod, Meijin entered the apartment. “Thank you for having me.”

Wordlessly, Saki's mother ushered everyone into the main room, and then bustled into the kitchen to make tea. Saki plopped himself unceremoniously down at the table and Meijin settled in across from him. 

“Nervous?” Meijin asked.

“Kind of,” Saki answered honestly. “I've never had a Navi before. I don't know what to expect.”

“Try not to think about it too much,” Meijin told him. “If you build up expectations in your head, then you'll only be let down later.”

“Right...” Saki looked down at the home screen again, and finally moved his finger onto the button to unlock it. Once open, the menu paused for a moment, and then loaded in his new Navi in a flashy sequence of polygons. When everything had finished setting up, Saki got to see his new Navi for the first time.

It was rather simple looking—a small frame with human-like features and streamlined armor in red and white. Saki held his breath as the Navi raised his head, and fixed his blue eyes on him.

“Greetings,” he said, “I am WN-0000-Z21. My designation is a companion AI.”

Meijin scratched his head nervously. “Yeah, about that...”

Saki made a face.

“I meant to tell you, but I suppose it slipped my mind,” Meijin looked apologetic. “You see, he's a rather _unique_ Navi, and he hasn't finished fleshing out his personality yet.”

“What's that supposed to mean?” Saki asked, clearly holding back anger.

Meijin cleared his throat. “Well, this Navi was created to be a learning AI. In other words, his personality would be affected by his experiences. He's a blank slate right now, doesn't even have a name.”

“Why didn't you name him?” Saki asked.

“I thought it might help make it more personal if you were the one to give him a name.”

Saki couldn't disagree with the sentiment. He looked down at the Navi, and pondered a name for a moment.

“What was that serial number again...? Zero something-or other...?” He paused, frowning deeply. _Zero...the end and the start of things...it's not a bad name._

“What about...Zero?” he asked.

“Not a bad name,” Meijin replied.

“What about you? What do you think?” Saki looked down at the Navi.

“If this is your decision, then I shall accept.”

Saki sighed. “I wish you could loosen up a little bit. Don't you have any feelings one way or the other?”

“I have no feelings on the matter,” the Navi replied.

“Is that what you want?” Meijin asked.

“Yeah, Zero,” Saki said, nodding.

Reaching across the table, Meijin tapped a few buttons on Saki's PET, and a prompt popped up, asking for Saki to input the Navi's name.

“Make sure you're satisfied, you only get one shot at naming him.”

“Yeah, I'm sure.” Saki typed the name out in the text box, and hit the confirmation key. At just the last instant, though, he realized he'd accidentally hit the '0' key instead of the 'o' key and now there was a glaring typo.

“Wait—!” Saki frantically searched for a way to go back. “I typo'd! I can't believe I did that!”

“Too bad,” Meijin said with a sigh. “You'll just have to deal with it.”

“Arrg!” Saki dug his fingers into his hair and scratched frantically at his scalp. “How could I screw up that badly?!”

“You are rather sleep-deprived,” Meijin said, his voice still calm and even. “I mean, I am as well.”

“I'm sorry,” Saki said to his new Navi. “I messed up your name.”

“Such things do not concern me,” Zer0 replied. “My name will not affect my performance.”

“You could be a _little_ more upset at me,” Saki grumbled.

“Why don't we all have some tea,” said Saki's mother, interrupting the tense mood, placing a tray in the middle of the table, and putting cups in front of everyone before pouring tea in each one. “You can tell me all about your guest.”

“It's more trouble than it's worth,” Saki grumbled. “He's just some weirdo who gives people Net Navis for free.”

“It's more complicated than that,” Meijin said.

Saki's mother settled in carefully at the table, favoring her right hip. Saki kept a concerned eye on her until she was seated comfortably.

“So then, Mr...?”

“Meijin. Just Meijin.” He smiled at her.

“You can call me Keiko. I'm Saki's mother, you see.”

“A pleasure,” Meijin said.

“So, how did you and my son meet?” Keiko asked.

“As it were, he stumbled across me nearly starved to death, and offered me his lunch.” Meijin chuckled, and added, “It was a bit brusque, but thoughtful all the same.”

Keiko looked at Saki with admiration, and Saki squirmed under her loving gaze.

“My boy is such a kind soul,” she gushed. “Always trying to do the right thing, even helping strangers. He's grown into such a fine man...”

“Mom, you're embarrassing me,” Saki grumbled.

“I assure you, I'm selective in who I offer my Navis to, but your son intrigued me. I wanted to see how he would do with my test subject.”

Saki arched an eyebrow. “Test subject?”

“Yes!” Meijin seemed excited. “That Navi—Zer0, was it?—is the subject of my current thesis involving independent AI. I was in need of someone to interact with him and allow him to grow and experience the world in a way that would promote exploration and growth. In short, someone young with a healthy interest in the world around them.”

“And I fit that role?” Saki asked flatly.

“Not exactly, but I was fairly confident I'd get some interesting results from you,” Meijin admitted.

Saki gave an annoyed growl, but Meijin continued undeterred.

“From now on, I'll need you to report in frequently so I can keep notes on Zer0's progress. Also, you'll need to apply to the program I'm a part of so that you and Zer0 can both receive training.”

“What kind of training?” Saki asked. “And you never mentioned any of this when we talked the first time!”

“I thought it would be easier to explain all of this to you after you had been introduced to your new Navi,” Meijin explained.

“You _tricked_ me,” Saki growled dangerously. “Why the hell shouldn't I refuse outright?”

“I can't very well take Zer0 back, now that you've named him and all,” Meijin said. “And I can't just let you keep him, since he's a very sensitive and unique Navi. I'm afraid there's no helping it.”

“Mom, tell him how absurd this all is!” Saki begged Keiko.

Keiko looked thoughtful for a moment. “Well now, why don't you give it a try, Saki? I bet it would be a great experience for you!”

“Not you too!” Saki wailed.

“But don't you want to be involved in something so interesting?” Keiko asked. “Imagine if they credit you for your part in the research...you could be famous!”

“Famous for what?!” Saki retorted. “For being a lapdog for a creepy con man who clearly needs someone to remind him to breath or he'll forget?”

Meijin, who had been drinking his tea, choked on it and coughed.

“Chances are I'll get jerked around for a few months and then let go with no warning.” Saki crossed his arms and scowled. “It's pretty clear he won't be upfront about most of the information related to this, given how trustworthy he's been so far.”

“I wasn't being dishonest,” Meijin said, trying to blot the tea off the number '33' on his shirt with a napkin Keiko had offered him. “I just felt that if I had told you everything up front, you would not have been as receptive to the idea.”

“Because I'm so receptive to the idea now,” Saki snapped.

Meijin sighed deeply. “I apologize for not being upfront at the beginning. I promise, that will not be the case going forward.” After mopping up the small spill on the table, Meijin looked at Saki once more, his expression much more serious.

“The project has quite a few young people in it, much like yourself. And all of them are compensated for their time—”

“Wait,” Saki interrupted. “Did you say 'compensated'?”

“Yes,” Meijin replied, confused. “We can't legally employ them without paying them a—”

“How much is it?” Saki asked.

A small smirk crept across Meijin's face. “We can discuss that in more detail at the lab.”

Saki struggled with himself for a long time. Finally, he cursed under his breath and looked at Meijin with a serious expression.

“If I say yes, do you promise that I'll be paid?”

Meijin flashed Saki a wide grin. “I can assure you, you will be paid.”

At this, Saki extended his hand to Meijin, who shook it firmly.

“I look forward to working together,” Meijin told Saki as they released their handshake. Reaching into the breast pocket of his lab coat, Meijin pulled out a business card, and held it out to Saki politely.

“Please come meet me at this address tomorrow at one o'clock,” Meijin said. “I'll show you around, finalize your contract, and introduce you to the others in the project with you.”

Saki took the card from Meijin and read it. “Meijin Eguchi, Research and Development...” His eyes widened. “The Ministry of Science?!” he looked at Meijin in disbelief. “ _You_ work for _the Ministry of Science?!_ ”

“Yes!” Meijin replied, clearly amused. “Have for some time now.”

“Goodness!” Keiko put a hand to her cheek. “Even I've heard of the Ministry of Science! That's quite the achievement for someone so young!”

Meijin laughed and blushed, embarrassed.

“Don't lie, Mom, he's in his late thirties at least—”

Meijin shot Saki a dangerous look. “Clearly you're mistaken.”

Saki gave Meijin the most unimpressed look, but said nothing else.

After that, Meijin finished his tea, and stood up. “I'll be off then. Tomorrow at one o'clock. Try not to be late.” He waved at Saki, and then walked to the entryway.

“I'll see you off then,” Keiko called, but Meijin shook his head.

“Oh no, please don't get up for my sake. You just stay there, I'll see myself out.” A moment later, Saki and Keiko both heard the door open and shut again.

Saki gave a deep sigh. “How do I always manage to land in crazy situations like this?”

“At least this time it wasn't because of a shady ad in the paper,” Keiko commented.

“That was _one_ time,” Saki muttered. 

Keiko sipped her tea, and then looked thoughtful. “Well, I think you should do it. He seemed like a nice young man, and I think the experience would be a good one.” She looked at Saki and smiled. “You keep saying how you want to quit your convenience store job.”

Saki swirled the tea in his cup. He had been talking about quitting, since it didn't pay as well as the other two, and his hours were shorter since he was only 16. But not having a way of knowing what the program would entail or how much he would be paid worried him.

“And he said there were people around your age in it!” Keiko added excitedly. “You could make friends that way!”

“I don't think I can make friends with people I work with,” Saki said. “Especially not ones I'll probably never really see.”

“Try to be positive!” Keiko told Saki. “You're always so convinced something will go badly for you.”

Saki lowered his head. “Nothing's gone particularly well for me since middle school...”

Neither spoke for a moment. It was Keiko who finally broke the silence.

“Let me put these dishes in the sink...” She went to stand, and Saki immediately moved to help her.

“You don't have to,” Keiko insisted.

“Please,” Saki said. “I saw you when you sat down. Your hip is bothering you again, isn't it?”

“I'm fine!” Keiko insisted. “I just had a long shift last night so I'm a little stiff.” She pushed off of Saki's arm, and stood up straight. Saki had a complicated expression.

“Let me handle the dishes. I had to wake up soon anyway for work. You go back to bed. You need the rest.”

Keiko looked at Saki for a long moment before surrendering. “Alright, I'll go back to bed.” She gave Saki a warm smile. “But don't push yourself too hard.” She walked towards the bedroom, turning in the doorway to look at Saki again. “Oh, and do try to make friends with your new Navi!”

“I will, Mom.” He smiled gently at her.

Once Keiko had gone back to bed, Saki washed the teapot and cups, and put them on the rack to dry. As he dried his hands off, he remembered Zer0 in the PET on the table, and went to pick him up and talk to him.

“Hey, Zer0?”

“Can I assist you?”

Saki pondered things for a moment. “Uhh, do you...what can you tell me about yourself?”

The Navi did not react visually. “I am a self-learning AI, capable of supervised and unsupervised learning various behavior patterns, as well as combat maneuvers. My primary function is to assist my Operator in various tasks.”

With a sigh, Saki replied, “No, I mean...ugh, what am I saying? It's not like you have hobbies or interests yet.”

“I do not have any entries in those fields,” Zer0 said.

“ _Oh boy..._ ” Saki muttered under his breath.

He carried Zer0 into the kitchen, and propped the PET up so that Zer0 could watch him. “My name is Saki Tanaka,” he told the Navi.

“Saki Tanaka,” Zer0 repeated.

“The woman before was my mom, Keiko Tanaka.”

“Keiko Tanaka,” Zer0 repeated, and then paused. “What is a 'mom'?”

Saki was surprised. “Uhh, well...I guess a mom is the person who raises you and takes care of you as you grow up.” 

“I see,” Zer0 said. “Then this 'mom' is a caretaker.”

“Yeah!” Saki replied, excited that Zer0 seemed to have grasped the concept so quickly.

“And the other one?” Zer0 asked.

“Huh? Meijin?” Saki tilted his head, and muttered, “Oh, he's not that important...”

“Not important, understood,” Zer0 said.

“Wait, no—” Saki waved his hands. “That's not true. Meijin is...kind of important. He made you, after all.”

Zer0 pondered this for a moment. “My...creator?”

“Yeah.”

Zer0 nodded. “Understood. Meijin is my creator.”

Saki breathed a small sigh of relief.

“Saki Tanaka,” Zer0 asked. “Who is your creator?”

“You don't have to use my full name, Zer0,” Saki said. “Just 'Saki' is fine.”

“Saki, then. Who is your creator?”

Saki thought about it for a moment. “Hmm...probably...my mom and dad?” He shrugged helplessly.

“Your mom and...dad?” Zer0 replied. “Is this 'dad' also a caretaker?”

“Yeah, you could say that...” Saki felt a pang of sadness. “I mean, he was.”

“Was?” Zer0 asked.

“My dad...isn't here anymore,” Saki explained.

“I see.” Zer0 seemed pensive. “Your creator is no longer here. Have they gone elsewhere?”

“He...” Saki felt his throat close up a little bit. “I...don't want to talk about this right now, okay Zer0?”

“Understood. I will reserve my question for another time.”

Taking a deep breath, Saki tied his hair up in a ponytail, pulled out his kitchen knife and cutting board, and started rummaging through the fridge for things to make into everyone's lunches.

Zer0 watched Saki for a few minutes before he asked, “What is it that you are doing?”

“I'm making lunches for everyone,” Saki explained. “So that my sister can eat at school, and so mom can eat something at work tonight, and so that I can eat on my lunch break at work.”

“These 'lunches'...they are required?”

“Yeah. People need to eat regularly to survive.” Saki thought of Meijin lying on the sidewalk starving and grasping at his ankles pathetically. “Otherwise, you don't function very well.”

“Humans require sustenance from outside sources,” Zer0 noted. “I see.”

“Navis are data, so they don't need to eat,” Saki said. “But people do, so we like to eat things that are tasty. If the food is more delicious, then it gives us more energy.”

“I see.” Zer0 put a hand to his chin in thought. “The higher the quality of the food, the more sustenance it provides. I will make a note of this.”

Saki chuckled as he continued prepping the food.

As Saki cooked, Zer0 would pepper him with questions, and Saki would do his best to answer them all. As they chatted, Zer0's stiff demeanor started to soften, although he still spoke in a rather unnatural way.

“Why do you cut the food into such unusual shapes?” Zer0 asked. “Making the carrots into flowers seems unnecessary.”

“Remember what I said about yummy food? Making it look pretty makes it more appealing, and therefore much tastier.” He used a pair of chopsticks to set a flower-shaped carrot into place. “Making food is an art form. It's more than just making it taste good and look good. You put your heart into it, and think about how the person eating it will feel.”

“How they will feel?”

Saki nodded. “Feelings come through in whatever you make. If I make food hoping the other person will be happy, then they will be able to tell.”

“I...” Zer0 seemed very confused. “I do not understand how this works. The process seems illogical.”

Saki laughed. “Keep trying, Zer0. Someday you'll understand.”

Once the lunches were complete, he tied each box up with a different colored cloth: indigo for Saki, purple for Michi, and yellow for Keiko. He put Keiko's lunch in the fridge, and then started preparing breakfast.

“You are preparing more food?” Zer0 asked.

“Breakfast this time,” Saki explained. “You need a good start to the day so you have the energy to do your best.”

“There is so much food,” Zer0 murmured. “Humans are not very energy efficient.”

Saki combined the miso, water and dashi needed to make miso soup, and cubed up tofu while he waited for it to start simmering. Once the soup was going, he started grilling some fish, salting them quickly before placing them down on the hot pan.

Zer0 watched in fascination. Each of Saki's movements was precise and quick, with no movement wasted. The Navi quietly took note of everything Saki did. He seemed especially interested in Saki's knife movements, and quietly mimicked them as he watched.

Once the food was cooked, Saki set to plating it. The rice, soup, and fish each got their own dishes, and then he pulled a jar of something out of the fridge, and put some of the contents in small dishes of their own.

“What is that?” Zer0 asked.

“Pickled vegetables,” Saki replied. “In this case, it's daikon.”

“Why would one pickle a vegetable?” Zer0 asked.

“Changes the flavor,” Saki said, putting the jar back in the fridge. “It's sharp, and cuts through the rich flavor of the fish.”

Zer0 seemed thoughtful as Saki piled plates on his arms, and carried them to the table. “Cooking seems...complex. There are many interesting facets to it.”

“Lots of stuff is like that,” Saki explained, laying the dishes out on the table before returning to the kitchen for more. “Not just cooking...a lot of hobbies are really complex, or books or TV dramas. Nothing is really that 'simple'.”

“Would it not be difficult to master them all?” Zer0 asked.

“Yeah,” Saki said. “Most people don't master everything. They pick things they like and master those.”

“I see.” The Navi pursed his lips. “Picking one thing to master is much better than trying to master everything.”

Saki set chopsticks at both settings, and stepped back. He grinned at his work, and planted his hands on his hips.

“Practice makes perfect. Eventually, you'll be able to do it as easy as breathing.”

At that moment, the door to the bedroom cracked open, and Michi poked her head out, rubbing the sleep from her eyes.

“Good morning, sleepyhead,” Saki said affectionately.

“Good morning, big brother,” Michi replied through a yawn.

“Good morning, Sleepyhead,” Zer0 greeted.

“Ah, Zer0, this is my sister, Michi,” Saki corrected.

“I will amend my information to reflect this,” Zer0 said.

Michi stared at the Navi on Saki's PET, which Saki had turned around to face the table. For a moment, she didn't say anything, but finally she broke out in a large toothy grin.

“Hello Zer0!” Michi said happily.

Zer0 looked at Michi for a moment, and then tried to replicate her grin, which somehow unsettled Saki.

“Please stop that,” Saki said, “It's kind of scary actually.”

Zer0 dropped his grin immediately. “I was simply trying to imitate the gesture used in greetings.”

“Keep practicing,” Saki said with a grimace.

***

After a full shift at the ramen shop, and another full shift at the restaurant, Saki stumbled through the door of the apartment late that evening, uttering an exhausted, “I'm home.”

This time, no one greeted him. Michi was already in bed, and Keiko was at work. Saki sighed deeply as he kicked off his shoes, and dragged himself into the kitchen to check for food in the fridge. As he did, he noticed a plate on the table, covered in cling wrap, with a note next to it. Flopping down at the table, he read it.

_Saki;_

_Thank you for always working so hard! ✧٩(•́⌄•́๑)_

_I made dinner before I left for work, so don't worry about Michi! Here's your serving, so please eat before you go to bed._

_I hope you consider Meijin-san's offer. I think it could be a good opportunity for you!_

_Love you, and don't stay up too late!_

_-Mom_

_p.s. There is dessert in the fridge! Michi and I made pudding! She did a very good job!_

Saki smiled, and pulled the cling wrap off the plate of food. Even though it was cold, the smell of curry still made his stomach growl. He pulled his PET out of his pocket, and set it up on the table.

“Sorry you have to watch me eat, Zer0,” Saki said as he picked up his spoon.

“I do not mind,” Zer0 said. “It does not affect me in any way.”

Saki scooped chunks of rice and curry into his mouth before washing them down with miso soup. Even though Saki had eaten at the restaurant (he would get a free meal every shift), he still felt ravenous. There would always be room for his mom's curry.

“Mom's curry is the best in the world,” Saki said softly.

“Is it?” Zer0 asked.

“To me,” Saki replied. “Probably to Michi too.” He smiled. “Everyone makes curry differently. Mom makes hers just for us. That's why it's the best.”

Zer0 did not reply, but he nodded in understanding. 

Once his plates were emptied, he washed them in the sink, and pulled the pudding out of the fridge. Closing the fridge door with his foot, Saki pulled out a clean spoon, and wandered back to the table, stopping to turn on the TV as he did so. He kept the volume reasonable, so he wouldn't wake Michi, but loud enough to hear from the table, which was a little ways away. Settling down at the table with his pudding, Saki turned the PET towards the TV and noted the current program.

“Ahh, it's a period drama.” He recalled Meijin's words from earlier in the day, and felt his ears heat up once more.

“What's wrong with liking Samurai? They're very cool.” He shoveled some pudding into his mouth and focused on the TV.

Zer0 had not replied, for he was fixated on the program. He watched, eyes wide, as a man stood, surrounded by a dozen or so men, all armed with swords.

“Lay down your blade, wanderer!” one of the men said to the man in the middle. “Lest this become your grave!”

The wanderer seemed unperturbed. He looked around the circle of men slowly, sizing each one up as his hand rested gently on the handle of his sword.

“And to what crime am I charged?” he asked.

“You attacked the lord's men!” cried another man in the circle. “Such folly is punishable by death.”

The wanderer sighed, rubbing at his neck. “I was merely asking them politely to leave that poor maiden alone. She did not seem to enjoy their company, and would not leave when she asked.”

“Sound like jerks to me,” Saki mumbled around his spoon.

“You assaulted five men!” said the first armed man.

“I _gently persuaded_ five men with my sheathed sword. I have committed no crime,” the wanderer insisted.

“Plead your case with a god of death!” the first armed man cried, drawing his sword. “For you shall meet one soon!”

Saki leaned forward slightly, watching the action unfold. Zer0, too, was paying close attention.

As the armed man lunged forward, the wanderer stepped aside, and dodged his blow. The man behind him swung his own sword, and the wanderer sidestepped this attack as well. The next few blows he parried with his sheath, and deftly tripped another man who came at him from the side. Everything happened so fast, but Zer0's eyes darted back and forth as he watched every move unfold.

Finally, the wanderer was forced to draw his sword. Placing his hand on the handle, and taking a crouched position, the wanderer drew his blade with deft quickness, and darted past the man he was attacking, sheathing his sword with a flourish as he came to a stop.

“Again, my blade cuts another useless object,” the wanderer muttered.

All at once, the other man's sword blade and obi were cut asunder, and he frantically tried to hold his pants up as the rest of the armed men drew back in fear.

“I have seen this technique before!” one of the men cried. “This is no ordinary sellsword. Retreat! We will tell the lord of this one at once!”

The rest of the swordsmen ran away, the one trying his best to run while holding his pants up, and Saki chuckled gleefully under his breath.

“Too cool!” he said. “Samurai are just too cool!”

Zer0, meanwhile, seemed transfixed. He never took his eyes off the screen, watching the wanderer intently.

“Ahh, I should have known my peace would be short lived,” the wanderer said with a heavy sigh. “Perhaps it is best if I leave now, to spare these people any more trouble.”

As he turned to leave, the maiden he had protected before ran out and clutched at his haori. “Please, kind sir! Won't you please help us?!”

The wanderer paused.

“Those men will not be the last! Even if you leave, they will never stop. They eat our food and drink our wine, they attack us women and do as they please. None is safe so long as they have no one to answer to. All we ask is that you drive the lord away!”

“A sorry state of affairs,” the wanderer replied. “Is there truly no one else you can ask this of?”

“Our husbands and sons fight for the lord's causes, leaving the young children and the women behind,” she said. “Truly, there is no one else we can ask!”

The wanderer sighed. “Curse this kind heart of mine. It pains me to see such selfishness.” He gently pulled the woman's hand off of his haori, and turned to her. “Very well then. I shall see to this duty. But know that I ask compensation in some form.”

“We have little money, but it is yours,” the woman replied.

“I need not money. Some food and lodging is sufficient. Perhaps a good cup of sake as well, for my gourd has long since run dry.” 

“Whatever you ask!” the woman pleaded. “Only deliver us from this cruel lord!”

Saki sighed. “I can't blame him, but you can't help but wonder how they got themselves into this mess to begin with...” He shook his head. “Who am I kidding? I'd probably do the same if I were him.”

The rest of the movie traveled down a predictable plot: the lord's men came in great numbers to stop him, and the wanderer cut his way through them all. Several of the lord's captains came to fight him, and while most were awful men, one seemed to be an honorable man, leading to a tense duel and the wanderer sparing his life. Finally, the wanderer and the lord faced off in a duel, with the lord cheating by having someone hit the wanderer with a poisoned dart, but even through the pain, the wanderer overpowered the lord, and triumphed in battle. The movie ended with the wanderer and the maiden embracing one last time by the river, and him promising that his wandering was done.

As the music swelled into the credits, Zer0 glanced over at Saki, and realized the boy was sound asleep, his head cradled in his arms on the table, snoring softly. With little the Navi could do, he returned to the drama on the TV. As the drama ended, another one started. The broadcaster announcing that there would be a period drama marathon.

Zer0 watched the next drama. And the one after that. In the midst of the third drama, Keiko arrived home, smelling faintly of cologne and champagne. When she noticed Saki passed out on the table, she tried unsuccessfully to rouse him, and then went and fetched a blanket, which she draped over him. Bending down, she gave Saki a soft kiss on the cheek, and then patted Zer0's PET.

“You should get some rest too,” she told Zer0 kindly.

“I shall stay awake and keep vigil,” Zer0 replied. “Please, do not worry, and retire to your room.”

Keiko giggled softly. “Very well then! I shall do as the gentleman asks.” And with that, Keiko stumbled into the bedroom to go to sleep.

As the door clicked shut behind Keiko, Zer0 turned back to the drama, and continued watching until the next morning.

***


	2. Good First Impression

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> After receiving his first Navi, Saki gets overwhelmed by his first visit to the Ministry of Science.

Morning broke, and the light from the window rudely pierced Saki's eyelids. With a groan, he tried to roll over, only to realize he wasn't in his futon, but draped over the table in the main room, his blanket thrown over him. Yawning, Saki sat up, trying to assess the situation.

“Must have fallen asleep watching TV,” he mumbled. The TV was still on, playing some sort of talk show at low volume. He crawled across the floor and turned the TV off, before looking back at the PET on the table. Zer0 looked back at him calmly.

“Have you...been awake...this whole time?” Saki asked.

“Yes,” Zer0 answered calmly. “I have.”

A pause. “Aren't Navis supposed to go into low power mode or sleep mode or whatever?”

“I did not require that,” Zer0 said. “Rather, I was quite busy learning.”

“Learning?” Saki asked, feeling a knot of dread in his gut. “Learning what?”

“Learning about samurai.”

Slowly, Saki rubbed the bridge of his nose, as if mentally preparing himself. “And what did you learn about...samurai?”

Zer0 seemed to straighten a little bit as he spoke. “Samurai are warriors of a single craft: the art of the sword. Each wields his sword in a different manner, creating a variety of techniques unique to each one. They also live by a code of honor, never allowing themselves to retreat from a fight or look past someone in distress. Yet, for some reason, they are very lonely. There was not a single instance of them surrounded by 'family' as you are. Is this simply the way of things for samurai?”

Saki sighed. “I mean...most of the time the samurai in period dramas are portrayed as loners to raise the stakes for them. It would be hard to cheer for a samurai with a loving supportive family they could go home to.”

Zer0 frowned, and crossed his arms. Saki was momentarily surprised, since it was the most Zer0 had emoted since he'd received him.

“But would one not want to see the samurai return home to his family? Is that not the ideal?”

“I...” Saki was at a loss for words. “I mean, I guess so.” He scratched his head. “People think lone wolf heroes are cool. That's probably why they're popular.”

“Do you think 'lone wolf heroes' are cool, Saki-dono?” Zer0 asked.

Saki stared at Zer0 as if he had suddenly turned into an alien. “What did you just say?”

“Do you think l—”

“No, you said Saki- _dono_ ,” Saki interrupted. “Do you have any idea how _outdated_ that keigo is?!”

“It is what samurai would use to show respect to their lord,” Zer0 replied. “I am merely trying to show you respect.”

“Did you learn it from that period drama?!” Saki asked, frantically crawling over to the table and snatching up the PET.

“There were many dramas,” Zer0 said, “But yes.”

Dazed, Saki sat back down on the floor. “You...you learned how to talk from a _period drama_ of all things.”

“Was this wrong?” Zer0 asked, concerned.

Saki shook his head. “It's just...I can't believe that was all it took.” He ran a hand through his hair. “What...what else did you learn?”

“I have also learned that the evil must be struck down by the righteous!” Zer0 replied proudly.

A groan escaped Saki as he buried his face in his hands. “Zer0...Zer0 you can't just run around 'striking down evil'...there are consequences. Like getting thrown in jail.”

“Jail is a type of prison?” Zer0 asked.

“Yeah, criminals get thrown in jail. People who go around fighting people and disturbing the peace are criminals.”

“This cannot be right,” Zer0 said, frowning. “If one does not strike down those who do evil, then is that not the same as allowing them to run free?”

“No,” Saki argued, “Because the grown ups take care of stuff. There are police officers to capture criminals and keep us safe. The average person shouldn't try to take justice into their own hands.”

Crestfallen, Zer0 asked, “But then, why do samurai in dramas smite evil as they do?”

“Because it's a drama, Zer0. They are entertainment. They aren't real.”

Saki almost felt bad for ruining Zer0's perception of samurai, because the Navi had the expression of a kicked puppy.

“Not real...?”

“No, Zer0. It's a fictional program, performed by actors for people's amusement.” He gave Zer0 a bemused smile. “But sometimes they reference real events and people in them. But only sometimes.”

Zer0's shoulders sagged. “I thought I had learned something very important...”

“I mean, you did...kind of.” Saki stood up, and walked to the kitchen. “You learned that samurai are pretty cool.”

***

Saki had to call the ramen shop and ask to have the day off so that he could meet Meijin at the Ministry of Science at the correct time. He apologized again and again for the short notice, but the shop owner simply said that it was okay, and try to give him more warning next time. Then Saki had to call the convenience store and ask for that shift off as well, since Saki had no idea when he would be done. The convenience store manager was less willing to let Saki have the time off, and was very upset that he had to find someone else at the last moment. Saki apologized profusely again and again until the manager begrudgingly let him have the day off.

“This had better be worth it,” Saki grumbled as he hung up his last phone call. Turning to Michi, who was finishing her breakfast at the table, he gave her a smile. “Today I'm going to go talk to the person who gave me my Navi. He's going to tell me a bunch of stuff, so I don't know when I'll be home.”

Michi blinked. “Are you going to get _another_ job, big brother?”

Saki felt his face flush. “It's not a job,” he insisted. “There's some kind of program I'm supposed to join. It'll probably be more like school.”

Michi gave him a suspicious look. “I don't know if I can trust you.”

“Is this because of the convenience store job?” Saki asked.

“And the time you took over someone's paper route, and the time you were a delivery person for the grocery store, and that time you helped deliver fish for that weird fish guy!” Michi crossed her arms. “You always end up taking jobs when someone asks you, all because you're too nice to say no!”

Saki hung his head for a long moment. When he lifted it, he looked Michi in the eyes, and promised her, “I won't take another job. I promise.”

She stared at him, her fierce gaze never faltering, until finally she seemed satisfied and nodded.

“If you break your promise, you have to swallow a thousand needles.”

“A thousand?!” Saki asked shocked. “Michi, that's so many needles! If I swallow that many needles, I'll die.”

“Then don't break your promise!” Michi replied brightly.

“I don't plan to!” Saki replied.

As Michi finished her meal, and went to put her dishes in the sink, Saki asked her, “Would you like me to walk you to school?”

“No, I'll be okay,” she told him politely. “You might not have enough time to get to your meeting if you walk me to school.”

“I'd be fine,” Saki insisted. “But if you're too embarrassed to be seen with your older brother then I understand...” He turned away and playfully began crying sounds.

Michi ran up to Saki and playfully hit him. “I'm not! Stop crying!”

“B-but my sweet little sister doesn't love me!” Saki insisted, still pretending to cry.

“Of course I do! I just don't want you to be late!”

“Okay, fine, I get it,” Saki said, dropping his crying act to grab his sister in a tight hug. “But the next day I have the time to walk you to school, you know I'm going to!”

“Okay!” replied with a giggle.

Releasing Michi from her hug, Saki got to his feet and walked into the kitchen to get Michi's lunch. She took it from him when he gave it to her, and put it into her bag, which she slung over her shoulders and onto her back, before racing to the front door to throw on her shoes.

“Have a good day! See you later!” Saki called and waved to his sister.

“Bye! I'm off!” Michi called back, waving before she closed the door behind her.

For a moment, Saki stood in the entryway, and heaved a tiny sigh. Then, he straightened his back, and prepared himself to make the long trip to the Ministry of Science.

Saki had gone on the subway in Densan City before, but only to go to some of his jobs. He'd never gone all the way to the Ministry of Science on the Metroline before, and hadn't anticipated the subway being as crowded as it was. He was glad that he hadn't taken his bike with him, given how little room he had to stand. When the train swayed harder than usual, he'd end up bumping into someone on either side of him and end up apologizing quietly each time. The whole experience was quite stifling, and he was relieved when the train finally arrived at the Ministry of Science platform, and he could once again be out in the open air.

Looking around, Saki made note of the huge concrete and glass building, and shielded his eyes as he looked towards the top of it. It reminded him of the time he'd been able to stand on the observation deck of Densan Tower, and part of him wondered if it would be the same feeling to stand on top of the skyscraper. But he felt like it would be best to find out some other day.

“Meijin-san wasn't very specific about where I was supposed to meet him,” Saki muttered to himself, pulling out his PET to check the time. “I'm a little early...maybe I can look around a little bit first?”

Feeling like nothing would happen if he just stood around, Saki walked up the front stairs and through the front doors into the Ministry of Science.

The front lobby of the building was larger than Saki was expecting, and he felt a little overwhelmed by the polished tile floors and the clean white walls. It felt more like a hotel than a science building. At the front desk was a young woman, her cyan hair pulled up into a side ponytail, diligently typing away on a terminal. When Saki walked a little closer, she looked up, and greeted him with a smile.

“Welcome to the Ministry of Science! How can I help you today?”

“Ah, hi, I...umm....” Saki faltered nervously. 

“Is this your first time visiting us?” the receptionist asked.

“Y-yeah, it is,” Saki managed to reply, adding, “I was supposed to meet someone here somewhere, but I'm kind of early, and he never said where to meet and...uhhh...”

“Does he work here?” she asked.

“Yeah...” Saki scratched his head. “I think.”

The receptionist nodded. “May I have his name?”

Saki felt his face flush. “U-uhh, M-Meijin...san...” He desperately tried to remember the name written on the business card he had been given, only now realizing he had left it at home by accident.

“Meijin-san, I see.” She typed a few things into her terminal, and then gave Saki a reassuring smile. “Let me give his desk a call. It will only take a few moments. Won't you please take a seat nearby?” She gestured to a cluster of leather chairs nearby, and Saki nodded shyly.

“S-sure...”

As Saki dropped into the chair, all the air rushed out of him in one shaky breath. He hadn't even noticed that he had been trembling, and he clenched his hands into fists in an effort to stop it.

 _So much for having a look around_ , Saki thought bitterly.

Even though he tried to look around the lobby to take more of it in, his eyes kept coming back to the receptionist, who kept putting a hand to her earpiece and frowning, as if she was having trouble hearing something. After a bit, she typed on her terminal, and touched her earpiece again.

 _I wonder if she needs help_ , Saki thought. _But I'd better not bother her, she looks busy_.

Eventually, however, the receptionist made eye contact with Saki, and waved him over. As he approached the desk, she smiled again, but more tiredly this time.

“It appears that I cannot get in contact with Meijin-san,” she told him. “Perhaps he has stepped out. I've tried speaking to someone near him in the office, but no one is answering their calls.”

“Is that...normal?” Saki asked.

“For that team? Unfortunately, yes.” The receptionist sighed. “The R&D department is notorious for getting so deep into their projects that they forget to eat or sleep.”

 _That sounds like Meijin all right_ , Saki thought bitterly.

“I was able to contact someone, however, and they told me that they would do their best to find Meijin for me. Hopefully, they'll be back in touch with me soon.” She put on a much softer smile this time. “Why don't you go have a look around? There's a restaurant if you're feeling hungry, and a very nice quad in the middle of the building that a lot of the scientists use to take breaks. It has a lovely fountain and a small flower garden. There's also a small library, although it's mostly research materials.”

“A walk might be nice,” Saki admitted.

“Excellent!” The receptionist clapped her hands together in delight. “Why don't I just take down your PET's ID, and send you a message once I receive some news about Meijin-san?”

“Sure...” Saki placed his PET on the counter, and felt his face heat up again. After scrolling through a few menus, he found his ID number, and the receptionist waved her own PET over it to register the number to her system.

“Thank you for your patience!” the receptionist said. “Please enjoy your visit!”

Saki walked away hurriedly. She had been so polite, but he had been too anxious to do much more than nod. He felt awful, especially since she had been so helpful.

 _Wait_ , he thought, _Did I just get some random woman's ID number?!_ Panic set in fresh.

“I kind of wanna vomit,” Saki mumbled under his breath. “Maybe I should go back and—”

“If you are feeling unwell, perhaps you should sit down,” Zer0 suggested. “I have read some articles about taking care of one's health, and many of them suggest 'fresh air' and 'rest' for nausea.”

“What about anxiety?” Saki asked Zer0 cattily.

“I have not read anything about how to treat anxiety,” Zer0 admitted.

“That's because even in the era of machine-printed organs and free-thinking AI, mental illness is still a huge mystery yet to be solved,” Saki grumbled under his breath.

“I did not hear your inquiry—” Zer0 replied.

“Forget it,” Saki said, louder this time, “Just muttering to myself.”

After wandering around for a several minutes, Saki finally found the doors to the quad. He noted that it looked very much like something one would see in a place of learning: clean, paved sidewalks surrounded by greenery and trees, with benches here and there to sit on, a small duck pond in one corner, and a fountain in the quad's middle connecting all the sidewalks together. Still feeling overwhelmed by people, Saki sat down on a bench near the duck pond, and stared blankly at the water's surface. From time to time, someone would come by, and offer up some nuts to the ducks, who would greedily snatch them out of the human's hands, honking loudly in triumph.

“Who would feed ducks in high heels?” Saki muttered, still zoning out but conscious enough to notice what the people feeding the ducks was wearing.

“Is that incorrect?” Zer0 asked.

“No, but...there's a lot of problems, I guess.” Saki sighed and tried to explain. “The grass near the pond is soft, so you might get your heel stuck in the sod. Or get mud or duck poop on your shoe. I get that they are probably just people who work here, feeding ducks on their break, but...” He shook his head. “I don't even know why I pointed it out.”

“Perhaps you are merely concerned with their safety,” Zer0 suggested.

Saki didn't reply, he just watched the ducks sail gracefully around on the pond.

“I am ever impressed with your keen observations,” Zer0 continued. “I must also work hard to be as observant as you.”

Saki snapped out of his funk. “Huh—? What? Oh, no, Zer0, you're fine. You don't have to try so hard, you know.”

“Why is that?” Zero asked.

“Because it's okay not to know things, or to not be good at things, especially when you're first starting out. You get better with practice.”

“I am capable of learning something the first time I observe it,” Zer0 said. “Therefore, the more information I can gather, the better I will become.”

“Fat lot of good knowing something is,” Saki griped. “What good is knowing something if you don't know what to use it for? Just because you know something doesn't mean you have the means to make use of that information.”

Zer0 paused, as if this had never occurred to him before.

“Like, let's say I saw someone use Kung-Fu. Cool, I know how to use Kung-Fu! Except that I don't. I don't know exactly how the stance feels, or how much power to put into that punch or that kick. I don't know the timing at all. I can say I know Kung-Fu, but the truth is, I don't know Kung-Fu at all.”

A pause. “Saki-dono, what _is_ Kung-Fu?”

Through gritted teeth, Saki replied, “I thought we talked about that, Zer0. Don't call me 'Saki-dono'.”

“You have not answered the question,” Zer0 replied.

Right as Saki opened his mouth to snap at Zer0, the PET rang, and a message flashed, informing him of an incoming call.

“Ahh, guess I'd better take that,” Saki sighed, tapping the 'Receive Call' button.

“Hello?” The receptionist's voice crackled through the speakers. “I've called to inform you that I've spoken to Meijin-san and—”

A gloved hand reached over Saki's shoulder, and snatched the PET from his hand, scaring Saki enough to yelp. As he turned his head to see who it was, he spotted the familiar profile of Meijin, who grinned as he spoke into the PET's microphone.

“Yes, yes, I found him. No need to be so formal.” He tapped the 'End Call' button, and handed Saki's PET back to him.

“You scared me,” Saki grumbled.

“You're a hard man to find,” Meijin replied. “Why didn't you stay near the lobby? I walked all over the building looking for you!”

“Huh? But the receptionist said she was having trouble contacting you, and that she'd call me when she did.”

“Yes, yes.” Meijin waved his hand. “But I spotted you while you were still in the lobby, and by the time I got down there, you had already walked off.”

Saki sighed irritably. “Answer your calls.”

“Someday.” He started walking away, and then turned and looked at Saki expectantly. “Well? Are you coming?”

Saki got up off the bench, and followed after Meijin, still annoyed that the man had gotten mad at him for not staying put when he didn't know that he should have.

“So, why am I here today again?” Saki asked, catching up to Meijin.

“You're here today to be registered into the system,” Meijin explained. “Get your ID Pass all sorted and whatnot. After that, I can introduce you to the other members of the program.”

And what 'program' is this again?” Saki asked.

“You'll see,” was all Meijin said.

They walked down a hall, and then another. At some point, they got into an elevator, and Meijin tapped his pass to the elevator's button panel, and one of the buttons lit up, which he then pressed. Saki squinted at it, trying to make some sense out of anything that was happening.

“Restricted floor,” Meijin explained. “Personnel only.”

“Are you going to get in trouble, taking me up there?” Saki asked.

Meijin smirked. “You'll have one of these soon, don't worry.”

Saki blinked in surprise.

The elevator slowed to a stop, and the door opened with a soft 'ding!', letting Meijin and Saki step out into the hallway. This area felt a little more sterile and a little more stark than the lobby. The walls were much whiter, and any windows that Saki could see through connected to labs where people were testing computers or other electronic machines. One had what looked like the bare bones of a robot, still being welded carefully together while another scientist tapped away on the terminal connected to it by various wires. Another room had a few people in lab coats gathered around someone wearing strange sensors, holding various poses while data was collected. Still another room had a bunch of hospital equipment in it, and someone was gathering readings off a few of the machines.

When Saki turned to look, Meijin was quite a ways ahead, and Saki darted after him.

“This wing tends to be a little hodgepodge,” Meijin told Saki after he had caught up. “'Research and Development' covers a lot of different things. But we'll mostly be in the area where we develop Navis.” He turned a corner, and pointed to a door about halfway down the hall. “Through there.”

Meijin pushed the door open almost casually, and Saki followed, a little meeker than he thought he would. Most of what he could see were rows of cubicles and heads bent over desks, while furious typing filled the air. Meijin walked past most of them, and then turned into an office near the far side. Saki followed, glancing back at all the cubicles with an almost concerned look.

“It's...not what I thought it would be,” Saki admitted.

“What did you think it would be?” Meijin asked, pulling his chair out and flopping into it.

“Like...some big room, filled with screens and readouts,” Saki said slowly. “With the atmosphere of something important happening at any moment. Something like that, I think.”

“Oh no, not down here,” Meijin laughed. “We're just the poor souls in the R&D department. No real excitement down here.” He hit a few keys on his terminal to wake it up. “Most of what you're describing is all in Doctor Hikari's wing. He gets to do all the really fun stuff, honestly.”

Sitting down slowly in the chair across the desk from Meijin, Saki slowly pulled out his PET and set it on the table in front of him. “Oh...” He nervously pulled a chunk of hair near his ear. “And...what does Doctor Hikari do?”

Meijin paused, and looked at Saki seriously. “He's the foremost expert on PETs, seeing as how he helped design the first one and all.”

Saki's eyes widened. “He did?!”

“He also designs Navis,” Meijin went on. “His main research at the moment is trying to create a truly independent AI, one with free will.

Saki sat in stunned silence. 

Meijin laughed. “Although, he's only made the one Navi so far. The one he made for his son.”

Saki shifted in his seat. “Do you...do you and Doctor Hikari...work together a lot?”

“Sometimes,” Meijin admitted. “There were a few projects we collaborated on.” His typing paused. “Well, up until seven years ago, that is.”

Saki felt his stomach churn uncomfortably. “What happened seven years ago?”

For a moment, Meijin didn't answer. “We all got defunded,” he said simply, and then reached for Saki's PET.

The boy's mouth fell open in astonishment. “What? But...?”

“'But you're still here', is that what you were going to say?” Meijin casually plugged the PET into his terminal, and kept typing as he continued speaking. “It's true we got defunded by the government. They were pretty steamed about some stuff that happened that really wasn't Doctor Hikari's fault. We tried talking to them about it, but they were pretty stubborn. Took seven years to change their minds.”

Saki sat, staring at the desk, unable to say anything. He remembered vividly the events of seven years ago, about the things he saw on the news, about the madness that happened all around him and his family, about his dad...

“Grownups are just foolish,” Meijin told Saki. “Don't think to hard about it.”

Saki's head snapped up. “Huh?!”

“About them defunding our program,” Meijin replied, and then seemed to scrutinize Saki closely. “Or were you thinking of something else...?”

Saki waved his hands, embarrassed. Of _course_ Meijin wasn't talking about his own problem, the timing had just been convenient. “No, no...I must have just zoned out...”

Meijin didn't seem convinced, but said nothing further.

Saki tried to distract himself, and looked around the office while Meijin was working. He noted a few strange things, such as a small collection of train models and a larger collection of blind box toys arranged neatly in a shelf. In fact, there were quite a few shelves worth of collectibles, including helicopter models, framed playing cards, and sealed blister packs with action figures in them.

“You...” Saki groped for something to say. “Sure like to collect...things.”

Meijin grinned. “You like them? I worked very hard for each and every one!”

For a long moment, Saki didn't really know how to respond. Eventually, all he could do was nod, and comment, “Ahh.” 

“Do you like to collect things, Saki?” Meijin asked. “A kid like you probably has a few collections of things.”

Saki's ears heated up, and he squirmed uncomfortably in his chair. “N-not...not really.”

“Nothing at all?” Meijin asked, surprised.

“Well...” Saki rubbed at his face with his hand. “...ooks.”

“Come again?”

Saki felt like he could cook an egg on his face. “I like to collect books...of poetry.”

“Oh!” Meijin seemed surprised, but in a happy sort of way. “That sounds fun! Have any good recommendations?”

Saki tried to remember to breath. He buried his face in his hand, and struggled to think of something to say regarding Meijin's question.

“The...the Manyoshu...” Saki offered up weakly, and then buried his face into his hands again, trying not to scream. _Why did I suggest the Manyoshu?! Most of those poems are so depressing! What the hell is wrong with me?! Why didn't I just say the Ogura Hyakunin Isshu?! That one's mostly love poems though—crap!!_

“I don't know much about poetry,” Meijin admitted, “But maybe I'll try reading that at some point.”

“Okay,” Saki said into his hands, completely mortified.

After a moment more of typing, Meijin turned to Saki again. “Alright then. Let's see how Zer0's coming along, why don't we?”

Pulling his face from his hands, Saki scooted a little closer in his chair. “O-okay.”

Saki's eyes were pulled to a small round device near the terminal that lit up, projecting a very small Zer0 over it. The Navi turned to look around him, and then up at Saki.

“Hello, Saki-dono.”

“Zer0.” Saki's voice was tense. “We talked about this.”

Saki looked up at Meijin, and saw that man holding back laughter behind his hand. Saki shot him a sour look.

“Going well, I see?” Meijin managed to choke out.

Zer0 looked up at Meijin, confused. “Is that not the proper way to address one's Lord?”

“Absolutely,” Meijin replied, at the edge of laughter, “Keep it up.”

“Don't listen to him, Zer0!” Saki yelled angrily, “He's just trying to make fun of me!”

Zer0 looked helplessly between Saki and Meijin, unable to know who to listen to.

“I keep telling you! That keigo is really, really outdated! No one uses it anymore!”

“Then...Meijin has lied to me?” Zer0 asked.

“Why would I lie?” Meijin asked, grinning.

“He's not telling you the whole truth,” Saki grumbled. “It's just as bad, to be honest.”

“You sound like someone I know,” Meijin said, still shaking slightly from silent laughter.

Zer0 folded his arms and seemed pensive. “I do not understand why one would lie to me. It does not seem logical.”

With a tiny sigh, Meijin addressed Zer0. “Sometimes, people lie to have a little fun at someone else's expense.” He bent down so Zer0 could see his face a little easier. “I'm sorry, Zer0. Can you forgive me?”

Zer0 uncrossed his arms. “Of course. You have not done anything malicious or ill-intended.”

Saki grumbled loudly. “I don't know, I'd say that it was a pretty vicious attack on me.”

“Aren't you being a little too sensitive?” Meijin asked.

“Can we just get on with it?” Saki felt anger bubbling in his gut, and took a deep breath, trying to keep it under control.

“Sorry, sorry.” Meijin typed a few more keys. “Alright then, Zer0, can you tell me how you feel right now?”

“I feel that I am performing at adequate levels,” Zer0 replied.

“No strange code hiccups? No lagging or power cycling?”

“No.”

“Now, the important question.” Meijin turned away from his terminal's keyboard, and looked at Zer0 with a serious expression. “Do you enjoy being around Saki?”

Zer0 hesitated a moment, before looking up at Meijin with a tiny, soft smile. “Yes,” he said. “Saki is...very kind and he has shown me many things, and answered all of my questions.” He paused. “Almost all of my questions.” Turning to face Saki, Zer0 asked, “What _is_ Kung-Fu, Saki?”

Expecting to have to correct Zer0 once more for using outdated and unfitting keigo, Saki was caught off-guard and found himself smiling softly.

“Why don't you just look it up, Zer0?”

“I would very much rather hear it from you, Saki,” Zer0 replied.

Saki looked down and to the right. He could feel his eyes sting slightly, and his pride refused to allow him to cry in front of others.

“Later, Zer0. I'll tell you later.”

When Saki was finally able to contain his emotions and look up once more, he caught Meijin staring at him with an unreadable expression. Perhaps it was paranoia, or his sight was still blurred slightly by unshed tears, but Saki could swear he saw the ghost of a smile on Meijin's lips.

“No problems to report!” Meijin said, pushing himself back into his chair, and turning to face the terminal screen once more. “A little program memory reorganizing, and he'll be good to go again.” He looked at Saki. “It'll take a bit to run those programs, so why don't I show you around in the meantime?”

“I guess,” Saki said. “If you don't mind.”

“No trouble at all,” Meijin told him, getting out of his chair. “The less time I spend behind a desk, the better.” He looked at Zer0, and gave him a mock salute. “We'll be back in a bit, just go ahead and let yourself go into sleep mode for a bit while the programs run.”

“Understood,” Zer0 said, and the hologram flickered off.

Meijin gently placed a hand on Saki's shoulder and steered him out of the office. “Let's get you introduced to your colleges in the program. I think I spotted one in the break room...”

“You still haven't explained what this 'program' is,” Saki said.

“Right...” Meijin paused for a second. “It's a rather important program, under Doctor Hikari's direction. It has to do with materializing data in the real world, under specific conditions. After some training, you'll be one of the people who will be interacting with that data.”

“Materializing...data in the...real world?” Saki's eyes widened. “Is that...even possible?”

“It's been done before,” Meijin explained. “Both in the lab and out. But we're mostly focusing on how that data reacts with people.”

Saki didn't say anything else, but the feeling of anxiety he had experienced earlier in Meijin's office came back.

Still steering Saki, Meijin made his way out of the area with all the cubicles, and into a room filled with chairs and tables. A couch was set up near a small TV, and somewhere in the back was a fridge and a sink, along with a microwave.

“The break room!” Meijin explained. “Most of us just store our food in here and sleep on the couch during big projects.”

As Saki's eyes swept around the room, he noticed someone sitting at the table near the fridge. A boy, probably around Saki's age, possibly younger, was listening to something through his headphones, and hadn't seemed to have noticed them enter. Meijin pushed Saki over to him, and tapped the boy on the shoulder.

The boy turned, and Saki was struck by the boy's impish features: a small, turned up nose, a light dusting of freckles, and emerald eyes that sparkled mischievously behind a fluffy, untamed mess of bangs. Saki suddenly felt his estimate of the boy's age was quite off.

“This is Saki Tanaka,” he told the boy, pushing Saki forward a little bit more. “He's the newest member of the program.”

A smile broke across the boy's face, and Saki felt rather blinded by the radiance. “Oh good! I'm not the new guy anymore!” He stood up, and offered his hand to Saki, grinning broadly. “Nice to meet you! I'm Takashi Wakahisa, but my friends just call me Taka!” After a moment, he added, “You can call me Taka too.”

Saki felt his cheeks flush, and took Taka's outstretched hand. “Saki Tanaka.”

Taka tilted his head, curiously. “Not a name I hear on a boy very often. That's good! It means I'll have an easier time remembering it!” He tapped his head with his finger. “See? Already committed to memory!”

Saki suddenly felt very flustered. This boy was...a lot. He was loud and clearly outgoing, and Saki felt like he needed a moment to catch up.

“Taka came to the program a few months back,” Meijin explained. “He's the youngest one in it, actually!”

“It doesn't mean that I'm not capable!” Taka said proudly, putting his fists on his hips. “In fact, I've already broken a few records!”

Saki frowned. _Records?_ He wondered if there would be tests involved, like he first thought.

“Right, that's one down...” Meijin turned, and looked around the room. “Now, where's the other one...?”

“He's at his desk still,” Taka replied, folding his arms behind his head. “I tried to get him to come eat, but he just kept muttering about dissertations and whatnot.”

Meijin sighed. “Time to go get him myself, I guess.” Waving the others to follow him, Meijin turned and left the break room, and walked back out into the sea of cubicles. Saki tried his best to keep up, while Taka trotted after him.

“So, what kinds of things are you into?” Taka asked casually.

“Uhh, books,” Saki replied, trying not to lose sight of Meijin.

“I like books too!” Taka replied. “I just read the latest volume of 'Tome Collector Momo-chan' yesterday! It was so good! I can't wait until the next issue comes out!”

Saki's eyebrows knitted together. _Doesn't Michi like that series?_ “Isn't that the one about the girl who has to collect a series of magical tomes that go out of control?” he asked.

“That's the one!” Taka replied. “I've been a fan since the early days. The latest arc is really different, but I love it!”

“My sister watches that show,” Saki replied absently, spotting Meijin, and moving to catch up with him. “She's really into that one and 'Magical Maidens'.”

Taka gasped. “'Sparkle!: Magical Maidens!' is such a good series! I'm a big fan of 'Sparkle!: Magical Maidens Smile!'”

Confused, all Saki could do was offer up a weak smile before he stopped at Meijin's side. The man was currently trying to get the attention of a young man, hunched over his desk and muttering under his breath in an almost intimidating manner.

“Take a break,” Meijin told him, “There's someone I'd like to introduce you to.”

The man muttered again. “There's no time, this dissertation...”

“It can wait,” Meijin told the man, taking the page he was writing on and flipping it over. “Focus. You have company.”

The young man sat up, blinking in confusion. He seemed to squint against the lights, and Saki could tell that he had probably not slept properly for some time. Running a hand through his messy brown mop of hair, he finally turned to face Saki.

“Ahh...” He gave Saki a look from head to toe. “AAH!” He suddenly shot up out of his seat, and pointed at Saki. “You! You're here!” He seemed suddenly elated. “Meijin! Why didn't you tell me sooner?!”

“I did,” Meijin said. “You ignored me.”

The man ignored Meijin and addressed Saki excitedly. “I'm Netto! Netto Hikari! It's nice to finally meet you! Meijin told me about you last night, and I've been on pins and needles ever since!” He shook Saki's hand firmly. “Now I can finally see the man Meijin was willing to trust with his secret project.”

Shaking his head, Saki pulled his hand free. “Oh, I'm not—”

Netto interrupted Saki by bringing his hands down on Saki's shoulders firmly. “I get the feeling the two of us are going to get along great!”

 _Wonderful_ , Saki groused internally. _Another loud, outgoing person. I can't catch a break_.

Despite his thoughts, Saki tried his best to say, “I hope we can work together then.” 

Flashing Saki a warm smile, Netto said, “In that case, I'd really like to get to know more about you.”

Saki's brain ground to a halt, and he lost all cognitive brain functions. The only thing that worked properly was his heart, which suddenly beat in his chest with the ferocity of a jackhammer. How had Netto's smile become so dazzling?! How had he gone from aggravating to charming in half a second?! Saki cursed himself for crushing so damn easily.

Through the piercing buzz in Saki's ears, he thought he could vaguely hear Taka say, “I think he might have passed out standing up,” followed by Meijin going, “Give him a second, he's coming back I think.” Giving his head a firm shake, Saki returned to his body, and took a half step back from Netto.

“S-some other time.”

“Okay!” Netto replied, oblivious. “Maybe over food! We could go get curry from this place I like! Or there's this ramen stall that I—”

Netto was still talking excitedly, but Saki had left his body again. WAS HE SERIOUSLY ASKING FOR A DATE?! THIS IS AN INVITATION TO A DATE, RIGHT?!

“I'm sorry, this is very sudden, maybe some other time!” Saki suddenly shrieked at Netto, turned, and ran back to the break room, covering his flushing face in embarrassment. He could vaguely hear the others behind him, trying to make sense of what he had just said.

“...flushing like a maiden in love...”

“...came on too strong I think...”

“...just wanted to be friends, I...”

Saki threw himself onto the couch and screamed into a pillow. Everything that could have possibly gone wrong during that introduction had, and now he could never return. He would have to leave, move away from Densan forever. Go to some foreign land, change his name, start growing potatoes on a farm. Run far, far away from the shame, or else die in the aftermath.

Why the hell had he suddenly taken such a sharp turn into stupidity?! He didn't usually make such an ass out of himself, not even talking to crushes. He usually ended up hiding in a corner and melting down later, not during the conversation itself!! What was the point of knowing so many words if he couldn't string enough of them together to make a cohesive sentence! And what was worse, he'd melted down in front of _other people_ , so now he couldn't show his face to any of them ever again! His life was over, he should just accept it.

Saki pulled the pillow away from his face to take in some air, and screamed when he looked right into Taka's eyes. The other boy didn't seem fazed.

“When did you—?!”

“You should drink some water,” Taka told Saki matter-of-factually, and held out a glass of water to him. “It's what I was told to do when having a panic attack.”

Saki shook his head. “What good is water going to do?! I can't use it to wash away my shame!!”

“I mean, you probably just need to breathe right now,” Taka said, his voice still calm. “Drinking water will force your body to reset its breathing pattern.” He shrugged. “I think. I dunno, it sounded right.”

Saki buried his face in the pillow again. “What the hell was I thinking, blurting all of that out! He probably thinks I'm insane or something!”

“No, he's just concerned that you might be under a lot of stress,” Taka replied.

“I can't believe I ruined my first impression so badly! I should probably just disappear—”

Taka sighed, and sat down on the couch next to Saki, yanking the pillow out of his grasp, and throwing it across the room. Saki looked at Taka in alarm, but the other boy kept his cool.

“Listen. I know your brain is like a runaway train right now, and the break lever is busted, but you have to try and focus. You can focus on your breathing, or on me talking, or on whatever, but pick a thing, and focus on it. I mean, anything that _isn't_ your own train of thought. Not that. Focus on something external. Something fixed.”

Saki tried to follow Taka's advice, and focused on his breathing. He tried to bring his erratic gasps back into a rhythm, counting each one as it came in and went back out again. Eventually, he could feel the tension in his gut unwinding a little, and he could start to feel his brain working properly again.

“That's better.” Taka gave Saki a smile. “See? Much better now. You feel in control again?”

“Y-yeah,” Saki replied, nodding.

“Good.” Taka's shoulders sagged a little bit. “Boy, that was a big one. The last time I saw a panic attack that big was when Netto got a terrible grade back on his last paper. Me and Meijin-san had to stop him from running to the roof, and honestly we needed four people to hold him down because he's crazy strong when he's panicking.”

“Really?” Saki asked in a soft voice.

“Yeah.” Taka smiled gently. “Working in a box all day can really take a toll on your mental state. Everyone around here is really careful to keep an eye out for each other. Make sure we all take breaks, and do something relaxing to take our minds off stuff.”

Saki tried to take Taka's words in. “Are you saying...that people don't mind if you...have an episode at work?”

“Don't know what kind of pressure cooker you're used to, but everyone here kind of needs their brains to be working at a hundred percent. It's only natural that you'd need to take care of it when there's a problem.”

Saki glanced up, and noticed Netto and Meijin hovering at the door. Netto especially seemed concerned, and Saki tried his best to give him a reassuring smile. In response, Netto hurried across the room, and sat down on the other side of Saki, taking the boy's hand in his own. It was comfortably warm, and Saki thought that it was something he really needed in that moment.

“How are you feeling?” Netto asked.

“A little better,” Saki admitted. “I...I'm sorry if I worried you.” He looked down and bit his lip. “I don't know what came over me.”

“You seem kind of overwhelmed,” Netto admitted. “A lot has happened in a really short amount of time. I don't blame you for feeling like it's too much.”

Saki took a shaky breath. “I...I'm usually better at...holding that in.”

Netto shook his head. “It's not good to hold it all in, you know.”

“But I work three jobs,” Saki said. “I don't have time to break down in the middle of a shift.”

Everyone looked at Saki in surprised and awe. “Three...?!” Netto especially seemed astonished. “Three jobs?! I can't even imagine what kind of stress you'd be under! Three...!” He ran a hand through his hair. “If I worked three jobs, I'd probably just fall over dead.”

“If you worked any kind of job at all that wasn't this one, I think you'd probably just collapse,” came a disembodied voice from near Netto. Saki jumped slightly.

“Not now, Rockman,” Netto muttered. “We're having a moment.”

“You haven't worked a day in your life!” Rockman said, laughing. “And you _certainly_ never tried that hard in school!”

Netto pouted. “I did too! I got to where I am through hard work and determination!”

“And a lot of all night cram sessions hosted by yours truly,” Rockman replied.

Taka leaned in and whispered into Saki's ear. “Rockman is Netto's Navi, and they fight like siblings. They do this kind of thing all the time, trust me.”

Saki nodded, and watched Netto and Rockman yell at each other a little bit longer. Finally, he felt a little chuckle escape him, and then another one. Soon, he was laughing quietly, and he felt Netto squeeze his hand.

“That's much better.” His looked at Saki with a kind expression. “If you can laugh, then that means you'll be alright.”

Hanging his head, Saki said, “I didn't mean to alarm anyone. I really don't know what happened. There was no reason to have panicked the way I did.”

“Don't beat yourself up,” Taka told him. “Everyone handles stuff differently. Maybe you just hit your threshold.”

“Yeah!” Netto said. “If you want to take a break, we can do the rest of this stuff tomorrow or the next day.”

Saki shook his head. “I was only able to get today off. I can't just ask for another day off out of the blue.” He clenched his fist. “I have to get everything done today.”

Meijin sighed. “Yeah, we're going to have to have a chat about how many jobs you're working.”

“You must have a reason for working so many,” Netto added.

“I need the money...?” Saki said helplessly. “I was planning on quitting the job at the convenience store, though.”

“Quit the other ones too!” Netto said in a bright tone. “A high school kid like you can't balance all of them _and_ school!”

Saki flinched, and Netto noticed. He leaned in closer.

“You _are_ in school, right?”

“Well,” Saki said, and averted his eyes.

“Netto, let's not put him under this much pressure so soon after his panic attack,” Meijin warned.

Obediently, Netto backed off, and Saki felt his hands shake. He clenched them so no one would notice.

“I do agree with Netto though. Let's save the rest of your orientation for another day. I've already run all the tests I needed to on Zer0, and you can pick up your pass another day.” Meijin walked over, and gently placed a hand on Saki's shoulder. “It's okay.”

Saki sighed in defeat. All he could do was apologize for wasting everyone's time.

“It's fine, really,” Taka told him. “I was bored anyway.”

“I really needed a distraction!” Netto chirped. “Can't remember from what though.”

“Your dissertation?” Meijin offered.

“Huh? Did you say something?” Netto asked, still smiling wide.

“Are...are you going to be okay, senpai?” Saki asked, concerned.

Netto looked at Saki with the eyes of a man who had been pushed past his limit. “Please, don't ever call me 'senpai'. Ever.”

“S-sorry,” Saki squeaked.

A bright smile returned to Netto's face once more. “Just Netto is fine! Right, Saki?”

Saki's face flushed at the lack of formality. “A-are you sure?”

“Yeah, Netto is never formal with anyone,” Taka said. “Hey, can I call you 'Saki' too? I'm like Netto, I hate all the stuffy formalities.”

“We're all friends here,” Meijin added.

“Meijin-san is right!” Taka agreed.

Meijin gave Taka a nasty look. “What was all that about hating formalities?”

Taka looked Meijin straight in the eye. “Gotta respect my elders.”

Meijin planted his fists on either side of Taka's head and twisted them against Taka's head with definite hostility, causing Taka to cry out in pain.

“You...” Saki's voice was small, but affectionate. “You're all so weird.”

“Definitely weird,” Netto agreed. “But so are you, so it's all fine.”

Saki felt his ears heat up.

“I had no idea that inviting you out to eat would upset you so much!” Netto went on. “If it's a problem, we can do something else. How about the arcade? A movie? Oh, we could go to a park if you like a quiet place—!”

“ _Those are all still date spots!!_ ” Saki shrieked.

Netto frowned. “I bring my friends to those places all the time.”

Saki heard Taka and Meijin's foreheads meeting their palms. He turned to look at them.

“I-is he joking, or is he really this dense?”

***

“Here we go, all ready for you!” Meijin announced, handing Saki his PET.

“Thanks,” Saki said, and then sensed someone staring at him intently. Looking to the side, he saw Netto eyeing up Saki's PET with the face of someone who had seen some great treasure.

“Is that...? A V2?” Netto asked, his voice shaking. “Can...Can I just...touch it? Please?! I promise I'll be really gentle!”

Saki slowly held out his PET to Netto, who cradled it in his hands like a Fabergé egg.

“Oh wow, it's in such good shape for being used all the time!” Netto gushed. “Look at that curve! Such a great shape! The V2 really is the best!” He ran a hand over it, and giggled a little. “I really miss my V2, you know! I had to upgrade a while back and I hated it at first. The older models are definitely better, in my opinion.”

Taka leaned over slightly. “Netto really loves vintage tech,” he whispered to Saki. “It's not just PETs. He freaks out over all kinds of old gadgets.”

“He's a man of taste,” Meijin said.

Taka sighed dramatically. “All they ever do is nerd out over old tech and it's really annoying.”

“I kindly listen to you when you go off on long-winded tangents about whether the master series or the perfect series is better for display, or when you rub in my face how you managed to snag an exclusive from WonFes, the least you could do is let us gush a little bit about _our_ hobbies,” Meijin retorted.

“Yeah, but old electronics are so _boring_ ,” Taka complained. “The seasons hottest garage kits never are.”

Saki listened to the two bicker, completely lost. _Garage kits? WonFes? What are they even talking about?_

“Saki's a man of taste though,” Taka said, bringing Saki back into the conversation. “He even told me that he likes 'Sparkle!: Magical Maidens', and honestly I could use someone to talk to about that series.”

Blushing shyly, Saki said, “I said my sister likes that series. I only watch stuff like that because she does.”

Taka seemed devastated. He crumpled to the floor dramatically.

“I kind of like stuff like 'Masqueraider Ouga' though,” Saki continued. “It's a little cheesy, but I guess that's the appeal of it. Oh, and 'The Steel Samurai'. Both me and Michi really love that one, although she kind of prefers 'The Pink Princess'.”

Taka perked back up instantly. “You're into Tokusatsu? I can work with that.”

“You got over that one fast,” Saki said.

“Fuu fuu~ I can never stay depressed when there are fans of good media around,” Taka explained. “After all, if I don't tell people all about why 'Shooting Star: Rainbow Man' is good, then who will?”

“Uh...huh...” Saki replied slowly.

“Actually,” Taka said, “We got off on the wrong foot, I think. Allow me to introduce myself properly.” He planted his hands on his hips. “My name is Takashi Wakahisa. I'm thirteen years old, and my blood type is B. My hobbies include fashion, anime, manga and video games, and space! My dream is to become an astronaut and go to space someday!”

“Oh.” Saki nodded. “That's a big dream.” He frowned. “Wait, you're _thirteen?!_ ”

“How old did you think I was?” Taka asked.

“I don't know, ten maybe?!” Saki replied. “You're so short, I really thought you weren't much older than my sister!”

“I'm just growing slowly!” Taka insisted. “I'll hit my growth spurt soon!”

Saki sighed. “Should I introduce myself properly too?”

“Of course!” Taka said, puffing out his chest.

“Okay then, umm...” Saki straightened his back. “My name is Saki Tanaka. I'm sixteen years old, my blood type is A, and I, uhh...I like...to read...poetry.” He felt his face heat up as he spoke.

“Ooh! Fancy!” Taka said. “I like to read too, but poetry sometimes is a little deep for me. I can't really enjoy it properly, you know?”

“I guess it's a little intimidating, yeah,” Saki admitted. “I didn't really like it until we studied it in class. Then I read every book I could get my hands on.”

The words slipped out easily. Suddenly, Saki's anxiety was nowhere to be found. No one was attacking him, no one was judging him. Saki had never felt this at ease with strangers before.

“It's weird,” Saki he said. “I don't feel as anxious anymore.”

“Nothing to be anxious about,” Taka said. “Everyone here is the same. We all cry into our hands at the end of the day.”

Saki flushed angrily. “Listen, I don't want to talk about that anymore.”

“If you can't cry in front of your friends, who _can_ you cry in front of!”

“We're not...” Saki realized as he was saying it that yes, they _were_ friends. New friends, just starting out and rather uncertain, but friends nonetheless.

“Netto, stop gushing over Saki's PET and introduce yourself!” Taka yelled.

“Huh? What? Introductions? Oh, yeah!” He faced Saki and grinned. “My name is Netto Hikari. I'm eighteen years old, blood type O, and my hobbies include Net Battling, programming, and food!”

“It's nice to meet you,” Saki said, and bowed to the other two boys.

“Should I introduce myself too, or...?” Meijin asked. 

“Would it really make a difference though?” Netto asked.

“Honestly, would it?” Taka asked.

“You don't have to be so rude about it,” Meijin said, pouting.

“When you come by next time, I'll introduce you to my Navi!” Taka promised.

“Me too!” Netto said. “I'll introduce you to Rockman properly.”

“I'd like that,” Saki said shyly. “I've never had a Navi before Zer0, so...”

“Is that what you named him?” Netto asked. “I like it! It's a good name! Really gives off a 'cool' vibe!”

“Thanks...” Saki rubbed his head, embarrassed. It felt nice to be praised by someone who wasn't his family.

“Want me to walk you home?” Netto asked. “I just want to make sure you make it home safely.”

Saki felt his heart jump a bit, but shook his head.

“No, I can't ask you to do that...I live pretty far away from here and all...”

“I could walk you home,” Taka said. “I have nothing better to do, and I live in the direction of Dentown, so I don't mind.”

“How did you know I lived in that direction?” Saki asked.

“Meijin-san mentioned going out that way yesterday,” Taka replied.

“Oh, I see,” Saki said.

“I live in Akihara Town, but I don't mind going out of my way,” Netto explained.

“Really, it's very kind of you both to offer, but I'll be fine. Honestly.”

Taka pouted. “But I really wanted to see where you live!” he whined. “Lemme go to your house, Saki!”

“Ehh?”

“I was kind of curious myself,” Netto said sheepishly. “Meijin was saying it was a nice place, and I always like meeting new people, so...”

“It's not fair!” Taka pouted. “Meijin-san got to see your house, why can't I?”

“No one is going to see my house, and that's _final_ ,” Saki told the others in a stern voice.

Both of the other boys whined dejectedly.

“Fine then!” Netto said. “If you won't let me come to your place, you'll just have to come to mine!”

“I'll pass,” Saki said.

“You can't say no!” Netto told Saki. “My mom would never allow it!”

“Some other time,” Saki said.

The boys kept begging Saki, until he finally held up his hands and spoke.

“I'll be back the next day I can spare,” Saki told them. “You can ask me all the questions you want then.”

Taka protested, but Netto seemed satisfied. “Are you absolutely sure I can't walk you home?”

“I'm fine,” Saki said, “I promise.”

“Then you have to promise!” Taka said, holding out his pinkie finger. “Promise you'll come back soon! And if you break your promise, you have to swallow a thousand needles!”

Saki's expression softened, and he linked his pinky finger with Taka's. “I promise,” he said to Taka. Even after they had let go, Saki's pinky still held onto Taka's warmth, and Saki cupped his hand to his chest.

***


	3. Step By Step

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Saki takes a few steps forward, both in his life and in his career at the Ministry of Science.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> _Even I cannot make the battle tutorial interesting, sorry._

“Sir, I need to speak to you about something.”

The manager of the store looked up at Saki over his newspaper. “Oh, Tanaka. What can I do for you?”

Saki swallowed nervously. “I wanted to inform you...that I'm ending my time here.”

The manager studied Saki's face. “Are you...quitting?”

“Yes, Sir.”

Setting down his paper, the manager leaned forward in his chair. “Tanaka...is there anything I can say or do to convince you otherwise?”

“Huh?”

“It's just that you're such an asset here,” the manager continued. “I've never had an employee who worked as hard or as diligently as you do. You're an inspiration to the others! I'm sure I speak for everyone when I say that we would all be deeply saddened if you left.”

Saki's lips pressed together in anger. “Is that so? I'd never heard anything like that, not from you and certainly not from any of my coworkers.”

“I'm certain they're thinking it!” the manger insisted. 

Saki sighed. “You don't have to try to be kind, you know. We are both aware of the fact that if I leave, you'll be scrambling to find a replacement, which is quite the bother for you.”

The manger's demeanor shifted. “If you knew that, then why are you leaving?”

“I got a better offer.”

The manger's face grew pale. “Whatever it is, I'll double it.”

“I doubt you could,” Saki told him smugly. “It's a government position.”

“There's no way a kid like you landed a government position,” the manager scoffed. “Now you're just bluffing.”

“I don't have to prove myself to you,” Saki said, “And even if I did, I'm pretty sure all I'd have to do is make a call.” He shrugged. “Either way, I'm not staying.”

The manager's expression changed from anger to concern to desperation. “And you think I can just find someone to replace you in two weeks time...?”

“Not two weeks,” Saki said, “Today.”

At this, the manager's face went pale.

With a small bow, Saki said, “I'll go clean out my locker then,” turned, and left the room.

Saki's hands shook as he stuffed his things into his backpack, and shut the locker door for the last time. He left his uniform and name badge on the manager's desk, and walked out of the convenience store, a mess of adrenaline, nerves, and excitement.

 _I did it! I actually did it!_ He raised his arms in silent triumph. _I quit this stupid job! And I didn't apologize or feel guilty for leaving either! I did something for myself!!_

He stood on the sidewalk, letting his arms drop back to his sides as the reality of the situation set in. His gut boiled as he thought about the poor workers who would have to fill in for him.

_Oh man...I guess I really inconvenienced everyone else...I bet they're going to be really mad at me. I don't think I can ever shop at this convenience store ever again..._

He started walking back towards his house, his palms sweating. _How could I have been so selfish?! I never should have listened to Netto-san. What if word gets around, and my other employers fire me?! Or what if it impacts my ability to find another job someday?! What if I just ruined my life!!_

He stood in the sidewalk, letting the crowd flow past him on either side, feeling as if time had slowed to a crawl. He felt small and insignificant, and the thought that everyone thought so too rooted him to the spot. He stared off into the distance like this for a long moment, until Zer0's voice broke through.

“Saki.”

He snapped into focus. “Huh? Zer0?”

“Saki.” Zer0's tone was a little gentler this time. “Your pulse has elevated. Are you ill?”

“I...” I tried to think of how to answer the question. “No, not really.” He slowly started walking forward once more, pulling off to the side a little to avoid most of the crowds. Reaching for his PET in his back pocket, he addressed Zer0 face to face. “I just...I started out feeling really happy for quitting, and then...and then I wasn't happy anymore. I felt bad, for my old coworkers, for whoever has to take my spot. I started thinking about how it would impact my new job.” He sighed and shook his head. “I should have handled the situation more tactfully.”

“How is what happens to your old coworkers your concern?” Zer0 asked.

“Well...”

“And would have handling the situation more tactfully improved the situation, or would it have simply allowed you to back out of leaving your job?”

The words stung, and Saki flinched.

“I have noticed that people here are very concerned about 'accountability'. I am still uncertain about the concept, but it seems very illogical to me for one to continue to hold responsibility over something that has already passed. Your duty has ended. You must now focus on what lies ahead of you.”

Biting his lip, Saki nodded slowly. He couldn't deny that what Zer0 was saying had truth to it. It was only natural to feel bad for the person who would fill your spot, but his connection to that job had ended. He didn't need to feel responsible anymore.

“You know, Zer0, for a Navi still learning how things work, you're pretty wise.”

The Navi blinked in surprise. “I am merely offering my personal views on the matter, nothing more.”

***

Crashing into Netto's cubical, Saki put his hands down on the desk, and looked Netto in the eye. “Just so you know, I quit my job at the convenience store.”

Blinking behind his reading glasses, Netto took a moment to realize what was happening. He grinned broadly at Saki. “Good job, I'm proud of you! Now just quit the other two.”

Saki frowned. “No way.”

With a sigh, Netto took his reading glasses off. “A shame. But I'm glad you showed up, I was just about to call you.”

Saki glanced at the mountain of paperwork on Netto's desk, doubting the other boy's words.

“Today is the day you start training,” Netto told Saki, visibly excited. “Meijin told me to handle Net Battling basics, since that's my specialty and all.”

“Oh, are we doing something today?” Taka asked, popping into the cubicle from seemingly nowhere.

“Shouldn't you be in school?” Saki asked.

Taka shook his head. “Graduated already.”

“Huh?”

Taka tugged on a part of his bangs. “I finished all my high school courses like last year. I'm holding off on college until I'm older, since I can't even attempt to enter the space program until I'm an adult.”

“That's impossible,” Saki sputtered. “People don't just casually finish high school at thirteen.”

“Twelve, actually,” Taka corrected Saki. “And also, I'm not the only one in this program who did. Someone else did it even earlier. He was done with _college_ by twelve.” 

Saki stood, flabbergasted by the idea that there would be not one, but _two_ geniuses in close proximity to him. Somehow, it pissed him off.

“Excuse me for being average,” he grumbled.

“Hey, so am I!” Netto insisted.

“Except in Net Battling,” Taka pointed out.

“Except in Net Battling,” Netto corrected himself smugly.

Saki sighed. “So, are we going to do this or not?”

“Of course we are!” Netto said, leaping to his feet. “To the Arena!”

Seemingly to himself, Taka muttered, “We're already into chapter three, and we're only _just now_ doing the battle tutorial? That intro was a little _too_ long, don't you think?”

“Hmm? Did you say something?” Netto asked.

“Nah, just playing the exposition fairy,” Taka replied cheerfully.

***

“Welcome to the Arena!” Netto said, waving his hand towards the large table in the center of the room. “It's where we do all our battle testing and exercises. An achievement in holographic technology.”

Saki stared at the room, and the table Netto had gestured to. “So...how does this work?”

Netto gently guided Saki over to one end of the table, where a small alcove waited. At a glance, Saki could tell that this was some kind of terminal, more than likely for Net Battling. Netto pointed at a small outlet on the left side.

“This is where you plug in,” he explained. Saki squinted, and saw there were two plug-like outlets, and a small glass sensor. He carefully plugged his PET into one of the outlets.

“Like this?” Saki asked.

“Yeah, like that!” Netto ran around to the side of the table, and pointed his PET at one of the sensors. A small red beam shot out of his PET for a moment, and there was a soft 'ding!', which Saki took to mean that the PET was connected. Saki looked down at his PET, and the cord tethering him to the terminal.

“I'm starting to get why everyone has the newer models.”

“The old models have their charms,” Netto admitted. “But yeah, the new ones are super convenient.”

“Am I going to be fighting you?” Saki asked nervously.

“Nah,” Netto said, grinning. “Rockman's just going to watch and give advice. You'll be fighting viruses.”

“Isn't that...I don't know, _dangerous?_ ”

Netto shook his head. “They're viruses we programmed ourselves. They just follow simple battle routines, and aren't capable of doing any real damage. Think of them as practice dummies.”

“Sure,” Saki replied.

Taka also connected his PET to the table, grinning. “Let's let our Navis meet each other before we start! I think that could help break the ice a bit.”

“Good idea,” Netto said.

A small holographic screen flickered into existence in front of Saki's face. He stepped back, surprised, and then leaned back in, realizing it was a display of the battlefield inside the table's network. He could see Zer0 standing on the field, and reached out to poke at the screen, wondering if it would do anything. His finger passed right through it, as if it were smoke, and Saki pulled back, trying to be a little gentler this time. The second attempt was more successful, and his finger stopped half and inch from the 'screen', which registered his 'click'. The feed zoomed in a little, allowing Saki to see Zer0 a little more clearly.

After a moment, two Navis materialized on the field. One was dressed in blue armor from head to toe, and gave Saki a little wave. The other Navi wore navy armor with loud red stripes on it. He grinned at Zer0, and walked around him once before offering his hand.

“Heya!” he said. “I'm Axl! I'm Taka's Navi!”

Zer0 paused, looking at Axl's outstretched hand. He seemed to ponder it over, and then outstretched his own hand in a similar fashion, but did not take Axl's hand.

“I am Zer0,” he said.

Axl burst out in laughter. He grabbed Zer0's hand, and gave it a few hard shakes.

“You're hilarious!” he said. “Oh man, I can't wait to be friends with you! I bet you get up to some real crazy stuff!”

“I enjoy watching period dramas,” he told Axl.

Axl burst out laughing again.

“Don't mind him,” the other Navi told Zer0 calmly. “Axl is quite enthusiastic. You'll get used to him.”

“He...he's like...an old man...” Axl wheezed, doubled over from laughing.

The other Navi sighed. “You'll get used to him... _eventually_.” He smiled at Zer0 again. “My name is Rockman. I'm Netto-kun's Navi. If you ever have any questions, I'll be glad to help you in any way that I can.”

This time, Zer0 shook the hand offered to him. “Thank you. I will remember your offer for the future.”

Axl, having recovered, straightened back up and gave Zer0 a grin. “We'll be watching the fight mostly, but I'll tell you when you're doing something wrong.”

“I appreciate your advice,” Zer0 said seriously.

Axl held in another bout of laughter.

Saki made eye contact with Taka. “You're Navi's annoying.”

“He's just excited,” Taka said. “He'll calm down in a minute.”

Saki shook his head and sighed. He looked back at the screen. “Are you ready?” he asked Zer0.

“I am as prepared as I can be,” Zer0 replied.

“Good!” Netto said. “Let's begin.”

He walked over to Saki's side, and forced a handful of battle chips into his hand. “Here are some basic chips to get you started. Nothing fancy.”

Saki looked at the chips in his hand.

“These are what we'll be covering today,” Netto explained. “Chips are important when Net Battling. A well-timed chip can change the flow of battle, and help you pull out a victory from the jaws of defeat.”

“Isn't Net Battling...illegal?” Saki asked.

“Generally, yeah,” Netto explained. “But it's okay, I have permission.” He pulled out a small piece of paper from the pocket of his lab coat, and handed it to Saki, who unfolded it and read it aloud.

“'I do what I want.'”

“See?” He grinned. “It's not restricted for people in the League, and the Ministry of Science has permission to run drills and simulations, so it's fine.”

“You could have just lead with that,” Saki grumbled, handing Netto his note.

“This is more fun,” Netto replied. He tapped a few buttons on his PET, and Saki's display changed into a neatly formatted tutorial screen. “Let's start with the basics. You can move Zer0 with the buttons on your PET, and slot chips into this slot right here—” Netto leaned forward and tapped the open chip slot on Saki's PET, “—so that you can use them in battle. You can only load so many at a time, so keep that in mind.” Netto gestured to Saki's PET. “Let's try giving Zer0 some movement directions.”

Saki fumbled with the keys on his PET for a moment, and Zer0 waited patiently as Saki gave him instructions on where to move. After a few tries, Saki seemed to get the hang of telling Zer0 where to go, and Netto stopped him.

“Okay, good. On to lesson two.”

Rockman smiled at Zer0. “How did that feel?”

“It was adequate,” Zer0 replied.

“Battle is nuanced,” Rockman told Zer0. “Even if Saki gives you commands, you can still make your own judgments. It's important for the Navi and the Operator to have an open line of communication. Navis have independent thought, and your intuition might be important for turning the match around. If a Navi simply follows directions without question, they're no better than a doll.”

“Yeah,” Axl added, “Don't be scared to move into a better position or make an attack on your own. Your reflexes are faster than your Operator's, after all.”

“It would be rather unprofessional of me to ignore my Operator's instructions,” Zer0 said. 

“That's why communication is important,” Rockman said. “Eventually, you and your Operator will be able to anticipate each other's movements, and your battle style will solidify.”

Zer0 nodded. “I see. I will continue to improve myself.”

“Lesson two consists of simple attacks,” Netto explained to Saki. “Every Navi has a basic weapon. For most of them, it's a buster. It does a little bit of damage, and never runs out of ammunition, so it's generally what most Net Battlers use to soften up opponents.” He pointed to another button on Saki's PET. “This is the basic attack button. You can use it even while you move, and charge it up for a bigger attack.” He tapped a few buttons on his own PET, and a virus sporting a bright yellow safety helmet spawned on the field. “Okay, move Zer0 into position, and use your buster to delete this Mettaur. Don't worry—it doesn't have much health, and it can't hurt Zer0 very much, so don't be too scared to fight it.” 

Saki took a deep breath, and moved Zer0 into an attack position, The Navi complied, and unleashed a barrage of projectiles from the cannon that materialized on Zer0's left arm. After a few well-placed shots, the Mettaur exploded into particles, and disappeared.

“Good!” Netto said. “Now, let's try multiple enemies.”

Three Mettaurs appeared on the field, and Zer0 swiftly deleted them with Saki's guidance. Netto nodded his head in approval.

“Not bad! You're pretty good for a beginner!”

“I kind of remember some stuff from elementary school,” Saki admitted. “But I'm still pretty fuzzy.”

“It'll come back to you,” Netto said. “Okay, lesson three!” Netto picked up the cannon chip from the pile he had given Saki, and handed it to him. “Sometimes, you need to hit a little harder. Cannon chips are good for that. They're a little slower than your buster, so make sure your shot is lined up before you fire.”

Two Mettaurs appeared on the field. “Mettaurs are tricky because they like to hide under their sturdy safety helmets!” Netto emphasized the point by tapping his own head twice, like knocking on wood. “Make sure you hit them when they poke their heads out, or you'll waste your shot.”

“Got it.” Saki loaded the cannon chip, and the cannon materialized on Zer0's left arm. The Navi lined up his shot with the Mettaur, and waited for Saki's command to fire.

“Now,” Saki muttered, tapping the button.

The cannon fired, and the Mettaur exploded into particles. Saki gave a small fist pump of triumph.

“Looking good!” Netto said.

“Nice aim!” Axl yelled at Zer0 from the sidelines. “Guess you're not a quimby after all!”

“He means you're doing well!” Rockman interpreted. “Keep going!”

“Lesson four!” Netto grinned wickedly. “My personal favorite—mini boomers!” He held up the chip and sighed dreamily. “You can do so much with these suckers. Launch them at an enemy like a bomb, or set off a bunch to make a smokescreen!”

“That only worked once,” Rockman complained, “And only because you had way too many.”

“Complain all you want,” Netto said, “But mini boomers are still pretty great!”

“So you just...lob them at something?” Saki asked, trying to bring the lesson back on track.

“Right!” Netto said. “But they take a second to hit, so you have to anticipate the enemy's movement.”

“Understood,” Zer0 said.

“Let's do this,” Saki said, loading the mini boomer chip.

Netto tapped a few buttons, and a standing cannon materialized on the field. “Hit that one first.”

Saki lined Zer0 up, and Zer0 sent the mini boomer flying. It scored a direct hit on the cannon, and deleted it.

“Good, now try this one,” Netto said.

A virus materialized on the field, this one round with a long barrel on it. It scuttled back and forth across the field, making it hard for Saki to focus on it.

“Have to anticipate where it'll be...” Saki muttered, and Zer0 threw the mini boomer a little to the side of the virus, who stepped right into the attack, and exploded.

“You are just _tearing_ through these lessons!” Netto told Saki excitedly. “I almost have nothing left to teach you!” He grinned at Saki. “I wonder if you're a genius at battle?!”

“Maybe you're just a good teacher,” Saki replied flatly.

“Don't inflate his ego,” Rockman said with a sigh, “It's already much too big.”

“You're killing it, big guy!” Axl yelled at Zer0.

“Lesson five!” Netto rubbed his hands together. “Time for the sword chip.”

Saki's face perked up. “There are sword chips?”

“You bet!” Netto said, handing Saki the sword chip. “They're super useful when an enemy is right up in your face. Too close for a buster! Too close for a cannon or a mini boomer!”

“Only if you're a coward,” Axl muttered.

“In times like that, you use a sword chip! It takes advantage of close range attacks, but it does put you in a less advantageous spot than a cannon would.”

Saki eagerly slotted the chip into his PET. He could barely contain his excitement. Zer0, too, seemed rather interested in the sword. He gave it an appreciative glance, and shifted his arm to get used to the weight.

“Like swords?” Netto asked.

“Somehow they feel more sophisticated than a gun,” Saki admitted. “Plus the training involved is interesting. Most sword fighters have to temper not just their bodies but also their minds to wield a sword to its full potential.” Saki could tell he was getting excited, but he barely cared. “Samurai had strict codes that they adhered to, and most had a sense of honor that they would maintain no matter what. A sword wasn't simply a tool, it was an extension of themselves.”

Netto gave Saki a warm smile. “Great! That's the spirit! Now, direct that chivalrous heart of yours at the opponent and hit 'em where it hurts!”

A sword-bearing virus materialized on the field, and Zer0 shifted into a wide stance. Something inside of him seemed to click into place, and even before Saki could give the order to attack, he was already moving. His arm swung up in a tight arc, and he felt the blade cleave through his opponent as he passed them, stopping on the other side. The whole thing was over in a flash, and everyone could only stare in shock at how Zer0 had made the attack like a much more experienced Navi would. For a moment, everything was completely still, and then the virus split into two parts, each piece breaking down into particles and disappearing. Zero lowered his sword, and returned to a neutral position.

“Whoa...” Axl whispered breathlessly.

“Incredible,” Rockman agreed.

Netto seemed shocked, and could only stare with his mouth agape for a long moment. Finally, he grabbed Saki by the shoulder, and shook him.

“You _do_ know how to battle! This proves it! You operated Zer0 like a pro just now! Were you just playing with me all this time?!”

“N-no!” Saki insisted. “That was—! I don't...”

“Zer0 resonated with Saki just now,” Taka said, his voice completely serious.

Netto stopped shaking Saki for a moment, and looked deep into the boy's eyes. After a few seconds, he nodded. “That's it. Saki, you're incredible! You and Zer0 are already starting to sync up!”

Taka pointed at Saki, fired up. “The manly spirit burning in your soul ignited the passion inside of Zer0 just now, causing you to explode in a glorious display of resolve and will! The sword is your soul! Your will is the edge! The resonating of your manly spirits has sent shock waves throughout the world!”

“What the hell does that even mean?!” Saki cried out in exasperation.

“Maybe you're capable of being specialized!” Netto said. “A lot of the older members of this team are specialized in different fighting styles, although me and Rockman are kind of just experienced in everything and masters of nothing.”

“Ignite your warrior's soul, Saki, and become the hero you were always meant to be!” Taka commanded Saki, who promptly gave him a withering look.

“Stop spouting lines from anime, and let's be serious for a second.”

“Zer0, that was amazing!” Rockman said, clapping his hands together in excitement. “You really put your all into that attack, and it showed!”

“It was nothing so complicated,” Zer0 admitted, “I merely did as you had suggested, and used my 'intuition'. The movement felt more natural than if I had awaited Saki's command.”

“Dude!” Axl cried out. “Your attack was _sooo_ sick! It was like ' _Swoosh! Ka-chaak!_ '” He made motions with his arms and hands, supplying his own sound effects as he did so.

“My attack was 'sick'...?” Zer0 seemed very confused.

“He means your attack was very impressive,” Rockman said. “Axl tends to use a very _colorful_ array of slang, and it's a little hard to pick up at first. Still, you mustn't sell yourself short! You have a real knack for battle!”

Zer0 seemed to hesitate at Rockman's words. “A 'knack'...for battle...”

Netto clapped Saki on the back. “Your talent is no doubt because of my expert instruction.”

“Oh boy, here he goes...” Rockman sighed.

“Once you practice with these chips a bit more, you'll be all set to bust some real viruses in the field!” Netto said. “Or, maybe you'll even stand a chance against me and Rockman in the ring...probably not though.” He grinned and rubbed his chin proudly. “We're champions after all.”

“A certain someone would disagree with you,” Rockman said.

“Well, _a certain someone_ is just bitter because he can't admit defeat!” Netto replied. “Speaking of him, I kind of wish he was here. I bet Saki could really benefit from his experience.”

“Who is this person?” Saki asked.

“Another person in the program,” Netto explained. “He's very busy all the time, so he's hardly ever in, but I promise you he's an expert. Even I admire his skill. He and his Navi are experts with sword chips.”

Saki frowned. “I guess I'll meet him one day.” He pulled a lock of hair near his ear thoughtfully. “I wonder what he's like?” _Refined and regal perhaps? A calm, tempered soul, like a samurai?_

“Saki's picked up the basics pretty quick,” Taka said. “But I kind of wanna see him have a match. That'd really prove if he's picked it up or not.”

“I think it's kind of soon,” Netto replied. “I know, weird hearing that from me. But he's still a little shaky on the cannon and mini boomer chips, and I want him to practice with those more before I throw him to the sharks, as it were.” He scooped up the pile of chips on the terminal, and dropped them in Saki's hands. “Remember: you can only have three of each chip in your folder at any given time, as per League rules. You can use these chips to practice, so get familiar with them all.”

“Got it,” Saki said dejectedly. He was already trying to figure out how to fit practicing in around his work schedule.

“Also, Meijin wanted to discuss your salary. Usually, if the person is under a certain age, we make arrangements with their parents to handle the money, but you seem pretty responsible, so Meijin thinks you can handle it yourself.”

“My... _salary?_ ” Saki seemed shocked.

Netto shrugged. “Sure. Even if it's not an official government position, you are still employed by the government, and that means a salary.”

Saki leaned against the table. “I need a moment.”

“Hey, how about we go celebrate with food?” Taka suggested. “We could do barbecue, or maybe okonomiyaki? I'm really feeling like meat though.”

“What about curry?” Netto asked.

“But we _always_ do curry,” Taka sighed. “I wanna do something different.”

“There's a ramen shop I know,” Saki suggested quietly. “But it's all the way over in the Ebisu district.”

“Don't you live down that way?” Taka asked. Saki didn't answer the question.

“Ramen could be good,” Netto said. “And if I find a good place, I can hold it over you-know-who's head when they get back.”

“You promise this place is good?” Taka asked.

“Yeah.” Saki smiled. “I've known the owners since I was a kid.”

“I'm sold,” Netto said. “How about you, Taka?”

“Sure!” Taka said. “I'll even cover your meal, Saki.”

Saki felt himself blush. “Oh, I...I couldn't ask you to do that—”

“It's no problem!” Taka replied. “Plus, we're friends now. I don't need a reason to spoil my friends!”

The heat in Saki's face increased, and his ears burned.

“Go talk to Meijin about getting paid,” Netto told Saki, poking him in the side repeatedly. “Hurry up, so we can go eat!”

“I can wait until after you finish all your work—” Saki started to say, and Netto interrupted him.

“What work? I'm done with work!” He threw his hands in the air. “Food! Let's eat! I'm starving!”

Saki sighed. It seemed to him that Netto would get all his work done the day the moon crashed into the Earth.

***

Stepping out of Meijin's office, Saki felt like his soul had left his body. It must have showed on his face, because Netto and Taka gave him looks of concern.

“You okay?” Taka asked.

“Yeah...” Saki braced himself against the wall for a moment. “It's just...that was more than I was expecting to make...”

“Plus benefits!” Netto chimed in. “Don't forget about that!”

“Yeah...” Saki gave a tiny wheeze. “I'm okay, I just...need a minute.”

“Now you know why the parents always handle these things,” Taka said sagely. “It's too much responsibility for a child.”

“You're thirteen,” Saki said.

“I'm an old soul,” Taka countered.

“Let's get food,” Netto said, pulling Taka and Saki along with him. “Food always cures what ails me.”

Traveling on the Metroline with an excitable child with a short attention span and Taka was an experience for Saki. Netto would not stop talking about whatever came to mind, and Taka kept looking at his PET every five minutes. Saki suspected that Taka had done this commute many times before, since he reacted to the correct stops even while distracted by his PET, so Saki leaned over and asked Taka if he had.

“Sure,” Taka explained. “I take the Metroline a lot, especially to get to Akihara or Shibuya.” He looked at Saki with a serious expression. “You can't always order something online, especially if it's an exclusive.”

“Is that what you spend your paychecks on?” Saki asked, exasperated. “Anime merch?”

“Hey, some garage kits and statues are rare and hard to find,” Taka argued. “If I wanna throw my money at companies who make cute collectibles, than you bet I will.”

“I can't understand fanatics like you,” Saki muttered.

“I once dropped 10,000 zenny on chips,” Netto said, his eyes glazed over. “I still didn't get the one I wanted.”

“I can't even with you people,” Saki grumbled.

When the stop for Ebisu finally arrived, Saki couldn't have been happier to get off the train and stretch his legs. Taka glided past Saki on the platform, and Saki finally noticed that the heels of Taka's shoes had tiny wheels in them.

“Aren't those dangerous?” Saki asked.

“Only if you don't know how to use them,” Taka replied.

“I used to roller blade everywhere when I was younger,” Netto reminisced.

“You're only eighteen, you're not even old yet,” Saki groused.

“Good times,” Netto sighed.

Emerging from the underground, Saki turned and walked down the sidewalk in a direction he was familiar with. He looked over his shoulder and spotted Taka taking a selfie near the Metroline entrance, and sighed deeply.

“Hurry up, or we'll leave you behind!”

“One sec,” Taka replied, posing with his fingers in a peace sign near his face. “Gotta get my kawaii on when documenting new experiences, you know?”

Saki looked at Netto. “Is he always like this?”

Netto shrugged. “Sure.”

Taka ran to catch up with them once he'd finished his selfie, and Saki continued down the street towards the ramen shop where he worked part time. He wanted to keep that information quiet, however, since Netto might cause trouble if he knew, but he had been honest when he said it was very good food.

Since Ebisu was known for its eateries, they passed quite a few places along the way that Netto made note of to come back to later. Saki figured food as a hobby was relatively harmless, other than being a bit of a money sink, and didn't complain too much when Netto wanted to take pictures of every storefront that interested him.

“What's your favorite food?” Saki asked Netto.

“Curry!” Netto answered without hesitation. “It's the best! You can make it so many different ways, and every one of them is so tasty! It's simply the best Japanese food ever to exist.”

“Uh, pretty sure it originated in Namaste,” Saki said.

Netto frowned. “No, I'm pretty sure it's Japanese.”

Saki sighed. He didn't feel like arguing, especially since Netto didn't seem likely to know that he was wrong.

“I really love ramen,” Taka said, “Mostly because it's easy to make when you're busy.”

Saki pictured Taka eating cup ramen, and suddenly wished that he could get Taka to eat better.

“You eat more than just cup ramen, right Taka?” Saki asked.

“Sure,” Taka said. “I eat a lot of take-out. And convenience store yakisoba is pretty good.”

Saki felt his sanity grind to dust between the wheels of insanity. “Don't you eat proper meals with your family?”

For a moment, Saki noticed something flash through Taka's expression, something unreadable, just for a moment, and then he returned to being calm and composed. “Nah. Mom's too busy to eat with me anyway.” He paused. “Dad died when I was just a baby, so it's just me and her now.”

“Oh.” Saki felt regret over bringing up the topic. “Sorry. I lost my dad a while back too. I didn't mean to bring it up.”

“I didn't know him, so I guess it's fine,” Taka said. “Besides, how would you know that?”

“I keep trying to get Taka to come eat at my parent's place, but he keeps refusing,” Netto said. “My mom makes the best curry, so I really want him to try it.”

“Shut up, you can't beat my mom's curry!” Saki shot back, but he was smiling.

“Then I'll eat it for myself and decide whose is better!” Netto said proudly. “But it's probably my mom's.”

“My mom will make you eat those words.”

Saki noticed that Taka had pulled back just a little bit from the others, and turned to look at him. He seemed okay, but Saki couldn't help but feel like something was off.

“You okay?” Saki asked.

“Hmm?” Taka seemed to break out of his thoughts. “Oh, just thinking. I'm fine.”

“We're almost there,” Saki told Taka. “I know you're hungry, so just hang in there a little bit more.”

“I'm gonna eat so much meat, you guys,” Taka said, speeding up slightly to fall back in line with the others. “Gonna have like half a pig in my bowl!”

“Are you the type who puts pickled ginger in your ramen?” Netto asked. “Me, personally, the more vegetables the better.”

Saki pushed through the curtains in the doorway of the ramen shop, and was promptly greeted by the owner's wife. “Welcome!” she called, and then, upon noticing Saki, added, “Oh Saki! It's rare to see you on your day off!”

Saki froze, but Netto elbowed him in the ribs. “Come in here for lunch a lot?” he joked. “Must be a regular with how much you sold this place to me.”

Nodding numbly, Saki followed Netto to the counter. As they sat down, the owner's wife set glasses of water down in front of them.

“My, new faces!” she exclaimed. “How nice! Are they your friends, Saki-kun?”

“My coworkers,” Saki explained, “From the new job I was telling you about.”

“How nice!” The owner's wife beamed. “It's good to be friends with your coworkers.”

“Sure is!” Taka chirped. “Say, which bowl has the most meat in it?”

“I'd say that's our tonkotsu ramen,” the owner's wife told Taka. “It's got lots of chashu slices in it, so it's nice and meaty.”

“Sounds good,” Taka said, trying not to drool.

“What's your specialty?” Netto asked. “What are you famous for?”

“Well, we're known for our shio ramen,” the owner's wife explained. “But our shoyu ramen is our best seller.”

Netto's eyes widened. “You have three different stocks? That's incredible! Most places just specialize in one or two.”

The owner's wife chuckled. “We put a lot of love into our soups. We get up very early to start boiling the tonkotsu, and most of them simmer for a few days to really draw out the flavor. We're not as busy as a chain might be, so we can afford to take our time.”

Netto seemed to ponder this. “If it's really good, and I tell people, then I might disrupt the delicate balance of time to flavor ratio. But if I keep it a secret...” He sighed and raked his hand through his hair. “I'll worry about it after I eat. Granny, can I have the shio? Put every vegetable you have in it!”

The owner's wife chuckled. “Sure thing. Saki-kun? Your usual?”

He nodded. “Shoyu, with a soft egg, please.”

“Hey, Granny, do you have melon soda?” Taka asked, pulling out a pair of chopsticks from the container on the counter.

“One melon soda then,” she said as she disappeared into the kitchen area. “And a tea for Saki-kun.”

“Tea _and_ ramen? How do you not overheat, especially in long sleeves?” Taka asked.

Saki frowned. “Having something sweet will clash with the flavor of the broth.”

“I think water is fine,” Netto said. “I guess everyone has different tastes though.”

The owner's wife emerged from the kitchen with a tray in her hands. She carefully set a hot cup of tea in front of Saki, and a glass filled with ice in front of Taka, along with a can of melon soda. With this, she walked back into the kitchen, most likely to relay their order.

“Seems kind of quiet,” Taka pointed out as he cracked open the soda can.

“It's just before the dinner rush,” Saki said absently. “We hit the sweet spot.”

Netto leaned on the counter, and gave Saki a smug grin. “If I didn't know any better, I'd swear you planned it this way.”

“I don't know what you're implying,” Saki said, sipping his tea.

“You knew to come in right before the dinner rush,” Taka said. “So you timed our arrival for that.”

“That's giving me too much credit,” Saki said. “I couldn't control when we left The Ministry of Science, or how long the train would take. We got lucky, that's all.”

“Mhm,” Netto said, and then left it at that.

Saki glanced over at Taka, who was busy trying to take an artsy shot of his melon soda can, and then back to Netto. “I'm surprised you were so willing to come all the way out to this part of Densan. I would have thought you would try to talk me into someplace closer.”

Netto gave a thoughtful hum. “I suppose part of it was so that I could get to know you better.”

“Oh, totally,” Taka agreed, not looking up from his picture.

“There's not much to know,” Saki said.

“Not true!” Netto said. “You obviously like food!”

“Who doesn't like food?”

“And you're familiar with this part of Densan, so you must be from around here.”

“So I'm from Ebisu,” Saki shrugged. “What of it?”

“There's a lot of places to eat around here,” Netto pointed out. “Some even say this is a foodie's paradise.”

“It's near Shibuya, it's to be expected.”

“Therefore, by method of deduction, I conclude that you like food.”

“Wow, a real Sherlock Holmes over here,” Saki replied dryly. He gave Netto a look. “That's like saying that since you live in Akihara you must love tech.”

“But I do,” said Netto.

“It's a no-brainer is what I'm saying,” Saki said with a sigh.

After a moment, Saki looked at Taka. “What about you, Taka? Where do you live?”

“That's~ a~ secret~!” Taka sang.

“No fair, you know where we live,” Saki said, pouting.

“It's just that I don't want you to think differently of me just because of where I live,” Taka said. “It's not as cool or obvious as you two.”

“Yeah right,” Netto laughed. “I bet it's in Shibuya.”

“Or maybe somewhere like Roppongi,” Saki added.

“Nope,” Taka said, sipping his soda.

Netto and Saki pondered it for a moment. “It's not Densan town, is it?”

“Not even close,” Taka said.

“Maybe near Ginza?” Netto guessed.

“Nada.”

“I got it,” Saki said. “You live in Akihara, and you're too shy to admit it.”

“Nope,” Taka said. “You can guess all day, but you won't get it, and I'm not telling.”

The other two boys groaned. Thankfully, their food arrived, and spared them the agony of continuing the futile interrogation. Immediately, Taka started taking glamour pics of his food. Netto immediately stuffed his face, hardly waiting for Saki to open his own chopsticks. Saki knew the flavor profile of this ramen very well, and so he waited for Netto and Taka's impressions.

“It's so good,” Netto said around a mouthful of food. “Just salty enough, but with a rich chicken flavor. And the vegetables and firmness of the noodles are perfect.”

“It's a mellow flavor despite being salty, so kids really love it,” Saki explained.

“Speaking of children, Saki-kun,” the owner's wife said, “How is Michi-chan?”

“She's fine,” Saki said. “She gets teased a little bit in school, but she usually just ignores it.”

The owner's wife laughed. “Not like you. It seemed like every day you were crying over some fight you had.”

Saki's cheeks heated up. “I-it wasn't _that_ bad.”

“Sure it was,” the owner said as he exited the kitchen. “Your father and mother could barely keep up with your scuffles. They were always talking 'bout them whenever they were in here.”

Saki's face heated up further, but Netto just laughed. “Sounds like your temper hasn't improved much.”

“Oh, he's always been a little spitfire,” the owner agreed. “I'm surprised he's as calm as he is while dealing with some customers.”

Saki looked at the owner with pleading eyes, but Netto and Taka either ignored what had been said or just didn't seem to hear.

“You like your food?” the owner asked.

“It's so good!” Netto said. “I really should try shio ramen more often!”

“The shio's my favorite,” the owner admitted. “Took a while to figure out just the right salt balance.”

“I'm in meat heaven,” Taka said, sighing. “A delicious porky broth with happy little meat slices swimming around...It makes my mouth so happy.”

“Glad you like it!” the owner said. “We can't make it hakata-style, but adding the pork bones to the shoyu broth really brings out the flavors.”

“Could've fooled me,” Taka said blissfully. “It tastes like the whole pig is in here.”

“That's kind of gross, really,” Saki murmured.

“Definitely going to tell my friend about this place,” Netto said. “He really loves shoyu ramen, so he'll flip over this one, I think.” He pointed at Saki's bowl. “Looks good, lemme try it.”

“Hey—!” Saki protested, but Netto was already slurping some noodles out of Saki's bowl.

“Mmm, that's good...a deep, full body with nice salty notes at the end...the egg is a nice touch too.”

Saki put up a hand protectively. “Don't eat my food, please.”

“I only sampled it!” Netto insisted.

The owner and his wife chuckled as they watched the exchange. 

“Saki-kun's made some good friends,” he said to his wife.

“He sure has,” the wife agreed.

***

While the boys ate their meals, the Navis convened in the restaurant's network to have their own casual conversation.

“So, Zer0, do you have any hobbies?” Axl asked.

Zer0 shook his head. “I am still unfamiliar with the concept of 'hobbies'.”

“Hobbies are things you do for fun!” Rockman explained. “They can be relaxing, or they can be something done for excitement. Not everyone has a hobby, but it can be nice to try new things.”

“Do you have a 'hobby', Rockman?” Zer0 asked.

“Me?” Rockman smiled. “I like to catch up with my friends. Pleasant conversations help me to let go of stress.”

“And you, Axl?” Zer0 asked.

“I like to surf the Net,” Axl said proudly. “I once caught a data barrel and rode it from Densan Area all the way to Central Area.”

“Is that...good?” Zer0 asked, confused.

“Sure is!” Axl said. “Most Navis can only dream of riding a Data Wave that far!”

“I see...” Zer0 said.

“The Data Surfing scene is much bigger in Amerope,” Axl explained. “There's not much of a following here in Japan, but every now and then a group of us gather and try to surf a Data Wave as far as we can.”

“I am unfamiliar with this 'Data Surfing', but I imagine it requires great skill.” Zer0 nodded sagely. 

“Sure does!” Axl said. “It's pretty easy to hit a slowdown and wipe out. Getting locked into a Data Wave as it hits one is pretty scary, honestly. Some Navis really get hurt.”

“'Wipe out'...?” Zer0 seemed lost. “I am unfamiliar with many of the terms you are using.”

“Sorry, bad habit,” Axl said. “I forget that not everyone knows the lingo. You can just yell at me to shut up or whatever if I start getting obnoxious. That's what everyone else does.”

Zer0 shook his head. “I merely wish to understand. Perhaps you may educate me on this 'lingo' some time.”

Axl chuckled. “Sure thing, buddy.”

“It must be a little overwhelming, learning so many things so quickly,” Rockman said.

“Yes, a little,” Zer0 said. “However, I am fortunate to have people around me who will explain things to me when I do not understand.”

“That's good!” Rockman said. “I was worried you might be struggling.”

“There are times when I do,” Zer0 said. “Mostly in how to handle social situations. However, the lessons today felt much more natural.”

“Maybe you have a talent for battle!” Rockman said.

Zer0 seemed somehow bothered by this statement. “A 'talent for battle'...?”

Rockman frowned. “Did I upset you?”

Zer0 shook his head. “No. I was...merely contemplating what it would mean to have a 'talent for battle'.”

“Probably that you'd be good at fighting and stuff,” Axl said.

“But what if it is lonely?” Zer0 said. “What if by being good at fighting, there are none who may approach me? Would that not be sad?”

“I...suppose...” Rockman said, suddenly looking regretful. “I suppose it would be awfully lonely. Power can be quite destructive, after all, and those that gain too much power can often push others away.”

Axl looked at both Navis, his eyebrows knitted together in a frown. “Wow, the mood in here suddenly soured.”

“My apologies,” Zer0 said. “Perhaps I have said too much.”

“Oh, no, it's fine,” Rockman insisted. “I suddenly remembered something is all. I suppose you had a point about fighting being lonely.”

“But fighting can also be fun!” Axl said cheerfully. “There's something satisfying about zipping across a field of battle, hitting all your targets and evading all their attacks. It's kind of a rush.”

“There is a lot you can learn about someone by having a battle with them,” Rockman added. “And a friendly spar is fine, I think.”

“I see,” Zer0 said. “Very well. Then it is my hope that one day I will cross blades with a strong swordsman, so that I may learn from them.”

“I'm sure one day you will,” Rockman said.

“For now, let's harass everyone for eating and not letting us have any,” Axl suggested.

“But we can have coffee at a cafe in NetCity later,” Rockman reminded Axl.

“It's not fair that people can eat food and Navis can't though!” Axl whined. “I wanna eat ramen too!” He flopped down on the ground and started rolling and flailing about. “How come Taka always gets to eat tasty looking food and I never can?! How is that fair! I wanna eat food too!”

Zer0 and Rockman watched Axl throw his tantrum, until Rockman looked at Zer0 apologetically. “He gets like this sometimes, I'm afraid. He's very much a child himself.”

“I will remember not to act in this capacity,” Zer0 said, nodding.

“That's probably for the best,” Rockman said.

***

“You don't have to walk home with me,” Saki insisted. “I'm more than happy to walk you guys to the station.”

“But I wanna see where you live,” Taka insisted.

“And I've already told you 'no' several times,” Saki said with a sigh. “Netto too. Both of you aren't coming home with me.”

“But I wanna meet your sister!” Taka whined. “I bet she's cute and sweet and not like you at all!”

“I get it, you want to make friends closer to your own age,” Saki sassed, “But honestly you'd just be bothering her. She's probably doing homework, and I have to make dinner as soon as I get home.”

“We'll be good, I promise!” Netto insisted. “We'll be nice and quiet!”

“No,” Saki said.

“Why are you being so mean?!” Taka cried, lightly beating Saki with his fists. “I just wanna get to know you better!”

“Because, I like to keep some of my personal life private, unlike some people,” Said said coldly.

“I wouldn't tell anyone where you live! You can trust me!”

“It's not just that,” Saki said, his voice tense. “It's also that my family's lives are also on display, and maybe they don't want that. What right do I have to force them to be open about stuff?”

The other two boys didn't speak.

“There's a lot of stuff in my past and my family's past that I don't want to talk about, and I'm pretty sure they won't want to talk about either.” Saki averted his eyes. “It's nice that you want to know about me, but...I'm just not ready yet.”

There was a heavy silence for a while, until Taka spoke, his voice small.

“Did you kill someone?”

“NO!” Saki yelled, partially out of shock and partially out of bottled up emotions. “I didn't kill anyone! Sheesh! Who even suggests something like that?!”

“Sorry,” Taka said sheepishly.

Netto waited until everyone had calmed down before he spoke. “We all have stuff that we don't want to share, Saki. It's okay if you don't, and I won't try to force you to open up. But I would like to know you better. We'll be working together, so having a good relationship is important.”

“Yeah,” Taka agreed. “What happens if one of us gets into trouble, but we hate each other? Or what about being able to trust each other? Frankly, I'd have a better time trusting a friend.”

Saki hesitated.

“I know you're scared,” Netto said gently, “But we only want to be friends. I promise that's all it is.”

“It's just...the last time I trusted someone...it didn't turn out so great...” Saki had a hard time getting his words out.

“Who hurt you?” Taka asked quietly.

Saki shook his head. “I don't want to talk about this right now.”

“And that's okay,” Netto said calmly. “Let's leave it for now, and come back to it some other time.”

Taka nodded.

“Okay...” Saki nodded as well.

Netto stepped over to Saki, and gently patted his back. “Let's get you home for now. We can walk back to the station on our own. You just worry about going home and resting, okay?”

“Okay,” Saki said in a small voice.

The three walked in silence for a while. At some point, Taka slipped his hand around one of Saki's, and Netto did the same with the other hand. Saki gave them a light squeeze.

“Do you always hold hands with your guy friends?” Saki asked.

“Naturally,” Taka said.

“Of course,” Netto said.

There was a long silence. “I had a good time at dinner,” Saki told the others quietly.

“Me too,” Taka said. “We should do it more often.”

“Next time we can go to my favorite place,” Netto said. 

“And have curry _again?_ ” Taka whined. “I still think we should do barbecue.”

“You need to eat more vegetables, young man,” Netto chided.

“Don't need 'em. I get all the nutrients I need from draining the life force from pure maidens.”

Saki laughed, a gross snort that ended in a chortle. “What are you, a vampire?”

“I could be,” Taka said, “You never know.”

“Impossible,” Netto said. “You don't burn up in direct sunlight. Case closed.”

“Objection,” Taka replied, “I don't like garlic and spend all my time in a dark room. Plus I sleep all day.”

“Objection,” Netto said, “It just means that you're a shut-in and need to get out more.”

“Let's just say Taka is a ghoul and be done with it,” Saki suggested.

“If Taka's a ghoul,” Netto said, “Then I'm the wolfman.”

“I wanna be the wolfman!” Taka whined. “That's way cooler than a ghoul!”

“I called it first,” Netto said, sticking out his tongue.

“Fine then! I'll be an oni, and zap you with thunder!” Taka said, mimicking electrocuting Netto.

“My thick wolf pelt insulates me from your pathetic electricity,” Netto said, poking Taka in the nose. “I slay the oni with my mighty claws!”

“Ha! I have the power of levitation!” Taka said. “I avoid your attacks with ease!”

Saki watched the two go back and forth, role-playing, and found himself smiling. They were pretty weird, but Saki didn't seem to mind so much. It was almost endearing.

“What would Saki be?” Taka asked.

Netto seemed to ponder this for a long while. “Hmm...maybe a tanuki?”

“Hahh?” Saki looked upset. “On what grounds?”

“On the grounds that you're always obsessed with money!” Netto declared.

“I am not!” Saki retorted.

“But you are!” Netto insisted. “You kept refusing to do things until you got paid!”

“Normal people do that!” Saki said. “Labor without compensation is against the law!”

“I bet Saki would break into people's houses and drinks their tea!” Taka joked.

“I would not!” Saki said. “Not even if I was a yokai. But I bet Netto would break into people's houses and eat all their food. Are we sure _he_ isn't the tanuki here?”

“I am not a tanuki!” Netto said. 

“He's enough of a prankster to be a tanuki,” Rockman agreed.

“You don't have to call me out like this,” Netto grumbled.

The three laughed and continued to make jokes until Saki spotted the apartment building he lived in and stopped. 

“This is where we part ways,” he said.

“Already?” Taka pouted.

“Already,” Netto said. “But it's fine. We'll see Saki again really soon.”

Saki smiled shyly. “I'm sorry I'm always bringing down the mood.”

“People have bad days,” Netto said. “Some more than others. But they're just that: bad days. They pass.”

“Besides, it's hard not to be anxious around people you're not very familiar with,” Taka added. “My first few days in the office were just me hiding in the break room playing video games.”

“And then I came over and asked what he was playing,” Netto said. “And that's how we became friends.”

Saki rocked on his feet. “I promise that next time I'll try not to be a downer.”

“Next time we'll do more practice drills,” Netto said. “I wanna make sure you can Net Battle in your sleep.”

“Aww,” Saki groaned. “Can't we do something else?”

“Learn to Net Battle first, then we can move onto the actual meat of the program.” He grinned. “I promise, it'll be worth it.”

“Okay, fine.” Saki pouted. “I'll practice I guess.”

“Do that,” Netto said. “And make sure you get enough rest! We'll be taking your vitals and stuff at some point, so make sure you stay healthy.”

“I'm as healthy as a horse,” Saki bragged.

“Then stay that way,” Netto said.

Him and Taka turned to leave, but waved as they looked back. Saki waved too, and Taka grinned at him.

“Next time, trade Ids with me!” Taka yelled back at Saki. “So we can chat and stuff!”

“I'll think about it,” Saki called back, but smiled despite himself. He watched the others walk down the sidewalk until they were out of sight, and then tilted his head back to look at the darkening sky.

 _It's funny_ , he thought, _I never thought I'd want to be close to anyone ever again. But it's nice to have people I can count on._

He continued to look at the sky for a while longer, until he turned and walked up to his apartment. Opening the door, and stepping into the entryway, Saki started pulling off his shoes, and called out, “I'm home!”

“Welcome home!” Michi called back.

The door shut behind him.


	4. Forming Connections

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> As Saki and Zer0 learn to battle together, questions start to form over Zer0's mysterious abilities.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> _I want to give a few big shout outs to @role121EXE and @effectedcoin for jumping in and beta-reading my chapter, since my last beta-reader stepped down. You guys are a huge help!_

A car pulled to a stop on a dirt road near a quiet factory in western Amerope. The evening was clear and cold, and the woman who exited the car pulled the collar of her jacket up a bit more to stave off the chill. Her breath trailed after her as she walked towards the factory and the person waiting for her at the gates.

“Have you been waiting long?” the woman asked.

The figure, cloaked in a black trench coat, turned to look at her. He narrowed his vivid blue eyes at her, and then looked back up at the sky, filled with stars.

“No, I can't say I have.” Enzan paused. “The stars are quite nice out here. I almost never see them in the cities.”

The woman shifted. “We are out in the middle of nowhere, I suppose.” She looked up at the stars as well. “I haven't really looked up at a sky like this in a long time.”

Enzan hummed in agreement. “The stars must be quite beautiful in Northlandia.”

The woman didn't reply.

“I heard you got moved to the Amerope division several years ago,” Enzan continued.

“I volunteered,” she said. “Though I can't really explain why.”

The two were quiet for a moment more. “All we can do is wait for the backup then,” he said at last, looking at the woman once more.

“I suppose so,” the woman sighed. “They should be right behind me.”

Enzan looked at the dark factory with a grim expression. “I can only hope our intel was correct this time. Are you confident in it, Agent North?”

The woman nodded. “I am. I chased every lead I could, and most of them came back to this place. I'm reasonably certain we'll find what we're looking for here.”

“I can only hope,” Enzan grumbled. “I've been trying to shut down this operation for several years now.”

“We've all been chasing this group,” Agent North said. “Every time we think we have them, they slip away, disappear like ice in spring. How many times have they changed names? Changed countries?” She sighed wearily. “I've nearly lost count.”

A few minutes later, they were alerted to the sound of a vehicle slowing to a stop on the dirt road. They turned to see a SWAT vehicle had parked just behind Agent North's car.

“They're here,” said Agent North. “Let's start.”

One by one, the SWAT team exited the van, and the Sergeant approached Agent North.

“Move them into position,” she told the Sergeant, “We'll go in once I give the signal.”

The Sergeant turned back to his men, and silently relayed the signal to get into position. The officers moved swiftly to surround the building, and one by one gave the signal that they were ready. Agent North looked to Enzan. “What kind of security are we dealing with?”

“Light,” he said. “My initial inspection suggested that they're using basic security, although it might get more sophisticated as we go further in, given what they're trying to protect.”

“Can we enter from the front, or should we take an alternate route?” she asked.

“Let me disable the perimeter,” Enzan said. “It shouldn't take more than a minute.”

“From here?” Agent North asked, shocked.

“Yes.” Enzan pulled out his PET, and carefully lined it up with something Agent North couldn't see farther into the warehouse grounds. After a moment, she saw the infrared link flash in the darkness, and Enzan seemed satisfied.

“I connected to the gate system. Give him a minute to disable it, then you can give the word.”

True to the Enzan's words, a minute later, Agent North heard the main security gate disengage, and she signaled to the Sergeant to move in, and with a quick gesture, he relayed the information to his men. Enzan moved quickly to keep up with the officers, and Agent North followed closely behind. The group approached a side door, most likely used by staff and more than likely not reinforced. Everyone stopped, and the Sergeant signaled to his men. Two approached from the back with a battering ram, which they used to break in the flimsy door. Enzan peered inside, and then whispered something into his PET. A moment later, he nodded to the Sergeant, and the Sergeant signaled for his men to move in.

The interior of the factory was dark, and hulking shadows from equipment loomed over Agent North as she followed the group further and further inside. Suddenly, Enzan signaled for them to halt.

“Security just got tighter,” he explained. “This will take a minute or so to crack.”

Agent North watched Enzan, illuminated by the light on some officer's helmet, carefully operate his PET. Every now and then, she saw him type furiously or select a chip to send to his Navi, who was currently disabling the security programs. He never took his eyes off his screen, his face stern with concentration, and Agent North couldn't help but feel the expression did not suit someone so young. After a minute or so, Enzan breathed a nearly inaudible sigh, and lowered his PET.

“Security disabled, but be careful. There might still be traps we could trigger.”

Feeling nervous, Agent North reached for her gun in its holster just under her arm. Enzan noticed her do this, and shook his head.

“Not yet,” he said quietly. “I'll tell you when.”

Agent North felt frustrated, but ceded to Enzan's command, though she didn't know why. 

The group moved on, ramming down another door as they proceeded further into the factory. At this point, Agent North could see a little bit better, the large windows on the walls and glass roof letting in the light of the three-quarter moon, and as she looked at the machinery she began to realize this was some kind of assembly line, but for what she had no idea.

One of the officers let out a sharp cry suddenly, and everyone looked towards him as he said, “Tripwire!” The piercing twang of the wire snapping bled into the sound of some of the machinery groaning and creaking as it slowly started to tip over.

“Get back!” the Sergeant barked.

The officer leaped back just as a few of the loose parts of the machine crashed to the floor in front of him. Agent North looked up, and saw that a machine near her was also starting to collapse. Cursing under her breath, she turned to run, but was tackled from the side by Enzan, and the two flew several feet before hitting the floor hard, the crash of metal hitting concrete coming from a few feet behind them.

As the last few parts hit the floor and came to a stop, the Sergeant yelled to his men. “Everyone safe?”

A chorus of “Yes, Sir!” rose up, and Agent North looked at Enzan.

“Thank you...”

“Are you hurt, Diana?” he asked.

“No, I'm fine,” Agent North replied. “Are you all right?”

“Nothing I can't handle,” he said, standing up and brushing himself off. Agent North slowly got to her feet, and surveyed the damage.

“Quite the elaborate trap.”

“I had a feeling they might do something like this,” Enzan said. “Something that couldn't be disabled through the Network. They're too clever not to cover all their bases.”

“At least no one was hurt,” Agent North said, relieved. “Probably because of your previous warning.”

Enzan sighed. “It was like this at the other location too. Elaborate traps designed to cover their tracks and injure anyone who tried to poke their noses into their business.” He shook his head. “I'm not feeling as confident as I was before we started.”

Agent North didn't ask why.

Proceeding through the building, much more cautiously this time, the group finally reached a holding area, and once again, the door was broken down. However, when they shined lights inside the room, they found nothing at all—no boxes, no equipment, not even paperwork. Enzan punched the door frame in anger, and turned to leave.

“Wait!” Agent North called. “Where are you going?”

“To find an office,” he said. “I might be able to retrieve something from the database.”

She sighed. “I suppose we should have known. If they'd set up the traps, then they would already be long gone.”

The Sergeant addressed Agent North directly. “Ma'am, we'll secure the perimeter. I'll send some of my men to see if we can find anything, but it's not looking likely.”

“Thank you,” Agent North told him. “I'll call in the cleanup unit. We'll be lucky if we find anything, but we still have to try.” She smiled tiredly. “Thank you for all your hard work, Sergeant.”

The Sergeant nodded, and Agent North turned to follow the man in the trench coat.

Above the assembly room floor was a smaller room, its walls made of glass to carefully watch everyone work. Agent North narrowed her eyes, and spotted Enzan there, absorbed with working on a terminal on the desk. She searched for the staircase up to the room and quickly ascended. When she entered the room she was slightly breathless. Enzan didn't seem to notice her, and continued to type away at the terminal furiously.

“Damn it...I still can't salvage anything!” He slammed his hand on the desk, and Agent North jumped a little. Enzan sighed. “It's all gone. Just like every other time. There are some corrupted files, but neither of us can repair them.” He ran his hand through his hair, and then punched the desk. “Damn it!”

“Enzan-sama...” Blues hesitated, unsure of exactly what to say.

Enzan got out of his chair. He took a few steps, and then slumped against the wall.

“You must accept that we have done all that we can,” Blues said. “I know that no one has worked harder than you on this case, Enzan-sama. No one will fault you for not finding everything.”

“But it's not enough!” Enzan said. “It's never enough...” He punched the wall. “Damn it!” he screamed, his eyes burning with anger and frustration. 

“Enzan-sama, please stop!” Blues sounded desperate.

Enzan punched the wall a few more times before Agent North, unable to watch any longer, grabbed his arm and stopped him. His knuckles were already raw and bleeding.

“Stop,” she told him gently. “You need to stop.”

“I can't,” he said, his voice cracking slightly.

“Yes you can,” she told him firmly. “You can accept that you've done all you can, and let the rest of us handle it from here. You can accept that you're only human, and have limits. You can allow yourself a little kindness.”

Enzan let his head fall against the wall.

“I can't imagine what your life is like, being someone so important and successful at such a young age.” Agent North gently stroked his back. “But I feel like you can afford to act more like the child you still are.”

“I lost that opportunity years ago,” Enzan choked out.

“You only think you did,” Agent North told him. “I'm sure you still have plenty of opportunities.”

Enzan didn't reply, but he didn't try to stop Agent North from touching him.

“Not like I have any right to dispense advice, being single and approaching thirty.” She laughed dryly. “But as your friend, I want you to try to be kinder to yourself.”

“I'll consider it,” Enzan told her.

They stood there for a time, Enzan quietly composing himself, and Agent North silently supporting him. He lifted his head, and took a deep breath.

“Are you better now, Enzan-sama?” Blues asked.

“Yes,” Enzan said. “Thank you...Agent North.” They smiled weakly at each other, and then Enzan awkwardly shuffled past Agent North to open the door for her. She nodded to him, and exited the room, him right behind her.

“I'll archive whatever I've found for now,” Blues told Enzan. “Maybe someone at the Ministry of Science can restore it.”

“Please do,” Enzan told Blues. “I suppose that will be my next stop after I'm done debriefing here.”

“I can handle it,” Agent North told Enzan kindly. “Why don't you go rest for the night? I'm sure you could use it.”

“I'll stay and finish this,” Enzan told her. “I don't want to simply walk away from everything I've been working on for nearly two years. Once everything is retrieved, and the authorities are debriefed, I'll head to Japan.”

“You're making me look lazy by comparison,” Agent North joked. “Ease up a bit, or the rest of us will look bad.”

Enzan gave her a flat look. “I don't know how to 'ease up'.”

“I can tell,” she murmured as Enzan walked ahead.

***

“Okay, Zer0, let's take them out in one go!” Saki said excitedly, inputting the command sequence for Zer0 to attack the three Fishy viruses on the field.

“Understood!” Zer0 replied, and then dashed across the battlefield, slicing neatly through each virus as he passed them. The viruses let out a pitiful sound as they were deleted, and Saki let out a small cheer.

“That's fifteen matches in a row without getting hit even once!” Saki said. “Zer0, you're incredible!”

“I am only as strong as you operate me to be,” Zer0 told Saki. “My strength relies upon your judgment.”

“No way,” Saki said with a tiny laugh. “I'm still new to this! I bet you're just saying that to make me feel better about being a rookie.”

“I would never say something false,” Zer0 said. “I merely speak what I feel to be the truth. You have sound battle judgment, and I am all the better for it.”

Saki blushed, and looked away, tugging at a piece of hair near his ear. “W-well then, I guess I should just accept your praise then!”

“Good job!” Netto said as he entered the room. “You're definitely improving at a steady rate. I think you're probably ready for some drills against some real viruses.”

“Not ones that were programmed by the Ministry of Science?” Saki asked.

“No, real viruses. There are all kinds of them on the Network, if you know where to look.”

Saki hesitated. It would be dangerous, since the actual viruses could delete his Navi if he wasn't careful, but he felt pretty confident, especially after his win streak.

“I can do that, no problem.”

Netto grinned. “Cool! Taka's going to join you, so you don't have to worry about being alone. He's got lots of experience deleting viruses.”

“I call them 'trash mobs',” Taka explained popping out from behind Netto. “There's lots of them in the Networks I frequent, so Axl and I get lots of practice.”

“How is it that you always just seem to show up out of nowhere?” Saki asked, bewildered.

“Stealth is my highest stat,” Taka explained.

“We'll be taking a field trip downtown,” Netto explained. “I think Akihara would be a good place to trawl for weak viruses. I know I always run into them when I'm in the Network.”

“It should be a good place for someone just starting out to practice,” Rockman added.

“Sounds good!” Taka said. “I wanted to pick up a new game anyway!”

“We're supposed to be working, Taka,” Saki scolded. “You can pick up your game on your own time.”

“But I'll be there anyway!” Taka insisted. “It saves time!”

“I agree,” Netto said, “It's not like we're going to be working the whole time anyway.”

Saki sighed at Netto's lax work ethic. “Fine, whatever. But I'll be doing the virus busting, right?”

“Sure thing,” Netto said. “Let's get lunch after! My favorite curry place is around there.”

***

Saki's first impression of Akihara was a good one: the buildings were painted brightly, and the sidewalks were fairly clean. The electronic shops were bustling, and Saki peered through windows to see what they sold. Netto pointed out a place to buy and trade chips, and told Saki that he should learn to haggle well since the owner was a fanatic about collecting. A few streets over was the game store that Taka had wanted to stop in, so the other two boys waited patiently while Taka waited in the queue.

“What game did you get?” Netto asked Taka as he left the store.

“Pavement Pounder V” he said. “I've been a fan of this game for a long time, and the new graphics have me really excited.”

“I love Pavement Pounder!” Netto said excitedly. “I play the cabinets at the arcade all the time!”

“We'll have to go sometime,” Taka said. “I bet I can beat you.”

“Sightseeing is nice,” Saki interrupted, “But what about virus busting?”

“We're getting to that,” Netto said. “First, the park.”

Saki was clearly confused. “The park? Why the park?”

“You'll see,” Netto said with a mischievous grin.

All the way to the park, Netto said nothing. He led them down the paths to the center of the park, and over to a big pink squirrel statue.

“I want you to jack into this squirrel,” Netto told Saki with a serious expression.

Saki felt his face burn with embarrassment. “W-what?”

“The Network in this statue has some pretty common viruses in it,” Netto explained. “A friend showed it to me once.”

“I don't even know where to start with this,” Saki muttered.

“It always confuses me why certain inanimate objects would have Networks in them,” Taka said, “But I suppose some people just like having secret spaces.”

Trying his best not to seem suspicious, Saki plugged his PET into the squirrel statue. Taka followed suit, using the infrared connection.

The Network inside the squirrel had obnoxious pink wallpaper the same color as the statue, and Saki already hated everything about it. Zer0 didn't seem to have anything to say about it, but Axl was pretty vocal about his opinion.

“They should fire the designer,” he said. “There really needs to be some contrasting colors in here.”

“2/10, bad atmosphere,” Taka agreed. “Down-voted and flagged.”

“So, what kind of viruses live in a squirrel statue anyway?” Saki asked.

No sooner had he said it, several neon green Mettaurs appeared and seemed angry to have intruders in their territory. They pulled out their pickaxes, and fired off shock waves at Zer0 and Axl. Zer0 sidestepped the attacks, as Saki pulled out his sword chips.

“Lets go, Zer0.”

“Understood.”

Zer0 darted forward and unleashed a sword strike on the nearest Mettaur. The poor thing barely had time to react before Zer0 slashed at the next one, who panicked and ducked under his helmet. The sword glanced off the Mettaur's helmet, and Zer0 moved back.

“Got him,” Axl said, a pair of pistols appearing in his hands. As the Mettaur peeked out from under his helmet, Axl unleashed a barrage of well-placed shots that pierced the Mettaur, who exploded into a cloud of pixels and vanished. The last Mettaur readied his pickaxe, and Axl hit him with a single shot, setting him up for Zer0 to swoop in and finish him off with a sword strike.

“Nice teamwork!” Taka said, high-fiving Saki.

“Thanks for covering me,” Saki said.

“That's what teammates do,” Taka said matter-of-factually.

“I haven't seen Axl in action before,” Saki said, “His buster is...different.”

“Axl is a completely custom Navi, build from the ground up,” Taka explained. “My brother made him for me for my fifth birthday. He said that having the busters skinned as guns would be cool, and honestly he was right.” He grinned. “I bet you could have Zer0's buster skinned too.”

“Skinned?” Saki asked.

“I means to put a custom texture over something,” Netto explained. “It can change the shape of the object too, although Axl's guns were built to look like that. I doubt you could change Zer0's buster without rebuilding it.”

Saki was crestfallen. “It's probably too much to ask Meijin for.”

“He might do it,” Netto said. “You could say it would be a challenge. He never turns challenges down.”

Saki's PET beeped, and when he looked he saw new viruses had appeared on the field.

“Uh oh,” Netto said, “No time to talk. Get to work on those new viruses, okay?”

A crowd of Champy viruses circled Zer0 and Axl, throwing small punches at them with their gloved hands. Zer0 sidestepped their attacks, looking for an opening and waiting for Saki to send him a chip.

“Large group, what about a bomb?” Saki slotted in a mini boomer chip.

Once the bomb had materialized in Zer0's hand, he threw it at the viruses. It exploded on impact, and quite a large number of them were deleted. Axl swooped in from the side, and fired off a string of shots that deleted a few more.

In the midst of the fight, a strange box appeared on the field. Saki squinted at it. “A fan?”

The fan turned itself on, and Zer0 and Axl suddenly found themselves pushed backwards.

“Maybe if I...” Taka muttered, slotting in a cannon chip.

Axl braced himself the best he could and fired the cannon, only for the shot to be deflected back at him by the wind. Axl yelped, and jumped, letting the wind push him out of the way of the attack.

“The viruses are not affected by the wind,” Zer0 told Saki. “Perhaps there is a trick to it.”

“Maybe,” Saki said. “What if we get out of its range?”

Zer0 rolled off to the side, but the fan turned and followed his movements. Saki grumbled angrily.

“It might be a fan, but it's still a virus. All we have to do is figure out its weakness,” Taka said.

“Easier said than done,” Saki said.

Even as Saki spoke, the fan sputtered, and the wind waned for a moment.

“Now!” Taka said, “While it's tired!”

Zer0 launched at the fan, slicing it in half. With the wind gone, Axl was able to pick off the rest of the viruses with well-placed shots.

“Hopefully, that is the last of them,” Zer0 said.

A second after Zer0 spoke, the ground under him shook. A drill-like virus crashed out of the ground under his feet, and he only just managed to jump out of the way in time.

“Oho, a surprise attack!” Taka said. “And he looks like he's pretty tough!”

“Are you up for the challenge, Zer0?” Axl asked.

“I never turn my back on a foe,” Zer0 replied.

The virus gave an angry cry, and charged at the Navis, tucking his limbs into his drill-like head to form a spinning projectile.

“Here we go, Zer0, sword chip!” Saki slotted in a sword chip, and Zer0 shot off towards the drill, sword at the ready. Even though the attack looked good, Zer0's sword glanced off the drill, and the Navi was nearly hit head on. He rolled along the drill virus' side, and skidded to a stop.

Axl fired off a few shots, but all of them glanced off. He also leaped out of the way, but glided a few feet away with his thrusters before landing again.

“The sloped edges of the drill when it attacks head-on deflect attacks,” Taka told Saki. “We either have to figure out how to attack from the side, or take it head on somehow. But a direct attack has a really slim chance of working. The angle needed would be too precise to calculate.”

“Huh?” Saki asked, confused.

“It's like splitting an arrow with another arrow,” Taka explained impatiently. “You need to hit it perfectly dead center, or you'll just get deflected.”

“Okay, I see.” Saki watched the drill virus line up another attack. “Zer0, do you think you could do it?”

The Navi contemplated Saki's question for a long moment before answering. “I will succeed.”

“You're crazy,” Axl said. “But whatever, if you think you can do it, I'll back you up.”

Zer0 moved into a wide stance, his sword at the ready. He stared down the drill virus, watching it approach, and once he was ready he launched himself forward. For a moment, the attack looked as though it would not connect, but the tip of Zer0's sword met the tip of the drill, and the virus split in half as the sword cleaved through it.

Saki nearly dropped his PET in his excitement. “That was too cool! Zer0 is just too cool!”

“A one in one thousand attack,” Taka breathed. “Zer0's abilities are completely insane.”

Saki calmed down, and smiled at Zer0. “You did it! That was amazing!”

Zer0, surprisingly, looked very troubled. “The idea that I could not do it did not ever occur to me. It is as if I am simply incapable to failing, and this concerns me.”

“But being good at something shouldn't be a bad thing,” Saki said.

Zer0 shook his head. “It has worried me for some time now. I have been praised for my prowess in battle, however the knowledge I seem to possess regarding battle seems to come from somewhere far beyond me, as if I am simply a conduit of something else.”

“Like how I operate you during battle?” Saki asked.

“No, something much different than that,” Zer0 said. “I...cannot explain properly, I apologize.”

“It's okay,” Saki said. “It's frightening to not be in control.” He grew quiet.

“Maybe you should tell Meijin about this,” Netto said. “He might have some insight into what Zer0 is experiencing.”

“Yeah,” Taka agreed.

They all remained quiet for a moment, and then Netto slapped Saki and Taka's backs with his hands. “Well, let's go get lunch. That as a pretty good lesson, honestly.”

“It sure was!” Taka said, plugging Axl out of the squirrel statue. “Hurry up, Saki, let's get lunch!”

“Sure,” Saki said, reaching for his PET's plug. But just as he was about to plug Zer0 out, his PET beeped.

A Champy virus appeared out of nowhere, and swung at Zer0's head. He managed to dodge at the last second, but the attack grazed his face. The Navi pulled back, his cheek derezzing slightly.

Saki jerked, feeling pain shoot across his own cheek, almost like a paper cut. He shook it off, thinking it was shock, and operated Zer0 to fire on the virus, deleting it in a few well-placed shots. He slowed his breathing, bringing his frantic heartbeat back under control.

“You okay, Zer0?”

“Yes,” Zer0 said. “My injury is not severe.”

“That's good,” Saki said. “That scared me.”

“Me too,” Taka said. “It just showed up and—” The boy froze, staring at Saki with wide eyes.

“What is it?” Saki asked.

“You're bleeding,” Taka said dumbly, pointing at Saki's cheek.

Surprised, Saki reached up and touched his cheek where he had felt the pain, and found his fingertips covered in blood.

“It's not a bad cut,” Netto said, “But we should clean it and bandage it anyway.”

“Don't tell me you carry bandages around with you,” Taka said.

“I mean, I don't,” Netto said, “But we probably can pick some up nearby.” He pulled a handkerchief out of his pocket, and pressed it to Saki's cheek. Saki stiffened, feeling his cheeks heat up a little.

“Try to hold that in place for a while,” Netto told Saki. “That should stop the bleeding.”

“I'll wash it before I give it back,” Saki said apologetically.

“Don't worry about that right now,” Netto said. “Let's go eat.” 

“What about a bandage?” Taka asked.

“They might have one there,” Netto said. “And if they don't, I'll run out and buy some.”

“Is food really more important that someone being injured?” Taka asked.

Netto paused. “Yes.”

***

By the time they reached the curry restaurant Netto wanted to take them all to, the bleeding had stopped. Netto insisted that Saki keep the handkerchief for the time being, in case the bleeding started up again, and Saki felt a little surge of happiness from it, even though he wasn't entirely sure why.

Netto entered the restaurant and loudly announced his presence. “Guess who's back?”

An audible groan escaped the kitchen. “Not you again. Don't you ever get tired of eating here?”

“Nope!” Netto said, sliding into a seat at the counter. “And I brought friends this time.”

A woman poked her head out from the kitchen, and Saki tried not to recoil in horror at her thick makeup and gaudy clothes. He wasn't sure if she should even be handling food, lest an eyelash fall into his meal.

“Are you sure the food is good here?” Saki asked Netto under his breath.

“Sure is!” Netto said.

Saki steeled himself for whatever horror awaited him.

The woman sighed, and marched over to the counter. “Great. More little snots to deal with.”

“You'd better have melon soda, or I'm leaving,” Taka said.

“You ask every time I see you in here,” the woman told Taka, “And every time I say the same thing: we have ramune, and that's about it.”

Taka clicked his tongue. “Stingy. At least have some drink variety.”

The woman turned to Saki with a sharp look. “And what do you want to drink?”

“T-tea?” Saki squeaked out, fearful and wanting quite badly to dig a hole in the floor and escape.

The woman's face softened slightly. “A reasonable request, at least. Sure thing.”

She turned and went back into the kitchen, yelling as she did so. “Maha, that stupid kid is back again!”

Saki looked at Netto. “They hate you here.”

Netto grinned. “It's just friendly teasing. There's no real hostility left between any of us.”

Saki frowned. “'Left'? You mean there _used_ to be hostility between you and them?”

“It's a long story,” Netto said, “But that all was seven years ago. It's been done and over with for a long time.”

“I don't understand why they won't stock melon soda,” Taka grumbled.

“Might not be enough demand,” Netto told Taka. “Or maybe it's an expense they can't afford.”

“They'd get more business if they sold melon soda,” Taka said, pouting.

Saki sighed. “You have terrible business sense.”

“Do not,” Taka said. “Also their marketing is terrible, this restaurant needs a remodel, and the staff are straight up rude. No wonder it's not popular with the younger crowd.”

“But the curry is amazing,” Netto said. “I promise, you'll think so too, Saki.”

“Even I like it,” Taka said, “And I hate vegetables.”

The woman returned, and slammed a glass of water down in front of Netto, who didn't even flinch. She then did the same with Taka's bottle of ramune before setting Saki's cup of tea carefully down in front of him.

“Know what you want? I'm not waiting for you, I hope you know.” She glared at Netto dangerously.

“Don't be mean, Madoi,” Netto said. “Saki's never been here before, he probably needs a little more time.”

“Then I'll take his order last,” Madoi told Netto. “That's all the time I'll give him.”

Saki frantically searched for a menu, and scanned the sparse pages as Netto ordered.

“The large order of house special. Oh, and I'll probably want seconds.”

“Of course you will,” Madoi grumbled. “And you, squirt?”

Taka sighed. “The mild curry, please, no veggies.”

“Extra veggies, got it,” Madoi read as she wrote her order down.

“Don't make me walk out,” Taka snapped.

“What about you?” Madoi asked Saki.

“Umm,” Saki frantically tried to choose. “What...what's your cheapest—?”

“I'm paying,” Taka interrupted Saki. “So just get what you want.”

Saki's face heated up again. “T-the katsu curry then...”

“Got it,” Madoi said. She turned and walked into the kitchen, yelling, “He wants a large, make sure you spit in it.”

“Why do you always pay for me?” Saki asked Taka.

“Because you're so cheap you'd end up eating nothing and I'd feel bad,” Taka replied.

“I'm not cheap,” Saki replied, embarrassed.

“Saki, you argue with yourself if you should buy convenience store bread,” Taka said, exasperated. “It drives me crazy. It's like 150 zenny, just buy it.”

Saki sank in his seat, his face and ears burning with shame. “I do not...” he muttered.

“I'm sure Saki has a lot of expenses,” Netto said calmly. “His situation isn't the same as yours, Taka. Don't be so quick to pass judgment.”

“Thanks...” Saki said weakly.

“Honestly, me and Taka are so bad with money, though! My first instinct when I have money is to spend it!” Netto laughed. “I'm always getting in trouble for never saving enough.”

“I can teach you the secret to saving money,” Saki said.

Netto leaned in, excitedly. “Yeah? What is it?”

“Stop buying stupid, useless stuff,” Saki told him.

Netto's face fell. “Aww, I can't do that. Guess I'm hopeless.”

“Why would I go through life not buying things that make me happy?” Taka asked, cracking open his ramune bottle. “A joyless life can't really be living.”

Saki would have replied, except that Madoi returned, and dropped Netto's plate in front of him. Saki stared in awe at the plate the size of a small shield, laden with rice and curry.

“Eat all of it, or I'm charging you for the rest,” Madoi told Netto threateningly.

Netto grinned. “I can still get seconds, right?”

Saki shook his head, completely overwhelmed by Netto and his carefree attitude. Still, the curry's spicy smell captured his senses, and he suddenly couldn't help but want to know what spices and ingredients had been used in it.

Madoi returned with Taka and Saki's curry. Taka breathed a sigh of relief when he saw that his curry only contained potatoes and carrots, and not an entire fridge of vegetables. As Madoi placed Saki's curry in front of him, she said, “Tell me honestly what you think of it. These two jokers can't be trusted any further than I can throw them. One's a human garbage disposal, and the other is too picky to have any kind of good taste. Nothing they say is really of any value.”

Saki nodded slowly. “I can understand that.” He picked up his spoon, and scooped some curry and rice into his mouth, chewing it slowly as he let the taste wash over him.

The spices came through strongly, and he managed to pick out a few of them—clove, turmeric, coriander—but he also got notes of something else. He chewed a little more, trying to figure it out. Was it bitter? No, not quite. More deep than that...His eyes widened as the taste dawned on him.

“Is that...dark chocolate...?”

Madoi leaned in really close. “What? What was that? Chocolate?” She seemed excited. “Did you really taste that?”

Netto and Taka looked at Saki curiously.

Saki looked between everyone nervously. “I think so...? I could be wrong...”

“But what if you're _right_ ,” Madoi insisted. “Can you taste anything else at all?” She pulled out her note pad, pen poised.

Saki gave her a long, hard look. “You want me...to tell you what I can taste in this curry?”

Madoi nodded.

“Shouldn't you know what's in this curry?” Saki asked. “I mean, you _make_ it, right?”

Madoi shook her head. “Not me. Maha does. But he never lets us see how. He always makes us serve it, but we never get to touch anything that goes _into_ it.”

“So you want me to tell you what's in it so you can, what? Start making it yourself?” Saki grew more and more suspicious.

Netto also seemed upset. “Madoi, Maha's not going to like it if you rip off his recipe.”

“He doesn't have to know,” Madoi insisted. “It can stay between us. You can keep a secret, right?”

Saki pursed his lips. “A chef's recipes are his pride. You can't just rob him of them.”

“I'm not _stealin_ it,” Madoi insisted. “Just trying to come up with something _similar_. It's not the same thing at all!”

As Madoi spoke, a man exited the kitchen. He quietly stood behind Madoi as she insisted that Saki wouldn't be doing anything wrong by telling her what he knew, only interrupting her when he felt she had said enough.

“Madoi, leave the boy be. He is wise not to tell you anything.”

She spun around, frightened. “M-Maha! When did you—?!”

“I have told you many times, my recipe is not something I will simply surrender. Unless you can use your own senses to find the secrets, they will not be surrendered to you.” Maha fixed his narrow eyes on her. “Now, I believe there are quite a pile of dishes waiting for you in the back.”

“O-of course! I'll get right on those!” Madoi said, her voice cracking in fear. She darted into the back, almost tripping in her haste. Maha watched her leave, and then shook his head.

Netto chuckled. “She's been trying to figure that recipe out for seven years now. She doesn't seem to be any closer.”

Maha approached the counter. “Always a pleasure to have your business, young Netto. Are you enjoying your meal at all?”

“Of course!” Netto said. “Your curry is my favorite, next to my mom's.”

“I am honored by your words,” Maha said. He turned to Saki. “And you, young man. Your pallet seems quite sensitive. You have a wonderful culinary gift. But one must be careful what one does with that gift, for it might lead one into trouble.”

Saki saw the dangerous glint in Maha's eyes, and swallowed deeply. “I can't seem to recall what it was that I tasted anymore. Must not have been that important.”

“I see,” Maha said, a small smile gracing his lips. “Perhaps it will return to you at a future time.” 

Taka seemed undisturbed by anything that had happened, and said, around the spoon in his mouth, “Why don't you just fire her if she keeps trying to steal from you?”

Maha chuckled. “My dear boy, we are all thieves here.”

Netto reached over and ruffled Taka's hair. “These guys have been through a lot together. They're like a big family.”

“Look, if a family member was gonna stab me in the back and steal my stuff, I'd get her arrested,” Taka said.

Saki shoveled some pork and curry into his mouth, trying to ignore the current conversation. Maha kept eyeing him up curiously, and it made him rather nervous.

“Finish your food, Taka, and then we'll go back to practicing,” Netto said. “You both need more work on fighting those Drixol viruses.”

“Saki clearly doesn't,” Taka said. “Zer0 landed a one in one thousand hit. He probably could handle anything at this point.”

Saki stopped chewing, suddenly feeling his gut grow heavy as lead. While it was true that Zer0 was doing well, Saki hardly felt like any of that progress was his. And then there was the matter with the cut on his face. He reached up, and gingerly touched the now-closed cut. What had caused it? He seemed to recall that Zer0 had been injured on his face too, but that couldn't possibly...

Netto seemed to notice Saki touching his face, and scooted a little closer. “Is your cheek okay?”

“Huh?” Saki snapped back to his senses. “Oh, yeah. The bleeding stopped, so I think it'll be fine.”

Netto nodded. “Wondering where it came from?”

Saki blinked. “Yeah...how did you know?”

Netto shrugged. “Intuition, I guess.” He pointed at a faint scar on his own cheek, right under his eye. “I was once where you are, trying to wrap my brain around it. The answer I was given seemed kind of crazy to me then, and it'll be kind of crazy to you now, but it's the truth.”

Saki waited for Netto to explain.

“I got into a few wild fights with Rockman back in the day, and got cut up a bunch too. When I asked my dad about it, he told me it was something called Full Synchronization. Basically, when a Navi and an Operator form a strong emotional connection, they can transcend the mental barriers between them, sending signals back and forth to each other instantaneously. It's like sharing the same consciousness.” 

Saki narrowed his eyes. “Okay, let's say I believe that. Why did I get cut?”

“Your mind gets so closely tied to your Navis that you kind of experience things at the same time, and at the same intensity. Your brain fills in the gaps and thinks you've taken damage too. It's probably a little more complicated than that, but that kind of science is too much for me to understand.”

“Sounds kind of made up to me,” Saki said. “Your mind and your Navis suddenly joining? Your body reacting to your Navi being hurt and getting injured too?”

“You have to admit, it would certainly explain why Zer0 is so good at reacting to things,” Netto said. “You hardly ever give him verbal commands, and he trusts you completely. He also has been with you through his development. There's a definite bond there.”

“But we've known each other less than a month,” Saki insisted. “The bond you're talking about is formed over a long time, living with each other, learning their behaviors and quirks, and going through all kinds of crazy scenarios. How could we have formed a bond like that in such a short amount of time?”

“Well...” Netto tapped his chin thoughtfully. “When Zer0 came to you, he was basically a child. He looked to you for guidance, and you gave him that in return. You care a lot about your family, and about others. You probably couldn't help but become attached. And Zer0 would be able to learn all about you in such a short period of time since he used you as his example.”

Saki sat in silence, unable to form a counterargument.

“While it's not conclusive, it really does seem like Full Synchronization requires more than a deep bond. It's also something a person has to have aptitude for.”

“Like...they have to be born with the ability or something?” Saki asked.

“Kind of,” Netto said. “Dad was saying something like certain people have a unique sensitivity that lets them synchronize easier. There's nothing to suggest a correlation between specific people and the trait though, so we can't prove it. But when someone with a deep bond with their Navi tries to synchronize, and they don't have the trait, they can't achieve Full Synchronization.”

“How do you even test that?” Saki asked.

“Brain waves,” Netto said with a shrug. “My dad's the guy to ask about that.”

“Is that why I was asked to join the program?” Saki asked. “Because I have this...talent?”

Netto shook his head. “No, we invited you in for Meijin's sake. But you having the ability to Full Synchronize is a huge plus.”

Saki stared at his plate of food again, unable to process most of what he'd just learned. Netto patted him on the back, and said, “Eat up, or it'll get cold. After lunch we're going back to practice.”

“I want ice cream,” Taka said.

“Buy me some too!” Netto said eagerly.

Saki knew the others were talking because he could see them, but he couldn't hear anything they were saying. He just kept turning over what Netto had said over and over in his mind. Did he and Zer0 have a bond strong enough for them to communicate without words? Or was it really just that Zer0 was more talented on his own that Saki could ever hope to be as his Operator? Did Zer0 even _need_ Saki?

He shook his head. There was no sense dwelling on negativity. For now, he would continue to practice, and maybe one day get good enough to Operate Zer0 at full strength.

***

Saki focused on maneuvering Zer0 through battle, keying up attacks at just the right moments and sweeping through enemies as quickly as possible. He was so focused, in fact, that the others noticed, and Taka tugged at Saki's sleeve.

“Let's take a break, okay?”

“But we just ate not that long ago.”

“We ate three hours ago,” Taka said.

Saki blinked. Had he really lost track of time?

“Take a break,” Taka insisted, pulling Saki towards a nearby bench. He barely had time to unplug his PET before Taka forced him to sit down.

“I'll go get something to drink,” Netto said. “Is juice okay for you, Taka?”

“Sure,” Taka said, plopping down next to Saki.

“Be right back, then,” Netto said, waving as he jogged off to find a vending machine.

Saki looked at Taka, who was looking at his feet swing back and forth, barely scraping the dirt under the bench. When no one spoke right away, Saki cleared his throat nervously.

“Umm,” Taka started, and squirmed bashfully. “I...wanted to give you a present.”

“A present?” Saki was surprised.

Taka nodded. He reached into his hoodie's pocket, and pulled something out, which he placed in Saki's hand. When Saki looked, he saw it was a battle chip. He admired it up close, and thought to himself the shadowy Navi in the art looked strangely like Zer0.

“It's a Z Saber chip,” Taka explained. “I've had it for a long time now, but I never use it since Axl is long range. I thought you might like it, because you and Zer0 like swords so much.”

Saki smiled gently. “Thank you, that's really thoughtful.”

Taka smiled. “Ehe~ You've been training very hard lately, so I wanted to reward all your hard work!”

“I promise I'll use it lots,” Saki said happily.

Taka blushed sheepishly. “You don't have to if you don't want to, but I'd like it if you did.”

Saki hummed happily as he slipped the chip into his folder. “I'll have to find a way to thank you properly later.”

Taka looked thoughtful. “Buy me a cute accessory.”

Saki laughed, flustered. “A cute accessory? Like a pen, or...?”

“Like a hair clip!” Taka said. “It doesn't even have to be expensive, as long as it's cute!”

“I'll think about it,” Saki said.

Netto ran up to them, his hands full of drink cans. “I'm back! I got you an oolong tea, is that okay, Saki?”

“That's good,” Saki said, “Thank you.”

“And juice for Taka,” Neto said, handing Taka a bright can.

“Yay!” Taka cheered, cracking the can open and drinking a long swallow.

Saki sipped his tea. “Netto, do you think I'll ever get as good as you or Taka at Operating?”

Netto paused, mid sip. “Oh, yeah, absolutely,” he said. “Just keep practicing. Don't be afraid to try new things either!”

Saki mused as he sipped the rest of his tea.

“Wanna get some more practice in?” Taka asked Saki once he was finished his drink.

“Yeah,” Saki said.

“Lemme throw the cans in the bin then,” Taka said, taking everyone's cans. “Since Netto went and got the drinks and all.”

“Thank you,” Netto said, “Hurry back!”

Taka skipped off down the path, singing a silly song. “Clean up your cans~! Keep the planet clean~! Don't leave your trash~! It's very, very mean~!”

Netto turned to Saki. “Think you can handle another round of battle?”

“I do.” Saki felt confident. “I want to try new things and get better soon!”

Netto laughed. “Don't be in a rush. But I like your enthusiasm!”

Plugging back into the squirrel statue, Saki got ready for another battle. He didn't have to wait long, however, as another squadron of Mettaurs appeared.

“Ready, Zer0?” Saki asked. “I'm going to try something different.”

“I am ready,” Zer0 said.

Saki pulled the Z Saber clip from his folder, and slotted it into his PET. “Let's try the new sword that Taka gave us!”

The Z Saber materialized in Zer0's hand, and suddenly the Navi seemed excited. He gripped it tightly, and slid into his wide stance almost eagerly.

“This sword,” he murmured. “I cannot help but feel connected to it.”

Even as Saki moved Zer0, he could feel that Zer0 was moving on his own again. The Navi stepped into his swing, and sliced down neatly through the first Mettaur, then stepped forward and to the right, swinging in a wide arc that cleaved the next Mettaur in two. Finally, Zer0 cut a path forward, taking out the rest of the Mettaurs in a series of quick slashes. Even before he had come to a stop, the viruses had disappeared completely, and Saki stared in shock.

“Zer0, that was incredible.” He looked at the chip as it ejected itself from his PET. “Boy, this one's really powerful, huh?”

Yes,” Zer0 said. “Even holding it in my hand, I could feel a connection to it, as if we were linked by destiny—” He looked at his hands, and realized he was still holding the Z Saber.

“Wait,” Saki said. “What's going on? Didn't I eject the chip properly?”

Netto came over, and looked at Saki's screen. “Odd, it usually doesn't do that.” He tapped a few buttons, but the saber refused to leave Zer0's hands.

“Zer0,” Netto said, “Put the saber down, please.”

Zer0 planted the saber blade first into the ground, and stepped away from it.

“It didn't disappear,” Netto muttered, tapping buttons again. “A glitch maybe? Try picking it back up.”

Zer0 stepped back over to the saber, and pulled it from the ground.

“Odd,” Netto said. “Picking it back up should have cleared the cache, and made the system register that the chip was no longer loaded.” He scratched his head. “This might be something to talk to Dad or Meijin about.”

“Is it bad?” Saki asked. “Did I do something wrong?”

“It's fine!” Netto insisted. “It's just a little bug is all!”

“What's a bug?” Taka asked, having returned from his errand.

“Nothing,” Netto said.

“Zer0 can't seem to get the Z Saber to go away,” Saki said.

Taka blinked in surprise. “Oh, I see.” He paused. “I didn't do it.”

“Did you give me a defective chip?!” Saki asked, angrily.

“No way!” Taka said defensively. “I bought that chip the day it was released and haven't used it since! It's in pristine condition!”

“Then it has to be a bug on Zer0's end,” Saki said to Netto.

“I do not think this is anything to be concerned with—” Zer0 said, but was ignored.

“If it is some kind of bug, Meijin will probably have an idea of what to do. We'd better head back to the Ministry of Science and see if we can catch him before he leaves.”

Zer0 sighed. “As I said, it really is not anything to be concerned with. I merely think that—”

“Good idea. If we go now, we might make it there sometime in the early evening,” Saki said.

Zer0 sighed once more, and crossed his arms. “I suppose it does not matter what I say at this point, so it is not worth the effort.”

***

After what felt like an eternity, Meijin opened the door to his office. Saki nearly leaped out of his seat.

“Is Zer0 okay?” he asked.

Meijin sighed. “The good news is Zer0's fine. He's running perfectly. I ran every diagnostic I could think of, and they all came back the same.”

Saki breathed a sigh of relief.

“The bad news is, I can't seem to remove the chip,” Meijin continued. “For some reason, it has reprogrammed itself to be a main weapon rather than a chip.”

“Wait,” Saki said, “What?”

“Yeah, what Saki said. What do you mean it 'reprogrammed itself' to be a main weapon?” Netto seemed just as confused as Saki did.

Meijin shrugged. “Just what I said. The Z Saber chip changed from a mere executable program to a solid object that classified itself as a main weapon.”

“Chips don't just do that,” Netto insisted.

“They don't,” Meijin said, “But this one did, for some reason.”

Saki held out his Z Saber chip. “Does this mean I can't use this chip anymore?”

Meijin picked the chip up and studied it for a moment. “Without testing it, I can't be sure. But I don't see why not.”

Saki sighed.

“If I may,” Zer0 interjected from Saki's PET in Meijin's hand. “I feel that I can shed some light on the subject.”

“Go on,” Netto said.

“You see, once the sword was in my hands, I could hear it speak to me,” Zer0 explained. “It explained to me that it would very much like to stay in my company, for it felt that it could be best utilized that way.”

“The sword _spoke_ to you?” Netto asked slowly. “And it told you it wanted to stay with you...?”

“Yes,” Zer0 said, nodding.

Everyone tried to absorb what Zer0 had told them, to little success.

“Swords don't talk,” Taka said flatly. “Unless it's an anime.”

“Zer0, are you _sure_ the sword spoke to you?” Saki asked, his brow furrowed.

“Yes,” Zer0 said, “I have no reason to speak falsely.”

Netto threw his hands up. “Sure, okay, whatever, the sword talked. It doesn't change the fact that _it rewrote Zer0's code_.”

“Yeah, I have no answers on that matter,” Meijin said. “I'm as stumped as you are.”

“Maybe a wizard did it,” Taka suggested.

“Maybe nothing is real and life is malleable,” Saki suggested, clearly tired and fed up.

“Maybe Hikari-hakase knows!” Taka suggested. “He knows lots of stuff!”

“We could ask Dad, yeah,” Netto said. “He might not know either.”

“It's worth a try,” Saki said.

***

Yuuichirou Hikari was a man who did not seem to give off authority at first glance. Saki stared at him in shock, hardly believing him to be the genius scientist everyone was claiming him to be. He looked at Saki with gentle interest and spoke softly, causing Saki to see him more as a father figure than someone who managed countless scientists daily.

He listened quietly to Meijin and Saki's explanations, nodding at the appropriate times, and then adjusted his glasses and thought about everything for a long while.

“Let's run a few more tests,” he said at last. “Just to be absolutely sure.”

He made Saki plug Zer0 into the main lab computer, and then asked Netto to plug Rockman in as well. Once both Navis were inside the lab's Network, Yuuichirou addressed them.

“Hello, Zer0, my name is Yuuichirou Hikari. I'm the lead researcher here at the Ministry of Science. I'd like to perform a few more tests, if that's alright with you.”

“That is fine,” Zer0 said. “Please proceed.”

“Very good,” Yuuichirou said. “Zer0, would you be so kind as to hand Rockman here your sword?”

Zer0 handed Rockman the Z Saber, which Rockman took with a nod.

Yuuichirou paused and watched to see what would happen. A moment later, the sword left Rockman's hand, and reappeared in Zer0's hand.

“I see,” Yuuichirou said, the light from the screen reflecting harshly off his glasses, obscuring his eyes. “Fascinating. It seems as though the weapon is bound to Zer0 and cannot be removed.” 

“So it's like a weapon programmed specifically for a Navi?” Meijin asked.

“Precisely,” Yuuichirou said. “the real question is how the chip became this way. Zer0 says that he 'heard the voice of the sword' ask to stay with him. My theory is that the data from the chip was compatible with an empty weapon slot in his code, and simply inserted itself.”

“That's likely,” Meijin admitted. “Zer0's code is rather unstable.”

“So, how do we fix it?” Saki asked.

“We don't,” Yuuichirou said. “Or, rather, we would need to delete the data of the sword from Zer0's code, which is delicate and time-consuming.” He turned to Zer0. “Is that something you would want, Zer0?

Zer0 shifted a little. “No,” he admitted. “I am rather fond of this sword. I would like to keep it.”

Yuuichirou nodded. “Well then, I suppose that settles it.”

With a sigh, Saki let his shoulders sag. “I guess Zer0 was meant to use a sword all along.”

“Don't get down,” Netto said. “It's just something new to learn. You'll get used to it!”

Yuuichirou smiled at Meijin and Saki, saying, “I'm rather curious to see what else develops in regards to Zer0. I would like to formally ask permission to assist with him. If that's all right with you two.”

“I don't mind,” Saki said.

Meijin seemed less eager. “I'm not sure I really want help. Zer0's code is rather fragile, and having too many signatures in there might be problematic.”

“Meijin,” Yuuichirou said, his face serious. “Do you really think I would do something like tinker with Zer0 against your wishes?”

“Honestly? Yeah,” Meijin said.

“I merely want to study him, as a fully independent learning AI. He's fascinating, and would be a great help to my own research.”

Taka leaned in, and whispered to Saki, “He's giving me major mad scientist vibes.”

“I'm sure he's fine,” Saki said, “I mean, he's Netto's dad, right. I'm sure he's a really nice person.”

“Yeah, about that,” Netto said, “Him and my grandpa are kind of similar. They both really like to get to the bottom of stuff, even if it means using slightly _unethical_ means.”

Saki shivered.

“I do hope you'll come to me with future matters,” Yuuichirou said, a warm, friendly smile still on his face. “I want to help as much as possible.”

“I look forward to working with you,” Zer0 said, bowing.

“Likewise!” Yuuichirou said to Zer0.

“I can't put my finger on it,” Meijin muttered, “But I feel like I just lost control of this whole thing.”

“You never had control,” Netto replied. “Just the illusion of it.”


	5. Hitting the Wall

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> After Saki suffers through a long and terrible night of food service, he is then forced to confront his own ineptitude in battle.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> _I briefly want to point out the weird and wild names of places in Defrag (and EXE in general). Here's a handy-dandy list of what each country is in real life!_
> 
> _Amerope - A strange mashup of America and Europe. I tend to lean more heavily on the America part, since it was depicted that way in the anime.  
>  Northlandia - Based on Canada (came about because of a joke between me and my friends back in the day, but I liked it so it stuck)  
> Namaste - Based on India  
> Jawaii - Based on Hawaii  
> Lefleur - Based on France (The name is my own creation)  
> Itareece - The combination of Italy and Greece (courtesy of Higure-san on deviantart!)_

Saki laid his head on the table in the break room and heaved a huge sigh. Zer0 has adopted the Z Saber as his new weapon a few days before, and Saki was relying less and less on battle chips during practices. However, this failed to delight him. Instead, he felt like his operating was becoming less and less necessary. Zer0 clearly had the strength and skill to operate solo, and this knowledge sat like a cold rock in the pit of Saki's stomach.

He pulled out the Z Saber chip Taka had given him, turning it over and over in his hands. It had been such a thoughtful gift, and now he couldn't even use it.

At that moment, Meijin entered the break room, shoulders slumped and expression blank, and shuffled towards the coffee pot on the counter. He paused as he passed Saki, and looked at the chip in the boy's hands.

“A Z Saber chip, huh?” Meijin said. “Ahh, that's a good one. Rare too.”

Saki looked up at Meijin. “Huh?”

Meijin nodded. “Only three hundred of them made. Worth quite a bit nowadays.”

“How much are they worth?” Saki asked, feeling his gut churn.

Meijin did some mental calculations. “Probably 30,000 zenny. Maybe more if a dedicated collector wanted it.”

Saki felt his head get light and his body go heavy. He slumped over on the table, feeling ill.

“Taka just _gave_ it to me,” Saki wheezed. “I didn't realize it was so valuable.”

“Oh, that makes sense,” Meijin said. “I was trying to figure out how Zer0 had come into contact with a Z Saber chip in the first place.” He continued his shuffle over to the coffee pot, retrieved a clean mug from the cupboard, and started to pour a cup for himself. “Taka likes to collect stuff. Spends a lot on all kinds of figurines and rare garage kits. Those chips were all the rage when they were released. Chances are he grabbed one hoping it would be worth more later on. He's got a good sense for that sort of thing.”

“But if it's worth so much, why did he give it to _me_?” Saki asked, bewildered.

Meijin paused. “That I can't tell you.”

Saki sighed. Taka remained a huge mystery to him.

“Say, Meijin,” Saki said, “Have you ever noticed that Taka's smiles don't reach his eyes?”

Meijin looked at Saki curiously. “I don't really spend time looking into people's eyes much.”

Saki tapped his fingers on the table. “It's just that no matter how cheerful he tries to pretend he is, somehow I still get the feeling that's he's pretending. He just feels so... _fake_ sometimes.”

Meijin dumped four sugar cubes into his coffee, and stirred it with a spoon. After a long pause, he said, “Taka seems like the type who doesn't open up easy. He seems rather genuine when he's going on and on about his hobbies, but whenever his personal life comes up, he suddenly has something to do.”

Saki stared at the tabletop. “Do you think he's hiding something?”

Meijin sipped his coffee loudly. “Not really my business, honestly.”

Silence settled into the room, and Meijin eventually shuffled back out, yawning loudly. Saki suspected that a deadline was fast approaching, as many of the other staff in the R&D department had the glassy-eyed stares of people who had not known sleep in a long, long time.

A glance at his PET told Saki that he needed to leave, or he might not make it back in time to get to his night shift at the restaurant. With a deep resigned sigh, he got to his feet, and made his way out of the building.

Nothing particularly eventful happened on the trip back; there was a woman who fell asleep against his shoulder on the train, and someone selling wooden statues outside the station who tried to get him to buy one, only to be disgusted when Saki said that he didn't have any money on him, but it was a relatively normal day otherwise. Saki stopped off at home to grab a quick bite to eat and to retrieve his bike, and then he was off again to go to his job at Argenterie.

Being a high-end restaurant that specialized in Lefleurian cuisine, Argenterie prided itself on first class service and excellent food, even though Saki knew, having been working there for several years now, that most of the staff were discontented, and the owner had been talking about selling the restaurant and retiring to Jawaii since before he started working there. Saki sometimes felt like he was the only thing holding the restaurant together, and busted his ass trying to provide the level of service everyone expected. His original goal—to learn the secrets of preparing Lefleurian cuisine from the chefs—had all but gone up in smoke once he realized that he had no time to snoop around the kitchen. Still, he clung to the hope that he might learn something someday, and continued to work at Argenterie, even as he felt his soul being crushed like a Sauvignon grape.

Tonight was no exception. As he stepped into the building through the staff entrance, Saki heard one of the other servers complaining about a large reservation that had been made only an hour before. She griped loudly about what a pain it was that she would probably be the one serving a bunch of stuck-up rich people who might not even tip.

“I heard one of them is some big shot of a large company,” another server said. “It's probably some meeting to win over potential clients. Those ones are the worst. They always order the most expensive wine, and then get unruly once the alcohol sets in. Last time I served a table of company executives, one of them groped me.”

“They think because they're rich and important that they can get away with anything,” the first server said angrily. “I get so mad! I tell the manager about them, but he never does anything about it.”

Saki approached the two servers, trying to smile as genuinely as possible. “Is something wrong?” he asked.

“Oh, Tanaka!” the first server gasped, and then clutched at his sleeve. “Thank goodness that you're on tonight! Can you handle a reservation?!”

“The one with all the big shot company executives?” Saki asked. “Sure, I can do that.” He knew he was lying—the one thing he hated the most was rich, powerful people who couldn't be held accountable for their actions—but he hated the idea of one of the servers being manhandled again.

“You're a lifesaver!” she said, relieved. The other server seemed happy too. “We'll try to hold down the other tables as best we can.”

“That'd be a big help,” Saki said. “I can still step in if things look bad.”

After a few more words of thanks from the servers, Saki headed into the employee room to change. As he slipped into his uniform, and buttoned his vest, he tried to imagine what kind of customers he was going to have to deal with.

 _She said something about it being some big shot head of a large company_ , Saki thought. _Maybe they're an older person, someone who's been in the game for a long time. Chances are they're used to preferential treatment, so I should probably drop a compliment here and there_.

Saki quickly braided his hair, and straightened his bow tie. _If there's one thing I'm good at, it's sucking up to people_.

He did a last minute check in the mirror to ensure that he was presentable, and then made his way into the main area, scanning his PET at the employee clock-in station as he did so. Taking a deep breath, he walked into the front area.

The reservation was for eight o'clock, so Saki had an hour or so to continue his regular service. He made a mental note that the special that day was the duck confit, since they were expected to suggested it to every table. The dinner rush that evening proved to be worse than usual, and there had been a few close calls with servers grabbing the wrong plates, only for Saki to quickly notice and step in. A table near the back asked for champagne, and a few raucous cheers went up once the bottle was popped open. One of the guests in the group explained that there had been a wedding proposal earlier in the evening, and the couple was now celebrating. Saki offered them a warm smile and a hearty, “Congratulations!” before continuing on with serving other tables. 

Finally, eight o'clock rolled around, and Saki felt himself glancing at the front door nervously every few minutes. He couldn't just stand around waiting, but if he got caught up with another table before the party arrived, he wouldn't be able to give either table his full attention. Worse, he would have to pass the table off to another server, who would not know their orders, or might be overloaded with other tables. However, ten minutes after eight o'clock, the front doors opened, and a large group of well-dressed individuals entered. Saki breathed a sigh of relief.

He heard someone in the group telling the host that they had a reservation for eight, but he couldn't hear the name. He glanced at the party, trying to figure out what they might do, or if he recognized any of them from television. The group consisted mostly of older gentlemen and one woman, plus a younger man about Saki's age. Saki wondered if he was someone's son.

The host lead the group over to their table, the largest one in the restaurant and the one the servers had nicknamed 'The VIP Table' for how often it was reserved for famous people. As everyone settled in, the host explained that their server would be along shortly, and bowed to them before she returned to her station near the entrance.

Saki knew the place settings included menus, so he finished up what he was doing, giving them a moment to think about their meals before he came over and introduced himself.

“Hello,” Saki said in a calm voice. “My name is Saki, and I'll be your server this evening.” He paused a beat before asking, “Would anyone like to order a drink?”

Most of the table said no, not at the moment, which Saki expected since choosing a wine to go with the food was what most savvy people did, but the younger man spoke up.

“Noisette,” he said to Saki. “And make it strong, please.”

Saki was slightly taken aback, but nodded. “One noisette then. One moment.” He gave a polite bow, and walked off to the back to prepare the drink.

A noisette, Saki knew, was the Lefleurian version of the Itareece's macchiatto. It consisted of a shot of espresso and a few drops of milk or cream. Saki made the decision to make it a double shot, and dropped in three drops of cream to complete it. He carried it back out to the table, and set it gently in front of the young man.

“One noisette,” Saki said. “Extra strong.”

The man took a sip, and seemed satisfied.

“Have you all made your decisions on your courses?” Saki asked. “The special tonight is a spiced duck confit with a port and damson sauce, an artichoke purée with toasted flaked almonds, and purple sprouting broccoli. A personal favorite of the chef.”

“That sounds lovely,” a portly gentleman said. “But what do you think, Ijuuin-san?”

“We won't be eating the main course for some time,” Enzan mused. He looked up at Saki. “Canapes for the appetizer. As for the entree...” He looked at the menu. “French onion soup.”

“Excellent choices!” A tall, thin man to Enzan's right said. “I knew it was wise to default to your culinary expertise.”

Enzan closed his eyes and sighed, rubbing the bridge of his nose. “'Expertise' is a bit generous. I've simply eaten at a lot of high-end restaurants. You get a feel for it after a while.”

Saki felt his nerves act up, but did his best to hide it. The young man might be a critic, and a bad review of the restaurant would be crippling.

“What would you suggest for the fish course?” Enzan asked Saki, his piercing blue eyes boring holes into the boy, who tried his best to stay calm.

“Our white fish with lemon and caper sauce,” Saki replied, relying on his knowledge of the menu to guide him. “It's very popular.”

“Have you tried it before?” Enzan asked.

“Of course,” Saki said. “It's quite delicious.”

After a few more seconds of scrutinizing Saki, Enzan looked back at his menu, his expression thoughtful. Saki breathed a silent sigh of relief.

“We'll have that for our fish course then,” Enzan said. “As for the main course, I feel that a beef bourguignon would be appropriate.”

Saki realized that Enzan knew what he was doing. He was carefully narrowing down his choices to ones that would go with a particular wine—red wine to be precise—and intentionally steering away from the forced recommendations almost as if he knew that they were only being made to use up leftover product or because they were more expensive. It was quite clear that Enzan's reputation of being a 'culinary expert' was not unfounded.

“And for your dessert course?” Saki asked.

Enzan looked at Saki for a moment, and then said, “Surprise me.”

Saki nodded, momentarily unsure. However, a thought formed in his mind, and he made his decision.

“Very good. May I make a wine recommendation for your first course? We have a very lovely Dom Perignon champagne that I'm sure you would enjoy alongside your canapes.”

Most of the table seemed quite interested in the selection, but Enzan seemed unmoved.

“What do you think, Ijuuin-san?” the portly man asked Enzan.

He sighed. “It seems like a good choice, Oshiro-san, however water is fine for me.” He looked at Saki again. “Although, I imagine by the time the appetizers arrive, I will need a refill on my coffee.”

“I'll be sure to bring you another noisette,” Saki said.

Enzan nodded.

“For the main course, I recommend the Gaja Barbaresco red wine,” Saki continued, addressing the rest of the table. “It's a particularly good year.”

“Wonderful!” the lone woman at the table said. “I do love a good red wine.”

It was almost too quiet to hear, but Saki heard Enzan whisper, “Of course you do,” under his breath. Saki pretended not to hear.

“If Himura-san recommends it, then I'm inclined to as well,” Oshiro said.

“Very good,” Saki said. “Allow me to relay your order to the kitchen at once.” He gave another polite bow, and left the table, heading for the store room.

“Did you send the order to the kitchen, Zer0?” Saki asked as he searched a refrigerator that they stored certain wines in.

“Not quite,” Zer0 said. “There is the matter of dessert, after all.”

“Tell them for dessert they'll be having opera cake,” Saki told Zer0. “It pairs well with coffee.”

“Understood,” said Zer0, “I will place this order with the kitchen immediately.” And with that, Zer0 logged into the restaurant's network to give the order to the kitchen Navis.

As Saki searched each shelf in the fridge carefully, he grew more and more frustrated at not being able to find the specific champagne he had recommended his guests. The fact that the storeroom had to be kept dim in order to preserve the wines properly didn't help matters at all. Finally, his hand bumped into the neck of the bottle he was looking for, and he pulled it out with a triumphant cry.

“Thought you could hide, did you?” Saki asked the bottle of champagne. He quickly made his way to the kitchen, set the bottle down on a counter, and got to work filling a pail with ice and water.

“You need help?” the dishwasher asked.

“Can you grab the cart while I fill this?” Saki asked. “The sooner the better. The canapes won't take long to prepare, and I don't want any of those guests to have a reason to complain.”

The dishwasher nodded, and quickly walked to the area where they kept their serving carts. By the time Saki had finished with the bucket, the dishwasher had returned with the cart. Saki quickly put a tablecloth on the serving cart to make it more presentable, and then heaved the heavy bucket up and into place. He loaded the appropriate number of champagne flutes on the shelf of the cart, and then set the champagne on the ice, tilting it back to have a more appealing look.

“Canopes for table one up,” Saki heard one of the sous chefs say.

“On it,” Saki said, pushing the cart out of the kitchen. He doubled back to pick up the appetizers from the serving window, and placed them on the cart with the ice bucket. He puffed his chest with pride at how efficient he had been.

Confident, Saki wheeled the cart over to the VIP table, and carefully set each plate of appetizers in front of each guest. He was aware that they had been speaking only a moment before his arrival, but were quiet now, which told Saki that he wasn't meant to hear what they had been talking about. After each plate had been sat down, Saki carefully opened the champagne bottle, being sure not to shake it or pop the cork too fast. He then filled a champagne flute, and set it down next to one of the guests, repeating this until everyone but Enzan had a flute.

Oshiro raised his glass. “To continued partnership!” he declared, and everyone let out a chorus of “here, here!” before taking a sip.

Saki spotted Enzan's empty coffee cup, and picked it up. “I'll return with your noisette momentarily,” he said.

Enzan merely nodded, and Saki couldn't help but notice how tired Enzan seemed. He squinted a little. Enzan's face seemed familiar. Where had he seen him before? The thought gnawed at Saki the whole time he prepared another cup of coffee. Maybe he was an actor? He might have seen him on TV.

Saki returned to the table, the group chatting amongst themselves about some company proposal, most of which Saki blocked out with his years of training as a server. It wasn't uncommon to overhear things, but the trick was forgetting them the instant he did. He set the coffee down in front of Enzan, who took a drink almost immediately. Saki tried not to smile.

“I'll return with your entree momentarily,” Saki told the table before bowing and leaving.

The soup wouldn't take much to prepare, since the soups were almost always prepared ahead of time, but the timing was important. Saki couldn't afford to bring the course too early, since they would not have finished their appetizers, nor could he afford to bring it late and have grumpy guests. He busied himself near the kitchen, polishing silverware, and sneaking glances at the table to see if they were ready to start their next course.

Enzan's side profile was especially familiar to Saki, and he couldn't explain why. His brain kept clicking away trying to find the missing information, but it wasn't until Enzan smiled at someone's (frankly terrible) joke that Saki suddenly realized where he had seen him before.

It had been a commercial on TV some years back. The young man had been even younger, much less tired looking, and he'd exuberantly told everyone to buy the latest model of PET. He ended the commercial spot with a wink and the statement, “Plug In Your Heart~!” The whole thing had been so ludicrous that Saki had been unable to take it seriously, and thus always remembered it.

Saki leaned against the counter and choked down his laughter. He could hardly believe the boy in that awful commercial was sitting in this restaurant right now, calmly drinking coffee with a bunch of important people having a serious discussion about company policies. He wondered how in the world Enzan fit into that equation.

Looking back at the table, Saki noticed that most of the plates were bare. Seeing his chance, he quickly grabbed the soup from the window, carefully loading them onto the serving cart and wheeling it back to the table. He smiled to the table, and asked, “Before I serve your entrees, would anyone like a refill of their champagne?”

Himura and a few of the others motioned for refills, and Saki obliged as the talk started back up again.

“What you're asking for is rather impossible, Ijuuin-san,” Oshiro said. “Converting so many of our factories over to cleaner energy would take years, and cost more than I'm willing to spend.”

Enzan sipped his coffee. “You're thinking very short-term, Oshiro-san. Switching to cleaner energy alternatives, such as wind and solar power, would be beneficial in the long run. Not only are they continuous but they are also free to obtain. You'd save more money in the next ten years than you'll spend switching over.”

The tall, thin man spoke up. “But there's no reason to believe that our current methods are contributing to the energy crisis, as you claim they are.”

Enzan gave the man a sharp stare. “Lee-san, I have no reason to respect a man who thinks that aiding an ailing planet is less important than lining his pockets. If you're not willing to adhere to our simple plans then we can simply find someone who will.”

Lee shrank back, and a small hush fell over the table. Saki quickly gathered up the appetizer plates, and retreated to his cart, eager to escape the heavy atmosphere, and picked up the first few plates of soup.

 _He can't possibly be just an actor_ , Saki thought. _He seems to have more authority than that. But he's way too young to be the head of some company. So, then, who is he?_ He screamed internally. _I kind of wish I could get Zer0 to look this up for me!! Maybe I will after I'm done my shift._

He tried not to let his emotions show on his face as he served the soup course. Most of the conversation got a little lighter, but Saki went back to blocking it out. As he set Enzan's soup down in front of him, Enzan looked at Saki.

“Could you make my next noisette a triple shot?” he asked in a quiet voice.

Saki merely nodded.

When he entered the kitchen, Saki could smell the fish course being prepared, and gave a sigh. As he made yet another cup of coffee, one of the servers stared in amazement from the window.

“ _Another_ cup? What does that make now, three? And it's only the second course!”

“He's the only one not drinking alcohol,” Saki said as he poured three shots of espresso into the cup, which was much bigger than the last one. “And he honestly looks like he hasn't slept in a while.”

“I'm almost upset that I traded with you,” the server said. “He's really cute. Do you know his name?”

“Ijuuin-something-or-other,” Saki replied. “I think he was in a commercial years ago.”

“Oh yeah, him!” the server said. “He's been in a few fashion spreads too. He's also all over the covers of those Thorbs magazines. You know, the ones that cover entrepreneurs and billionaires.”

Saki clenched his teeth. He had no reason to despise Enzan, but suddenly he felt white hot rage.

The server sighed. “He's so handsome too! I bet he'd be a total gentleman on a date!”

“You have a better chance of getting struck by lightning than snagging a date with him,” Saki said, with more spite than he had intended.

“You didn't have to put it that way!” the server said angrily. Saki ignored her, and left the kitchen, marching a little too quickly.

Setting the cup down in front of Enzan, Saki forced a smile. Enzan must have noticed, because he gave Saki a curious look, but thankfully said nothing.

“Your fish course will be along momentarily,” Saki said, and then left the table once more.

Saki ducked into the kitchen, and stood in the back corner, trying to focus his breathing. He couldn't let his personal feelings interfere with his job, but there was something about Enzan that rubbed him the wrong way. He was young, talented, handsome, adored, and obviously powerful, judging by the way the rest of the people at the table hung on his every word. It was everything Saki despised.

“I just want to splash hot coffee on his beautiful face,” Saki hissed under his breath. 

After a few minutes, Saki managed to talk himself down. Enzan might have been handsome, rich and powerful, but he was still a customer. And besides that, Saki got the feeling that Enzan didn't want to be at this dinner at all. He could relate: if he was forced to dine with a bunch of self-absorbed billionaires, he wouldn't want to be there either.

He heard a sous chef call his table number, and Saki gave his face a few slaps. “Pull yourself together, Saki,” he said, and marched out of the kitchen to pick up the next course.

He cleared the soup plates, and refilled everyone's flutes, thankful that this would be the last course served with champagne, as the bottle was dangerously low now. He set each plate of fish down on the table, and stepped back.

Enzan took a bite of his fish, and muttered, “I've had better.” The words stabbed Saki right through the heart.

“E-enjoy,” Saki said, his voice shaking ever so slightly. “Your main course will be along shortly.” He turned and pushed his cart back to the kitchen to dispose of the champagne bottle.

Saki felt anxiety rear its ugly head. Enzan, who was clearly the most powerful person at the table, had hated his recommendation. He felt like his tip was slipping away from him.

 _What if he hates dessert too?_ Saki thought, feeling his mind spiral. _He might end up giving our restaurant a bad name, and then I'll be cooked. They'll know it was my fault_.

He dumped the dregs of champagne in the bottle down the sink, and then put the empty bottle into the recycling bin. As he passed the ice freezer, he reached in, grabbed a single ice cube, and put it in his mouth.

 _Calm down_ , he thought, focusing on the ice cube melting in his mouth. _If I don't calm down and focus, this whole thing will end badly. One course at a time_.

He let the ice finish melting, and then snuck a glance at the table. Everyone was still eating, so he had time to finish collecting himself. He filled a glass with tap water, and took a deep drink.

“Sometimes I hate how long these meals are,” he muttered. “Who had the brilliant idea to have six courses?! It's far too many.”

When Saki finally wheeled the main course over to the VIP table, the guests looked noticeably on edge. Saki could only guess that talks had not being going well, as Enzan looked particularly agitated. As Saki cleared away the dirty plates and champagne flutes, he heard Oshiro say, “Thank goodness the main course is here. I've been looking forward to it!”

Saki placed the dishes in front of each person, taking extra care to set Enzan's plate down without getting too close. Enzan's coffee cup was empty once again, so Saki made a mental note to get him another, presumably as strong as the last.

As Saki uncorked the red wine, he heard someone say, “Honestly, I'm surprised that the Ministry of Science got its funding back.”

Saki's ears perked up.

“Their law suit finally resolved,” Himura said. “I can't imagine what that must have cost them.”

Saki carefully filled people's wine glasses, still listening to the conversation.

“I heard there was a scandal involving someone's death,” Lee said. “Their research got labeled as 'unethical' and ultimately shut down.”

Enzan sighed in annoyance. “And where, pray tell, did you hear that?”

“One of the board of directors is a good friend,” Lee said. 

“Your _friend_ is mistaken,” Enzan said. “The program was de-funded due to financial concerns.”

“Perhaps that is what they told the public at large,” Lee said, “But I'm confident in my friend's words.”

Enzan leaned forward, knitting his fingers together. “I can assure you, the Ministry of Science is not directly responsible for the death of anyone employed by them. Unless you can find substantial proof of this supposed death, it isn't anything more than malicious rumors.”

Saki finished filling the wine glasses, retrieved Enzan's empty coffee cup, and bowed to the table before leaving. As much as he wanted to hear the end of the conversation, the dangerous tone of Enzan's voice told Saki to stay out of it. He retreated to the kitchen to make Enzan more coffee, and turned what he had heard over in his mind.

_A supposed scandal involving a death? It'd make sense that it would get covered up. And that Ijuuin guy seemed pretty intent on dropping the subject. I wonder if he might be involved somehow...he seems to know a lot about it._

Saki returned to give Enzan his coffee to find the table cloaked in silence, with everyone focused on their meals. This time, Enzan didn't immediately pick up his coffee or even acknowledge Saki's presence, so he quietly slipped away as quickly as he had come. He arrived at the kitchen window, and one of the sous chefs looked at him.

“How'd the main course?” he asked Saki.

“They're pretty quiet over there,” Saki said. “Maybe they like it, I don't know.” He glanced back at the table. “Give the salad course another twenty minutes, I'd say.”

“Got it.” The sous chef returned to his work, and Saki turned to the silverware tray once again. He spent several minutes polishing the spoons, until he noticed Himura waving him over. He suspected she wanted a refill, so he picked up the bottle of red wine and walked back to the table.

“A refill please,” Himura said, wiggling her glass in front of Saki.

Saki obliged the woman, who already looked quite flushed. A glance at the table told Saki that Enzan was even more tense than before. Another man at the table motioned for Saki to refill his glass, which Saki did.

“You won't even consider the offer, Enzan-kun?” Himura asked.

“No,” Enzan said, tersely.

“Why not? Don't you want to be the face of my company?” Himura asked, clearly playing at being hurt. 

Enzan sighed wearily. “Himura-san, while the offer is generous, I do not use my face to sell any other company than my father's.”

“A shame, really,” Himura said. “You're looks are so wasted. You could be a fashion icon if you only tried.”

“I don't much care for that,” Enzan said. “I'm very focused on my career right now.”

“I could teach you so much,” Himura said, taking a sip of her wine. “If you came in, I could give you a _hands-on lesson_.”

Enzan's face showed his displeasure at the idea. “When I need a fashion consultant, I'll call.”

Saki suddenly realized he was lingering, and hastened back to the silverware. He turned and glanced over his shoulder, and saw Himura giving him an interested glance. He shuddered and walked a little faster.

By the time the salad course was ready, Saki dreaded serving it. He would have to go back over near Himura, who was still giving him keen looks, none of which he appreciated. As he finished setting out the plates and refilling the wine glasses, one of the men called out to him sharply.

“You there, waiter!” he said. 

Saki stiffened. “Yes? Is something wrong?”

“My salad is overdressed!” the man said. “Is this really how you treat your salad here?!”

“I'm sorry, sir,” Saki said. “It must have been a mistake. I'll have the kitchen correct it immediately.” He reached for the plate, but the man slapped his hand away.

“What? And wait another twenty minutes just for a salad?! I'd rather eat this limp, over-seasoned mess!” He gave a 'hmph!' of displeasure.

“Again, I apologize. If there is anything at all I can do to rectify the situation—”

“You can be sure that I'll be having a word with the manager,” the man said. “Such sloppy service should be addressed promptly.”

Saki felt himself shake, but did his best to hide it. “Of course, sir. I'll inform my manager that you wish to speak to him.” He gave a polite bow, even as the dread filled his stomach.

_Forget a tip...I'll be lucky if I get to keep my job!_

“That won't be necessary,” Enzan said calmly. “I'd be happy to switch plates with you, Satou-san. As it happens, I much prefer my salad overdressed. Surely it was a simply error on the server's part to mix our plates up. Let's not cause a scene over something so trivial.”

Satou seemed to give this some thought, and then said, hesitantly, “Yes, I suppose it was just a mistake.” He looked at Saki sharply. “See to it that you do not make another!”

“Of course, sir.” Saki switched Enzan and Satou's plates, and then took his leave of the table, still trembling.

“At least you didn't get water thrown in your face again,” one of the server's said as Saki went back to polishing the silverware. “Now that was an embarrassing night.”

“Do we have to talk about that one?” Saki muttered.

“But it was so funny!” the server said, chuckling. They paused for a moment. “But anyway, he sure was loud huh? Everyone on the other side of the restaurant could here him!”

“The whole lot is terrible,” Saki said, keeping his voice low. “The woman keeps giving me looks, as if she's planning to eat me for dessert, and most of the men at the table are just talking about rumors or bragging about how important they are.”

“Sounds rough,” the other server said. “But hey, if you get lucky, the tip will be good.”

“As if any of them would tip!” Saki said. “Especially after that Satou guy chewed me out like that!”

As the other server went back to their tables, Saki checked the wine bottle and realized it was low. He gave a grumble, and went to get another bottle from the store room.

 _If anything else goes wrong tonight, I'm going to drop dead_ , he thought.

The more he thought about it, the more he realized that Enzan had been the only one at the table who had been patient with him, even bailing him out of the mess with Satou, who was probably over-reacting about his salad. Something inside of him hated that fact, but Saki couldn't help but feel relieved that at least someone was on his side.

Saki quickly walked back to the kitchen. “How's dessert coming?”

“Plating right now,” a sous chef said. “Why don't you get on the coffee.”

Saki sighed. “I've made so much coffee tonight I might as well become a barista.” He entered the kitchen, and began making shots of espresso to serve with the opera cake at the end of the meal. He made one of them a double shot, mostly because he suspected that Enzan might ask for a double shot anyway. By the time Saki finished making the coffee, the cakes were plated and ready to serve. Saki sighed with relief; the end of the meal was in sight.

As he wheeled his cart back over to the table, he heard a small piece of a conversation between Oshiro and Enzan. “I suppose if the Amerope representatives were willing to bow to your demands, then I should as well.”

“Then it's a deal?” Enzan asked.

“Yes,” Oshiro said. “We'll finalize the paperwork tomorrow morning.”

Saki cleared away the salad plates, and refilled water glasses. “I do hope you have enjoyed your meal so far. Our last course is the dessert course. Today, I have selected an opera cake for you, accompanied by a shot of espresso. I do so hope you enjoyed dining with us this evening.” And with that, Saki set the cake down in front of each guest, who all murmured with excitement.

As Saki set the plate down in front of Enzan, he could see something akin to joy in Enzan's eyes. Saki leaned in a little, and whispered, “I made your espresso a double shot.”

“I appreciate it,” Enzan whispered back.

Once the cake and coffee were distributed, Saki retreated back to the kitchen, sinking into a chair near the sink with relief. Once he'd given them their check, he'd be free.

“Rough time?” the dishwasher asked.

Yeah,” Saki admitted. “It's so hard to stay polite when the customers yell at you for stuff you can't control.”

“At least you'll never see them again once they leave,” the dishwasher said.

“True.” Saki picked up his half-finished water from earlier, and took another sip.

***

Saki dragged himself into the Ministry of Science the next day, still exhausted from his long shift. Not even the large tip he had been given made up for how awful he felt. Rubbing sleep from his eyes, Saki wandered down the hall that lead to the R&D department, only to be met with a note on the door.

“THERE WILL BE AN IMPORTANT MEETING IN THE CONFERENCE ROOM AT 10 AM. PUNISHMENT AWAITS THOSE WHO ARE LATE. -M”

There was also a hastily drawn map to get to the conference room, and Saki squinted at it, trying to make sense of it. Eventually, he took a picture of it with his PET, and tried to make his way to the conference room.

 _Wonder what the meeting's about?_ Saki pondered as he walked.

As Saki passed by the area where Yuuichirou's office was, he spotted Taka coming out of a hallway marked 'RESTRICTED ACCESS'. Frowning, Saki called out to Taka, who jolted in surprise.

“S-Saki!” Taka chirped. “What are you doing here?”

“Trying to find the conference room,” Saki said, and then gave Taka a look of suspicion. “What were you doing in that hall? I don't think we're supposed to be in there.”

Taka's eyes darted back and forth for a moment. “Oh, uhh, I...I got lost, looking for the conference room,” he said, tugging on his bangs. “Must have made a wrong turn.”

Saki relaxed a little. “Meijin's map _was_ pretty bad.”

“Yeah, for sure.” Taka chuckled. “Let's go together, less chance of getting lost.”

The two walked in silence for a bit, and then Saki asked, “Hey, has...has anything been bothering you?”

“What do you mean?” Taka asked.

Saki hesitated. “It's just that...you feel kind of _off_ , like you're pretending to be happy.”

Taka pursed his lips, and looked at the floor. “I'm fine, really.”

Deciding not to push it, Saki dropped the subject. “Okay then. But if you ever want to talk, I'll listen.”

“Thanks,” Taka said, but he didn't seem happy. Saki glanced at Taka, and noticed his expression was dark, as if he was thinking about something dreadful.

Neither boy spoke again until they reached the conference room. Saki pushed the door open, and saw that Netto and Meijin were already there, Netto broke out into a grin, and waved at Saki. “Hey!”

Saki waved back, feeling slightly dazed, and Taka pushed past him. 

“What's so important that you had to call an emergency meeting?” Taka asked, flopping into a seat at the oval conference table.

“Today, we want to discuss the two of you moving forward with the program,” Meijin explained. “Or, rather, we'd like to discuss that, but _someone_ still isn't here yet.”

“Start without him,” Netto said. “I can fill him in later.”

Meijin sighed. “Fine. The sooner I get out of here, the better.”

Saki frowned, confused. “Someone else? A new member?”

“Nah,” Netto replied. “Another senior member, like me. That's why I said I could just fill him in when he gets here. This isn't really about him.”

Yuuichirou entered the room a moment later. “Everyone's here then?” He glanced around. “Oh, I guess not. Should I wait?”

“No,” Netto said, “I'll tell him later.”

“I see,” Yuuichiro said, and then turned to address Saki and Taka. “Good morning, boys. Thank you for coming in so early.” He squinted at Saki. “Are you alright, Saki? You seem rather tired.”

“I had a night shift,” Saki explained. “Don't worry, just keep going.”

“So many of you burning the midnight oil I see!” Yuuichirou said, laughing. “Good! But don't forget to rest, Saki. You're still developing, and it's important to take care of yourself.”

“Sure,” Saki said, yawning.

Yuuichirou clapped his hands once. “Today, however, I'd like to discuss the program with you boys. The fruits of my research into the effects of digitization of the real world: The Cross Fusion Program.”

Saki blinked. “The what now?”

“Cross Fusion!” Netto said.

“What is that?” Saki asked.

“I'm happy to explain,” Yuuichirou said, smiling. “Cross Fusion came about as a result of my research. A rather unintentional side-effect, but one worth exploring. You see, when the digitization effect is applied to our world, it momentarily overlays the Network—that is, the digital networks that information travels through—onto our world, fusing them together and allowing Navis and other digital beings to interact with us and our surroundings.”

Saki's eyes widened. “Wait, you can really do that?!”

“Indeed!” Yuuichirou said. “We have found a way to isolate small fields using a complicated series of generators and an orbital satellite. But I'll explain more on that later.” He adjusted his glasses. “The real topic of today's discussion is Cross Fusion.” He pressed a button on the remote hidden in his hand, and the lights dimmed, allowing an image to be displayed on a projector screen at the head of the table. The slide showed a crude drawing of Netto standing next to a crude drawing of Rockman.

“You see, Cross Fusion is when a Navi and their Operator occupy the same space,” Yuuichirou explained. The slide changed to show Netto and Rockman sliding over each other, and then become something like Netto cosplaying as Rockman. “With the use of a digitization field—or a Dimensional Area as we call it—and a special chip, the Operator and Navi fuse, and the Operator is able to fight like a Navi does.”

“So they combine,” Taka said, eyes shining like stars, “Like in mecha anime, where the robots combine to form bigger robots!”

“Sort of,” Yuuichirou said. “The science behind it is a bit complex. Essentially, the dividing line between the Navi and the Operator drops away, and the two become one. They share the same body, and their minds link up, much the same as they do in Full Synchronization.

“I like to call it 'Full Synchro' for short,” Netto said. “Much snappier.”

“Yes, it does roll off the tongue a little easier,” Yuuichirou said.

“So what's the difference between 'Full Synchro' and 'Cross Fusion'?” Saki asked.

“The major difference is that the Operator and Navi still retain their individual consciousness,” Yuuichirou explained. “In Full Synchro, the Operator and Navi think and feel on the same wavelength, essentially eliminating the need to relay information. In Cross Fusion, however, both the Navi and the Operator are able to think independently, and both can contribute to the fight in their own ways.”

“So the Operator becomes the Navi!” Taka said excitedly.

“Kind of,” Netto said with a chuckle.

“There are risks, of course,” Yuuichirou said. “The Navi is restricted to the emblem located on the Operator's chest. A hit to it might result in the Navi being damaged, or worse yet, being deleted. Moreover, the Operator experiences all the damage they receive in battle. If that damage is too much, they might be injured or killed.”

“That...sounds really bad,” Saki said. “Like, the risks outweigh the benefits.”

“But Cross Fusion is really cool,” Netto insisted. “Once you experience it for yourself, you'll understand.”

There was a pause. “Wait, we get to _Cross Fuse?_ ” Saki asked.

Netto nodded, grinning.

“WE GET TO CROSS FUSE!!” Taka shouted, leaping out of his seat.

“Easy there,” Meijin said. “Not right away. We have to run some tests first. Then you can try it in a controlled environment.”

“This is gonna be so _cool!_ ” Taka said gleefully. “Me and Axl get to Cross Fuse! We get to be super heroes!”

“Glad you're excited,” Saki said. “I'm kind of scared, honestly.”

Don't be so negative,” Taka said. “This is the chance of a lifetime!”

“Well, that's all for today,” Yuuichiro said. “The tests will begin later, and then we'll attempt Cross Fusion sometime this week. For now, just focus on staying healthy, and don't stress too much.” He gave them a small wave as he left the room.

“Sooooo....Cross Fusion!” Netto said, rubbing his hands together. “You guys excited?!”

“I am!” Taka said. “Saki just thinks he's gonna die.”

“I do not!” Saki snapped. “I'm just trying to say that it's kind of risky.”

“It's _fine_ ,” Netto said. “I've done it hundreds of times before!”

“Saki-kun has a point though,” Rockman said dryly. “How many times did you injure yourself while in Cross Fusion?”

“Most of that wasn't even my fault!” Netto griped.

“And the rest of it was you being reckless,” Rockman chided.

“Anyway,” Netto said, changing the subject, “Training is going to change from this point forward. You'll be focusing on not just your Navis, but yourselves as well. That means workout routines and fight training!”

“Aww!” Taka whined. “Not the gym! I'll die if I work out! I'll get trapped under a barbell and choke to death. Or I'll fall off a treadmill and break my neck.”

“Please tell me they have a gym in the Ministry of Science,” Saki pleaded.

“Sure do!” Netto replied. “All outfitted with the latest deathtraps for Taka to kill himself with!”

Saki heaved a sigh of relief, knowing he wouldn't have to pay for an expensive gym membership. Taka, meanwhile, whined even louder at Netto for forcing him to do exercise.

“I'll be assisting in your gym routines, while...uhh...” Netto looked around. “The others will...be helping with your battle training.” He sighed. “Except neither of them are here yet. I suppose that will have to wait.” He cleared his throat and continued. “They'll also coach you on how to operate your Navis more efficiently. Mostly because I'm really only good at teaching the basics.”

“Yeah,” Saki said, “Every time I ask you for advice on what combos to use, you respond with things like, 'Whoosh! Bam! Sha-shiing~!'”

“It makes sense to _me!_ ” Netto said.

“It's not very helpful to anyone else though,” Rockman said with a sigh.

At that moment, someone strode into the room, holding a paper coffee cup in his hand. Saki thought he recognized the person, but the big dark shades they wore made it hard to tell.

“About time!” Netto said, whirling on the new person. “You're late, Enzan.”

“No helping that,” Enzan said.

Netto looked at Enzan more closely. “What's with the shades? Are you going to a funeral later?”

Taka stood up, looking concerned. “Oh no! Who died?”

Enzan lifted his shades, revealing huge dark circles under his eyes. “Me,” he said.

Saki could only stare at Enzan in horror. It was definitely who he had seen at the restaurant the night before. He sank into his chair, mortified.

Either Enzan didn't notice, or didn't care, because he continued to speak as if nothing was wrong. “What did I miss?”

“We filled them in on the program,” Netto said. “Also, I was about to tell Saki that you're his new mentor.”

Enzan looked over at Saki, and squinted. “Who? This guy?”

Saki bit his lip. 

Enzan gave Saki the once-over before looking at Netto again. “Huh. Doesn't look like much. I give him a week until he quits.”

The image of his sword-weilding mentor that he had built up in his mind was shattered into a million pieces. Enzan certainly wasn't calm and centered, nor did he exude an aura of wisdom. Rather, Enzan seem to give off the air of someone who didn't care, and was too important to be on time. Any kindness he'd felt for Enzan the night before evaporated. Saki felt anger rise in his throat. He stood up, his fists clenched in anger. “Say that to my face.”

Netto pushed himself between the two. “Now, now, that's enough. No fighting.” He turned to Saki. “Saki, this is Enzan Ijuuin. He's another senior member of the program.” Netto motioned to Saki. “Enzan, this is Saki Tanaka, one of our new recruits. He's also assisting Meijin with one of his Navis.”

Enzan gave an unimpressed 'hmph'. “I don't see why I have to mentor him.”

“Because, he shows a lot of promise as a sword fighter,” Netto explained. “And you and Blues are the best sword fighters I know.”

Enzan took a sip of his coffee, seeming to consider things.

“I'm not going to go easy on him, just because he's a new recruit,” Enzan said. “If he can't keep up with me, I'll leave him behind.”

Netto brightened. “So you'll do it then?”

“Only because _you_ asked me to,” Enzan said.

Saki huffed angrily. He hated being looked down on, and Enzan's attitude really rubbed Saki the wrong way. He felt motivated to show Enzan that he was more than capable.

Before he could tell Enzan off, however, Enzan turned and left the room.

“Hey, we're not done yet!” Netto called.

Enzan waved at Netto over his shoulder. “I have another meeting to attend. Se you later.”

Netto sighed. “How very like him.”

“I hate him already,” Saki said.

“Oh, you'll _really_ hate him before the end of this, I guarantee it,” Netto said.

***

Enzan walked into Yuuichirou's lab and straight up to him. “I'm here for my briefing.”

Yuuichirou looked up, and smiled. “Ahh, good. I didn't see you at the meeting, but I had a feeling you'd show up sooner or later.”

“I had a wild morning,” Enzan said. “But let's get back to the briefing.”

“Right.” Yuuichirou pulled up a few files on his terminal. “The preliminary results for Takashi Wakahisa and Saki Tanaka have been compiled. Their Synchro rates were gathered during their practices and then calculated. The results are positive.”

Enzan leaned in, reading the spreadsheets. “Taka has a very high Synch rate. Higher than Netto's original baseline, at least.”

“Saki's is also rather high,” Yuuichirou said. “But he's still not able to control it the way Taka can.”

Enzan hummed thoughtfully. “What about their relationships to their Navis?”

“Taka's is fine,” Yuuichirou said. “Axl and Taka are practically inseparable, and the two almost remind me of a pair of brothers.” He chuckled. “A different sort of dynamic than Netto and Rockman, however.”

“And Tanaka?”

Yuuichirou made a thoughtful noise. “They seem close, but since Zer0 is still in the process of forming a personality, it's hard to say just how close they are. However, they seem to be very much in sync while battling, if that accounts to anything.”

Enzan gave a small sigh. “Tanaka strikes me as a very aggressive person. He bottles up his anger until it explodes. If he doesn't learn to stop doing that, then he'll be too volatile to Cross Fuse properly.”

“I see.” Yuuichirou made a few notes. “But if anyone can coach him through that, it's you.”

“I have no way of knowing where his anger stems from,” Enzan admitted. “If I apply the wrong kind of pressure, he might self-destruct, and then he's no good to any of us.”

“All we need is for him to continue moving forward,” Yuuichirou said. “As long as he and Zer0 continue improving, then it doesn't matter how.”

Enzan didn't reply. He stood up and started walking for the door.

“What will you do now?” Yuuichirou asked.

“Rattle the cage a little,” Enzan said as he exited the lab.

***

Saki returned to the break room, and collapsed on the couch. He was exhausted, but keenly aware that he had no time to sleep. Any moment now, Netto could come crashing into the room, demanding that Saki come and take some other weird test where he's covered in sensors and told to touch holographic dots as they appeared. Saki shivered. Part of him wondered if it was even useful at this point, or just a sick joke that Yuuichirou was playing on him.

When Saki heard footfalls at the break room door, he curled into himself tighter. However, it was Enzan's voice broke through his thoughts.

“Get up, Tanaka. I'm going to run you through a battle drill.”

Saki groaned loudly, burying his face into a pillow. “Later. I'm too tired to get up.”

“Not later, now,” Enzan said firmly. “I told you that if you couldn't keep up, I'd leave you behind. First lesson starts right now.”

With a deep sigh and a groan, Saki rolled off the couch, and pulled himself up off the floor. He shuffled out of the room, and Enzan pushed him forward the whole way to the practice room. He toddled over to the terminal, and stifled a yawn as he plugged Zer0 in.

Enzan took his position at the other terminal, plugged Blues in, and then glared at Saki.

Saki glared back. “Listen, you and I both know that we had really long nights. I was finishing a night shift at the restaurant, and you were...doing very important thing, probably. We're both tired and grumpy. We don't have to do this.”

“Sounds like quitters talk,” Enzan said.

Saki clenched his teeth. “Fine, I see how it is.” He turned to the screen on the terminal. “So what viruses am I fighting?”

“Viruses?” Enzan gave a short, dry laugh. “You're mistaken. You're going to be battling me and Blues.”

Saki froze. “What? Are you _insane?!_ You have way more experience than me! I'm still fumbling through deleting basic viruses!”

“You'll have to learn at some point,” Enzan told Saki. “And I need to see what you two are capable of.”

Saki looked down at his screen. “Can you believe this, Zer0?”

Zer0, who was currently sizing up Blues, did not answer right away.

“I wish to fight,” he said at last. “I feel that I will learn many things if I fight them.”

Saki sighed deeply. “Fine, okay. Let's just...let's just get this over with.” He looked up at Enzan again. “So how do you want to do this?”

“Hit him,” Enzan told Saki. “And make it count.”

Saki looked down at Zer0. “Okay, you heard the man. Let's hit him.”

“Understood,” Zer0 said.

Saki moved Zer0 forward, and Zer0 launched into a run, kicking off the ground in front of Blues, and using the momentum of his fall to add power to his downward sword swing. Just as it was about to connect, Blues sidestepped the attack, and swung his leg into Zer0's gut which sent him flying across the battle field before rolling to a stop.

“Zer0!” Saki yelled.

Zer0 struggled back to his feet. “I see. I did not approach the attack with enough resolve.” He shifted his stance to a wider one. “Again, Saki.”

“Alright them,” Saki said, settling in and moving Zer0 back into battle. “Let's try this one more time.”

This time, Zer0 came back in, but avoided jumping into his attack. He attempted to attack upwards, hoping to catch Blues off guard, but was not successful. Blues deflected the attack with the back of his glove, and then kicked Zer0 squarely in the gut again, once again projecting Zer0 across the battle field.

Saki coughed, feeling the kick as if he'd taken it himself. He gritted his teeth.

“Zer0, are you okay?”

“Yes.” Zer0 staggered to his feet. “I am starting to understand how Blues handles himself in battle. Attacking him head-on will not work.”

“I can see that,” Saki said. “But we'd have to be ridiculously fast in order to get behind him.”

“Then I shall have to become 'ridiculously fast',” Zer0 replied.

Saki slammed forward on the controls, and Zer0 shot towards Blues before sharply veering to the left and nearly vanishing from sight, reappearing behind Blues with his sword at the ready. But even with the sneak attack, Blues seemed ready, and blocked Zer0's sword with his own.

Saki gave a frustrated growl. “Don't let up, Zer0!”

Zer0 swung his leg, and slammed his foot into Blues' side, causing Blues to stagger. Taking the opening, Zer0 slammed his sword hilt into Blues' face which propelled Blues into the ground. 

Saki looked up, triumphant, expecting Enzan to be upset, but Enzan continued to stare at Saki with his unflinching gaze, arms crossed. Suddenly, Saki realized that Enzan had not Operated Blues once in the entire fight.

“Are you making fun of us?!” Saki yelled. “Are we so pathetic that you won't even fight us seriously?!”

“No,” Enzan replied. “I simply trust in Blues' abilities enough to let him handle this.”

Saki's face heated up with rage. He controlled Zer0 into kicking at Blues' side, only for Blues to grab Zer0 by the ankle, yank him to the ground, and then Blues got to his feet and threw Zer0 across the battle field one more time.

Saki slammed his fist against the table. He was becoming more and more frustrated, and it was addling his judgment more and more. At this point, all he wanted to do was defeat Blues, even though the rational part of his brain told him that it was impossible.

Zer0 also felt a strong desire to defeat Blues somehow, but unlike Saki it was more out of a desire to grow stronger and learn new techniques. When Saki slammed on the controls again, Zer0 could sense the rage, and quietly obliged Saki, hoping that he would be calmed if Zer0 succeeded.

Again and again, Zer0 attacked Blues from different angles, and again and again Blues kept defeating him, tossing him back to his side of the battle field. Finally, Zer0 spoke up.

“Saki,” he said quietly, “Do you recall how we defeated the Drixol virus?”

“You mean splitting it down the center?” Saki replied.

“Correct,” Zer0 said. “Perhaps we should have a more focused attack rather than attacking over and over again blindly.”

Saki took a deep breath. “You're right,” Saki said. “How do you think we should do it?”

“Blues also fights with a sword,” Zer0 said. “Perhaps we should attempt to attack along his own attack—splitting it down the center if you will.”

“That's crazy,” Saki said, “And it just might work.”

Zer0 dashed towards Blues again, sword at the ready. Blues lifted his own sword and dashed forward to meet Zer0. Their blades collided, and Blues' blade shattered. Zer0 shifted himself slightly and thrust his blade straight into Blues' face, stopping just short of impact.

Blues froze, and Enzan dropped his arms. Saki gave a cry of victory.

“There! How do you like that?!”

Enzan cracked his neck and picked up his PET. “Not bad. But it's time to get serious.” He reached into his own chip folder, and pulled a single chip out. Even from across the table, Saki could see what it was, and his blood went cold.

There, in Enzan's hand, was a Z Saber chip.

“You didn't think you were special, did you?” Enzan asked, slotting the chip into his PET. The Z Saber materialized in Blues' hand, and the Navi gave it a test swing. “A chip like this is wasted on you. Let me show you how a professional uses it.”

Before Zer0 could even react, Blues dashed forward, a blur of red and black, and slashed the blade seemingly through Zer0. A second later, it was over. Zer0 crumpled to the ground, a dozen cuts covering his torso and limbs. Saki also felt the hot sting of wounds opening on his body, and lurched forward, gasping for air as he collapsed against the table.

“Finesse trumps power,” Enzan said. “Every time you swing wildly, you leave yourself open. You only figured this out because your Navi told you.” He narrowed his eyes. “You're a sorry excuse for an Operator, and your Navi is suffering for it.”

Saki felt hot tears well up in his eyes. “You don't think I know that?!” he screamed, his hoarse voice cracking. “You don't think I know that I'm worthless and don't deserve an amazing Navi like Zer0?!” He took a shaking breath. “I want to be better,” he said, quieter this time. “I want to grow and become strong and worthy. But I don't know how. I don't...” He faltered, and pushed himself back to his feet. “I knew you were going to beat us, but I just...I hoped that I had a chance. I wanted so badly to prove to you that I'm more than what you thought I was. I wanted you to take me seriously.”

Enzan waited patiently for Saki to finish.

“But in the end, Zer0 still figured things out for me. All I did was flail around angrily.” Saki lowered his head. “It's mortifying.”

“Saki...” Zer0 pushed himself to his feet, and looked at Saki with a pained expression. “I did not realize you felt this way.”

“Something tells me that there's a lot of things that he doesn't tell you,” Enzan said. “Which is problematic. A Navi and Operator need a close relationship in order to draw out their true potential, and without communication that's impossible.” Enzan pointed at Saki. “The problem with the two of you rests entirely in you, Tanaka.”

Saki clenched his fists. “You're right.” He lifted his head. “You're right,” he repeated, louder.

“What are you going to do about it?” Enzan asked.

Saki hesitated.

“How about starting with your fighting style,” Enzan suggested. “Part of Cross Fusion is understanding that you will be doing the bulk of the fighting. Having a deep understanding of how your Navi fights will not only support your Navi during Cross Fusion, but help you to Operate your Navi more successfully.”

Saki blinked in surprise. “What about...?”

“Your temper? Your aversion to communicating?” Enzan shrugged. “I'm not your counselor. Go to therapy for that.”

Blues put a hand on Zer0's shoulder, steadying him. “I apologize if I was too rough.”

Zer0 shook his head. “No. I should thank you for fighting me seriously. I learned much from our battle.” He bowed his head. “I have a selfish request.”

“What is it?” Blues asked.

“I can see that I am grievously in need of training, and would ask that you offer me guidance.” Zer0 lifted his head. “I admire the way you wield your blade. I sense your conviction in each swing.”

“I simply fight as I am instructed to,” Blues said.

“Your modesty moves me,” Zer0 said. “I am even more convinced that what you can teach me will be more valuable than any practice I might do on my own.”

Blues sighed. “If you insist, I suppose I could teach you what I know.”

“I am deeply grateful!” Zer0 said, bowing his head once more.

Enzan sighed. “Got yourself a pupil I see.”

“Enzan-sama, I do not know what to do about this,” Blues said.

“Just...teach him what you know,” Enzan said. “How hard could it be?” he looked up at Saki, who was still standing at his terminal, staring blankly ahead in a daze. Enzan sighed. “How hard can it be?”

***

“Maybe don't crush your student's spirit in his first lesson,” Netto said to Enzan the next day.

“He still has a desire to improve. He'll bounce back before you know it.” Enzan stirred his coffee idly. “Someone like him will only respond to a show of force. He's lucky he experienced defeat to me and Blues rather than at the hands of someone who wouldn't have any mercy at all.”

Netto sighed dejectedly. “True. He did seem to be struggling. Zer0 kept improving, and he felt left behind.”

“You could tell that he was content to let Zer0 do all the real work. I can't stand people who don't put in the effort.”

“But they have a good relationship,” Netto said. “They're very close. Zer0 trusts him completely.”

“Zer0 is a child with no real experiences. He trusts Tanaka because he doesn't know any better.” Enzan sipped his coffee. “Until Tanaka is able to open up to Zer0, they'll never be anything more than a boy and his loyal dog.”

Netto said nothing, instead cramming part of a danish into his mouth.

“Under the right circumstances, he can keep a lid on his anger,” Enzan said. “However, they seem to be limited to circumstances that might cost him his job. Perhaps if we put pressure on him to be on his best behavior or he'll be let go...”

“Nuh uh,” Netto said, shaking his head. “No way. I'm not going to threaten him like that, especially since we don't have the authority to do actually fire him if he acts up. Even if he fell into our laps purely by chance, he's got what it takes. He just needs some polish.”

Enzan sighed. “I hope you're right. I'd hate for you to get burned by your own faith in him.”

After finishing off the rest of his danish, Netto gave Enzan a serious look. “You didn't call very much. I got worried.”

Enzan paused, mid-sip, and then set his coffee cup down. “I got busy. I tried to call you every chance I had.”

Netto sighed. “I don't want to ask what you're up to, since I know you probably won't tell me anyway, but I get the feeling that you're starting to hyper fixate again. Whatever it is you're doing, you can try to ease up a little, especially before you burn out.”

“I'm not hyper fixating,” Enzan replied. “I'm just close to a breakthrough. I can't afford to let up now.”

Netto pursed his lips and stared at Enzan. In response, Enzan sipped his coffee.

“This isn't going to end up like the Dark Chip incident, is it?” Netto asked. “You'll ask for help if you're in over your head, _right?_ ”

“Of course I would,” Enzan snapped. “Besides, you'd just stick your nose in anyway.” He sighed, massaging the bridge of his nose. “If I don't put an end to this soon, it's going to spill over into the general population. It would be the worst case scenario.” 

“That's what the rest Net Police are for,” Netto said. “Not just you. Putting all the responsibility directly on yourself isn't healthy. You were doing better for a while, and now you're slipping again.”

“It...it's kind of personal,” Enzan said. “I don't expect you to understand.”

“But I want to,” Netto said stubbornly. “You won't know if I'll understand or not unless you _tell me about it_.” He crossed his arms. “Didn't you just finish chewing Saki out over how he never communicates with Zer0? Aren't you being kind of hypocritical here?”

Enzan paused. “You...have a point.”

Netto sighed, his demeanor relaxing. “I get it, Enzan. You want to hold the world up for everyone else. But I want to carry that burden with you.” He reached across the table for Enzan's hand. “Aren't we partners?”

Enzan hesitated, slowly reached out for Netto's hand, and gave it a gentle squeeze. “We are.”

“Then we need to act like it,” Netto said.

Enzan took a shaky breath. When he looked at Netto again, it was with a gentle fondness.

“Why don't we go somewhere and talk?” he said.


	6. Diving Too Deep

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Some time has passed since Saki started training under Enzan, and everyone feels like he's ready to try Cross Fusion...except him.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

>  _This chapter is a rough one, so here's a few content and trigger warnings._  
>  CW: Violence, TW: broken limb, TW: verbal and physical abuse

Saki shifted his weight, his hands readjusting their grip on his wooden sword. In front of him, Enzan also shifted a little, his bright blue eyes fixed on Saki's face, waiting for him to make a move. They were both damp with sweat; it stained the collar of Enzan's indigo gi, and caused his bangs to stick to his forehead. Saki licked his lips nervously. He gripped his sword a little harder, and stepped into his attack.

“Haa!” Saki swung for Enzan's hands, hoping to knock his sword away, but Enzan blocked it deftly. He immediately counter-attacked, and Saki instantly went from being on the offensive to being on the defensive. He took a step backwards, and knocked Enzan's blade away, setting up for another attack. Enzan didn't let him make it, however, pressing his advantage and attacking again. Saki blocked attack after attack, backing up until his back hit the wall. He tried his best to push Enzan away, their blades locked together as they struggled to overpower the other. Enzan leaned in a little closer, and said, “Is that all you have?” in a menacing tone.

Gritting his teeth, Saki summoned all his strength to throw Enzan off of him, and the other boy took a few steps back, taking his stance once more. Saki took his as well, panting heavily.

Enzan relaxed, and dropped his sword, raising his hand. “That's enough for now,” he said. “Take a break.”

Saki nearly collapsed on the spot, relieved. He stumbled over to the bench against the wall, and picked up his water bottle as he sat down heavily. Unscrewing the water bottle's cap, he took a deep drink. Enzan sat down next to him, leaned back against the wall and closing his eyes. Neither of them spoke for a long time. Saki looked at his feet, his toes curling against the rough tatami mat, trying to think of what to say to break the tense silence.

It was Enzan who broke the silence first. “You're getting better,” he said.

“Am I?” Saki asked, looking at his hands, crisscrossed with old, fading bruises. “I suppose I'm not getting hit as much.” He shook his head. “Although, I still think you're insane not letting us use protective gear.”

“The samurai you love so much never had any protective gear,” Enzan said, “So why should you? It forces you to react quicker anyway.”

Saki frowned, angry over Enzan's idiotic reasoning. “You must have taken one too many hits to the head to believe something like that.”

“What, do you _want_ me to start aiming for your head?” Enzan asked.

“No!” Saki retorted. “Can't I wear arm bracers at least?”

Enzan gave a weary sigh. “This is why I don't work with amateurs...” he grumbled.

“Excuse me for being new and needing help,” Saki replied bitterly.

Enzan stared at the other wall for a moment, lips pursed tightly. “I was in your position once. I took kendo lessons. I practiced as hard as I could, every day. I hated the tight, restrictive gear, the stiff stances, the quiet formality of everything. I pushed through all that, learned more stances, took lessons from other sword instructors. I poured hours and hours of work into what I know now.” He lolled his head towards Saki, and gave him a serious look. “We don't have years to train you. When you throw someone into the water, they either sink or swim. If I force you to practice without gear, you'll learn how to defend yourself a whole lot faster.”

“It's still an absolutely insane reason!” Saki said. “Why _can't_ I take years to learn?! Why does it have to be _right now?!_ ”

Enzan didn't say anything. Saki took an angry swig of water.

At some point, Enzan got to his feet, and walked to the entrance of the dojo, looking out on the bright spring day. Saki watched Enzan lean against the door frame, and thought about how he couldn't get a read on Enzan at all. He would shift from cold, emotionally distant businessman to passionate (and kind of crazy) teacher in the blink of an eye. Saki had no way of knowing which one was Enzan's actual personality.

“It's already May, huh?” Enzan asked, his voice tired. He looked up at the sky. “I think I missed the flowers. What a shame.”

Saki felt a pang of guilt. Even from the bits and pieces he knew about Enzan and his busy schedule he could tell that Enzan barely ever had time for himself. Saki could take a breath between jobs, or on a day he had off, but Enzan worked all day, every day, always doing something. He often dragged himself into the Ministry of Science looking like he hadn't slept in days, nursing coffee and snapping at people who asked 'stupid' questions. Saki had always felt annoyance at this behavior, believing Enzan to be entitled and self-centered, but it slowly dawned on him that Enzan really was holding himself together with what little sanity he had left in him, and fueling it all with coffee and spite. It made Saki wonder if he was self-destructive, or just unable to stop for fear of total collapse.

Saki got to his feet, and walked to the door as well. He could see the bright white and pink flowers on the trees swaying in a cool breeze. Even though the sun was bright, the rain clouds could still be seen, creeping in from the edges of the sky, signaling the peaceful beauty would not last. He took a deep, cleansing breath of the cool air, and looked at Enzan a little more closely. The dark circles that seemed to perpetually hang under Enzan's eyes looked a little less dark today. He also didn't seem as pale as usual, but it might have been that he was still flushed because of how hard they had been practicing. After a moment, Enzan caught Saki staring at him, and Saki turned away, embarrassed.

“What?” Enzan asked.

“Nothing, just...” Saki hesitated. “You look terrible.”

Enzan snorted, as if he was amused. “You're not much of a looker yourself.”

Saki felt anger rise in his chest. “You wouldn't know anything about that.”

“True,” Enzan said, his voice softer. “I don't really care what a person looks like, just how stupid they are on the inside.”

Saki gave a grumble. “Keep talking, I'll mess up that face of yours even more.”

“That's Tanaka speak for 'I'm flustered and don't know how to react, so I'll respond with violence'.” Enzan sounded amused.

Saki's face flushed. “Don't pretend you know me!”

Enzan gave a short laugh. “I've been training you for almost a month now! I should hope I know you pretty well!”

“Long enough for Zer0 to run out of things to learn from Blues,” Saki said. “I just can't wrap my brain around how fast Zer0 picks up fighting techniques!”

Enzan crossed his arms. “Neither can I. It's rather concerning, actually.” He narrowed his eyes. “Meijin, what on earth did you make...?” he muttered under his breath.

A breeze blew at Saki's face, ruffling his long hair. He gave a contented sigh as it swept away some of the lingering heat from practice that clung to his face and neck.

“Are we done?” Saki asked.

“For today,” Enzan said. “I still have a meeting this afternoon I have to attend.”

Saki shuffled his feet. “Want to...eat lunch?”

Enzan turned his head towards Saki, surprised. “Pardon?”

Saki's face heated up. “I made too much lunch, and I thought...maybe you hadn't eaten today...” His ears burned, and he shook his head. “J-just forget it! It was a stupid idea anyway.”

Enzan sighed, and ran a hand through his damp hair. “I suppose I haven't eaten,” he mused. “And if you're offering...”

Saki, surprised at Enzan's answer, quickly turned and ran back into the dojo. “L-let me go get it,” he said, and ran off to the changing room, his face hot with embarrassment. Enzan watched him go and chuckled.

“I'm not even trying to tease him, and he gets so riled up...”

Saki returned a few minutes later, a large bundle in his hand. He sat down next to Enzan on the dojo's porch, and unwrapped his lunch, which turned out to be two neatly packed boxes. It was fairly clear that Saki had made Enzan lunch from the start, and he shoved the lunch towards Enzan, still flushed with embarrassment.

“Take it...” He forced a set of eating utensils into Enzan's hands. “Before I change my mind.”

“Thank you for the food,” Enzan said, pulling out his chopsticks, and taking a bite of the vegetables. Saki waited, his own lunch still unopened in his hands, as Enzan chewed.

“Hmm.” Enzan made a noncommittal hum as he looked down at the lunch. “It's nostalgic in a way I've never experienced.” His lips curved into a tiny smile. “Maybe this is the taste of comfort.”

Saki's face heated up. “Thanks...I guess.” He finally opened his own lunch, and started eating.

They ate for a few minutes in silence. Saki glanced over at Enzan, who seemed to be eating peacefully, a serene expression on his face. 

“Is my opinion that important?” Enzan asked.

“I mean...you know a lot about food,” Saki said weakly.

“I know a lot about _eating_ food,” Enzan corrected. “I know what tastes good _to me_ , and how those flavors work together. But I couldn't tell you how you achieve those flavors. The act of _making_ the food is quite foreign to me.”

Saki fidgeted. “I'm still kind of scared I'll make a bad recommendation. You seemed to hate the fish.”

“That was on the chef, not you,” Enzan said. “The whole thing came off as slightly bland. Probably a lack of seasoning. It might have been a bad night, given how busy it was.”

Saki relaxed slightly. “I guess.” He thought about how the staff had been complaining lately, and how unsympathetic the owner had been. “But for a restaurant like that, a bad night is a death sentence.”

“True,” Enzan said. “Thankfully, I keep my opinions to myself.”

Saki ate some of his rice, feeling slightly better about Enzan's praise. Somehow, in a relaxed atmosphere like this, Enzan was kind of pleasant to be around.

“You have skill,” Enzan said at last. “Your knife work is even and consistent, and nothing is overcooked or under seasoned. Even something as simple as this lunch feels filling.”

Saki shook his head. “I'm still learning,” he said. “I have a long way to go to get to where I want to be.”

“Which is?” Enzan asked.

Saki hesitated. “A chef,” he said at last.

Enzan looked off towards the distant trees. “I see,” he murmured, “That explains it.” He took another bite of food, and seemed to consider something.

“Saki,” Enzan said, “I think you should focus on going back to school.”

Saki felt the blood drain from his face. “I can't,” he said, his voice tight. “It's just not a possibility right now.”

“Is it fiances?” Enzan asked. “Or something else?”

Saki shook his head. “I don't really want to talk about this right now,” he said.

“Fair enough,” Enzan said. “But I'll just say that you won't get far chasing that dream if you don't continue your education. There are programs that will allow you to learn under great chefs, but you'll never get to take advantage of them unless you go to culinary school.” He set his empty lunch box down, and bowed his head. “Thank you for the meal.”

***

Saki sat in the meeting room, unable to focus on anything. After weeks of training under Enzan in both sword fighting and Net Battle, he had been told that he was ready to proceed with the Cross Fusion test. Now it was just a matter of having his vitals taken and a briefing. In a few hours, he would know if he could Cross Fuse or not, and what his future in the program would be.

Taka sat across from Saki, his feet up on the table, playing with something on his PET. Saki tried to start some idle conversation with the other boy in an effort to alleviate the tension.

“Have you been practicing?” Saki asked.

“Sure have!” Taka said. “Been down at the arcade playing Dead Souls every day, sharpening up my gun skills.”

Saki sighed. “Must be nice to have so much free time,” he muttered.

“You nervous?” Taka asked, pulling his feet off the table and leaning forward in his chair.

“A little,” Saki admitted, trying to swallow the lump that had formed in his throat. “It's a lot of unknown factors.”

“It'll be a breeze,” Taka insisted. “Just think about how cool it'll be to fuse with Zer0, and stop worrying about everything else!”

“Well, I mean...” Saki took a shaking breath. “There's the matter of us...sharing...everything. Our bodies, our minds...” He bit his lip. “I don't know if I'm ready to open up all the way to Zer0 yet.”

“There's your problem,” Taka said. “You have to get over yourself. Nothing that you have kicking around in that head of yours is going to scare Zer0.”

“You don't know that,” Saki said bitterly. “You and Axl probably share everything.”

“You bet!” Taka said gleefully. “We're practically the same person!”

Saki put his head on the table. “I've been better about talking to Zer0 about stuff, and he's a great listener, but I can't help but worry that he might not understand everything I'm feeling.”

“Emotion crosses distances,” Taka said sagely. “Even if words fail, emotion will still get through.”

A sigh escaped Saki. “That's...kind of what worries me.”

Taka's eyebrows furrowed, but before he could ask anything, the door opened, and Meijin, Yuuichirou, and Netto walked in. Saki cast a glance outside, looking for Enzan, but didn't see him. Saki assumed that he'd been held up by a meeting or something, and relaxed a little.

“This is it!” Netto said cheerfully. “This is the moment of truth. You two ready?”

“Ready!” Taka chirped.

“Ready as I'll ever be,” Saki said, his gut churning a little bit.

“Excellent,” Yuuichirou said. “Let me explain how this will work. We'll be separating the two of you, and while one is in the testing room, the other will be getting their vitals checked. We'll do a check before and after each test, just to check for any abnormalities that might crop up. When you enter the room, there will be a chip given to you. This chip is _very important_ , so try not to lose it. Once you have the chip, we'll ask you to enter a small chamber. Inside is a dimensional area that can be activated remotely. We'll give you further instructions at that point.” He smiled. “Any questions?”

Saki timidly raised his hand. “Do you know if it'll...hurt or anything like that?”

“It shouldn't!” Netto said. “At least, it shouldn't if you're doing it right.”

Saki flushed a little, and looked away.

Taka put up his hand. “Do we get to keep the chip?”

“Not right now,” Yuuichirou said. “We might decide to let you keep it at a later date, but for now, we'll hang onto them.”

Taka pouted.

“Any other questions?” Yuuichirou asked.

No one spoke up or raised their hands. Yuuichirou seemed satisfied. “Alright then. Taka, you'll be first, so come with me. Meijin, you head to the test room, and we'll meet you there. Netto, stay here with Saki, and I'll call you when we're ready for him.”

“Gotcha!” Netto said, and grinned at Saki. “You going to be okay?”

Saki nodded. “Yeah, I'm fine, no worries.” His gut said otherwise.

***

Fifteen minutes later, Saki was called down to the test room, where a scientist carefully took his vitals and made note of them on his charts. The more Saki waited, the worse his nerves got, until his leg was bouncing up and down all on its own. He tried to keep it still with his hand, but it wouldn't stay still for long.

It seemed like an eternity until he was led into the actual testing room itself. It was fairly stark, with bare walls and an observation room against the back wall. In the center of the room was a tall glass tube that resembled a mason jar. The idea of being studied like a bug in a jar didn't help calm Saki's nerves, but he tried to hide his nervous jitters as much as possible. When a scientist handed him a small chip with a round glass orb embedded in it, he almost dropped it because his hands were shaking. He gripped the chip tightly, and listened carefully to what Yuuichirou had to say over the intercom.

“That chip in your hands is a Synchro Chip,” he explained. “When you slot it into your PET inside a Dimensional Area, you'll be able to initiate Cross Fusion.”

The scientist next to Saki directed him to enter the glass tube. Saki stepped hesitantly inside, and felt a little bit of claustrophobia set in as the door shut behind him. The inside of the tube had a stifling feeling; noise was dampened, and the whole thing felt slightly colder and darker than the room outside. Saki gingerly touched the wall of the tube with his fingertips, and felt nothing more than smooth, cool glass.

From somewhere near the ceiling of the tube, a small intercom crackled to life. “We'll be starting up the Dimensional Area in just a moment. When we're ready, we'll give you the signal to use the chip.”

Saki wondered how he'd know that the dimensional area was active, only to feel a small surge of electricity charge the air around him, and the glass wall of the tube suddenly seemed to shift into an iridescent curtain, flickering and shifting like water, but as intangible as light. He reached out to touch it, and only felt the cold glass of the tube.

“The Dimensional Field is active,” Yuuichirou said. “When you're ready, you may insert your chip.”

Saki pulled his PET out from his pocket. He looked at Zer0 on the screen, who looked back at him. “Are you ready?” Saki asked.

“Yes,” Zer0 said calmly. “Although I suspect that you may not be.”

“If I don't do it now, I'll lose my nerve completely,” Saki said. “I have no idea what to expect, so the longer I wait, the more anxious I get.”

“Then let us commence, without delay,” Zer0 said.

Saki gently slotted the Synchro Chip into his PET, but waited before pushing it in all the way. He took a deep, steadying breath, and said, “Ready.” Then, he pushed the chip all the way into the slot.

The next instant, he was blinded by a flash of light from his PET's screen, and felt himself drop away, almost like he'd fallen into a great chasm. His skin seemed to tingle, and then go completely numb. He kept his eyes shut, fearful of what he might see.

Saki was aware of the sensation of his clothes shattering and reconstructing themselves, of the way they snapped back into place tightly against his body. He felt a white-hot pain pierce his chest, and he lost his breath for a moment. Then, the pain was gone, and all he felt in its place was a comfortable warmth. Somewhere deep inside, he felt a gentle feeling, like the hug of a friend, and knew somehow that Zer0 was there with him. He slowly opened his eyes, squinting as he adjusted to the light and slowly took a shaky breath, feeling a little bit like he'd run a marathon.

Everyone in the room was watching him intently, and Saki looked around, bewildered. His brain felt muddy and his thoughts jumbled, and he reached out to steady himself against the glass, jolting in confusion as he saw Zer0's gloved hand instead of his own. He stared at it, the realization of what had occurred dawning on him.

“How do you feel, Saki?” Yuuichirou asked.

“Kind of...mixed up,” Saki said. “Like...like I slept for a week and have no idea what's happening.” He looked up towards the observation booth. “Everything feels...kind of slow.”

“You're adjusting to Zer0's perceptions,” Yuuichirou explained. “He processes information faster than you can, so you'll be slightly out of sync for a moment.”

Saki ran a hand over himself, stopping as it passed over the emblem on his chest. He traced the stylized 'Z' emblazoned on it, and smiled gently.

“Zer0...”

Saki felt Zer0 reach out wordlessly in his mind, echoing his feelings. They were relieved it had worked, and that each other were safe. Zer0's love settled into Saki's chest like an ember, warm and gentle.

“So this is...Cross Fusion...” Saki said.

“It seems to have been a success,” Yuuichirou said. “And you're able to maintain it, good. Your bond looks stable, also good.” There was the sound of typing over the intercom. “Excellent. The test went perfectly.”

Saki stood there for a moment, adjusting to his new form. Snatches of thought surfaced and then disappeared into his subconscious once more. It was impossible to say whose thoughts they were, but sharing his consciousness didn't bother Saki as much as he thought it would.

 _I am me, and you are you_ , Saki thought.

 _I am you and you are me_ , Zer0 responded.

Saki flexed his fingers, rotated his shoulder, and rolled his head from shoulder to shoulder. He felt lighter than normal, and somehow tense with energy like a coiled spring. He grinned with excitement, and desperately wanted to test how far he could go. He wanted to leap out of the tube and run as far as he could, jump as high as he could. He found himself unable to stay still.

“Alright, that should be enough data,” Yuuichirou said over the intercom, breaking Saki out of his thoughts. “Let's release Cross Fusion.”

Saki frowned. He didn't want to stop the way he felt at that moment. But he knew that Zer0 was telling him it was time to let go, and so he reluctantly released his grip on Zer0. He felt everything shatter around him, the warmth torn from him, and he was back to his normal self. The PET and chip landed in Saki's outstretched hands. He stood there for a moment, staring at them, feeling like a part of him was now gone. Warm tears rolled down his cheeks, and he did nothing to stop them.

He was vaguely aware of everyone in the room reacting, of people scrambling over to him, but the sounds were faint, muffled and far away. The door opened, and the scientist who had helped him before was now shaking his shoulder, asking something. Saki continued to stand there in a stupor.

“...ki........aki!......Saki!” Meijin was shaking Saki now, yelling until Saki finally snapped back to reality. Saki looked at Meijin, feeling lost. Meijin looked worried, and he seemed to be waiting for Saki to say something.

“Zer0...” Saki felt the words slip from his lips. “...he's gone...I'm so...hollow...” And then, Saki felt the world drop away again, his vision grew dark, and people were yelling again, but the sound was swallowed up by a shrill buzzing that filled Saki's ears. Then, he stopped sensing anything at all.

***

Saki awoke, his hands clenching the starched sheets under him, and groaned. He tried to sit up, but felt someone gently push him back down again. Opening his eyes, Saki saw that it was Netto, his face twisted with concern. Behind him, Meijin and Taka were waiting, breathlessly assessing Saki's condition. Yuuichirou was nowhere to be seen.

“What happened?” Saki croaked.

“You passed out after the test,” Netto explained. “We took you to the infirmary.”

Things started to come back into focus for Saki. “The test...did I...?”

“You passed,” Netto explained, “But then you fainted, and Dad got scared. He wanted to make sure you were okay before he did anything else.”

“Where is...?”

“He went back to the lab,” Netto said. “We'll let him know you're awake, so just stay here and rest.”

Saki let himself go limp again. His ears heated up in embarrassment.

“I'm glad you're not hurt,” Taka said, his voice strained. Saki looked at him, and saw that Taka's face was pale under his freckles. “When you passed out, everyone was scared that...maybe something had gone wrong, and...” Taka wrung his hands in agitation.

“I'm okay,” Saki said, even though he felt drained and sore all over. “I guess I just got overwhelmed by everything.”

Taka seemed relieved, and sat down heavily in a nearby chair. Netto gave Saki's hand a reassuring squeeze.

“It's okay if it was too much,” Netto said. “Most people tend to get overwhelmed by the experience.”

Meijin sat on Saki's bed, and looked at him curiously. “I wanted to ask you about what you said just before you passed out.”

Saki drew in his breath.

“You said, 'he's gone', and 'I'm so hollow'. Do you know what you meant by that?”

Everyone looked at Saki expectantly, and Saki took a moment to sort his thoughts out.

“I think...I think I was trying to say that I didn't want Zer0 to leave,” he said slowly. “I think I remember really liking the experience, maybe a little too much. I was reluctant to let go.” He clutched at his chest subconsciously. “When he left it...it was like I had my heart ripped out.”

Netto's face darkened a little bit.

“I suppose that goes to show you how deep your actual bond truly is,” Meijin said. “I've never had anyone describe it that way before.”

“I...know that feeling,” Netto said quietly.

The room went quiet, everyone waiting for Netto to explain.

“I had my Cross Fusion broken by force once,” Netto said. “I got hit in the emblem, and I was terrified that Rockman would be deleted. He pulled through, but...” He shook his head. “It really did feel like he's been ripped out of my chest.”

Saki swallowed. Taka looked shaken.

“I don't ever want to feel like that,” Taka murmured, clutching his knees to his chest.

Meijin sighed. “Hopefully, you never will.”

Saki looked at Netto who still seemed bothered by the memory of his terrible experience. Saki put his hand over Netto's, and gave it a light squeeze, smiling.

 _Even if the others don't understand, we can understand each other_ , Saki thought. _I'll be there for him no matter what._

Netto smiled weakly back.

“Anyway,” Saki said, “I'm feeling better, so I'll probably—”

“You're not going anywhere,” Meijin said firmly. “The doctor said you're suffering from exhaustion on top of what happened. He wants you to rest for the remainder of today.”

Saki sighed deeply. Netto patted his head comfortingly.

“You did a good job!” Netto assured Saki. “You earned a rest!”

Nodding, Saki slowly sank back down onto the bed. He heard everyone else getting up and leaving the room.

“I'll visit you later!” Taka said. “I have an errand to run, but I promise I'll be back to walk you home!”

“Same here!” Netto said. “I need to help Dad sort out all the test results.”

“I have Zer0 with me, so I'll run some maintenance on him,” Meijin told Saki. “I'll get him back to you before you leave.”

Saki heard everyone leave, and then shut his eyes. He was more tired than he'd thought, and knew that the doctor was right and that he needed bed rest. He tried to will himself to sleep, but it didn't come right away. He found himself plagued with thoughts of Netto's brush with death, and the feeling of having someone you cared about so deeply torn out of you. Eventually, even these thoughts were too exhausting for him, and he slipped into a fitful sleep.

***

It started slowly. The realization of being somewhere dark and cold, of feeling weightless in some dark abyss. Saki tried to move, his limbs heavy and unresponsive. He couldn't even seem to open his eyes.

 _Am I dreaming?_ Saki wondered.

The cold pressed in on him, and slowly it formed icy tendrils that snaked over the skin of his arms and legs, gripping him and dragging him lower.

Saki tried to thrash, but he still couldn't move. Trapped in his own body, all he could do was feel himself sink into the freezing depths.

Immense feelings of despair, confusion, and doubt seized him. It seemed to smother him, like a thick smoke. Even though he struggled, he couldn't fight his way free, and his body still refused to listen to him.

 _Are these my fears?_ Saki wondered. _Are they so bad that I'm drowning in them?_

Saki felt a sad, soundless wail echo through him, vibrating through his very being and reverberating again and again, until it became unbearable.

_Who's crying? Is it me? Please, stop!_

Saki tried with all his might to move, to say something, desperate to escape the suffocating darkness he was trapped in. The whole time, a single thought kept repeating in his head: he wanted someone to help him.

 _Zer0!_ Saki cried out, wordlessly. _Zer0! Zer0! Zer0!!_

Slowly, a warmth spread into the fingers of Saki's hand. Another hand laced its fingers with his, and the cold ebbed out of his arm. Another hand brushed against Saki's cheek, and he tried to lean into the warmth.

_Zer0..._

He was there, Saki could feel it. The gentle soul of his trusted partner. He could feel Zer0 comforting him, holding him tenderly, chasing the cold and sinister darkness away. The voice without words echoed through him, filled with love and kindness.

_I'm here._

Saki opened his eyes.

Light streamed in through the window. The pool of late afternoon sunlight on Saki's chest echoed the warmth he had found in his dream, and he clutched his hand around the warm sheet, trying to hold onto it. However, the warmth faded, and Saki sighed quietly.

What had that dream even been about? Was it self-reflection? Was it more straight forward than that? All he really remembered anymore was Zer0's comforting presence, and he tried his hardest to hang onto the feeling.

Eventually, Saki grew tired of laying down, and pushed himself up into a sitting position. No one else was in the infirmary with him, so Saki carefully swung his legs over the side of the bed. His head still swam a little, but he wanted to get up and walk around so he tried to ignore it. Slipping into his shoes, Saki stood up, reaching for the side table to steady himself. His head felt heavy and light all at once, and he took three slow breaths as he waited for it to pass.

Shuffling out of the infirmary, Saki slowly navigated himself through the maze of hallways towards something familiar. He came across a vending machine, and quickly rifled through his pockets for some loose change.

“I gotcha,” Taka said, appearing from seemingly nowhere. Saki jumped. Taka pointed down the hallway, and said, “I was near the bathrooms, and I heard you approaching. You must not have seen me, since you were looking down.”

“You have to stop doing that,” Saki said.

Taka shrugged helplessly before turning to the machine. “What do you want?”

Saki looked at his choices. “Something warm, I guess...”

“Coffee okay?” Taka asked.

“Sure,” Saki said.

Taka nodded, and tapped his PET to the sensor on the number pad of the vending machine. He inputted his choice, and a can of coffee fell down into the bottom, which Taka fished out and handed to Saki. He then turned back to the machine, tapped his PET again, and made his own selection. Saki saw that it was hot chocolate.

“You feeling better?” Taka asked.

“Not really.” Saki didn't open his can, instead choosing to hold it in his hands as he spoke. “I still feel awful, but I don't want to sleep or lay down anymore.”

“I can understand being stir crazy,” Taka said, cracking his can open, and taking a drink.

“It's not stir crazy, it's...” Saki hesitated. “It's fear, I think. I'm afraid to sleep.”

Taka paused, mid sip, and lowered his can. He looked at Saki, his face unusually serious.

“I dreamed that I was drowning in my own fears,” Saki continued. “It was cold and I was suffocating. I called out for Zer0, and then he was there.” He closed his eyes and gripped his coffee can tightly. “He was warm, and he chased away the cold.”

Taka didn't respond, but he nodded his head. He took a sip from his can, and then looked at Saki again.

“Do you dream often?” he asked.

Saki shook his head. “Never.”

“I see.” Taka tapped his finger on his can. “I dream a lot, so I have some experience in understanding them.”

Saki furrowed his brows.

“Yours is pretty straight-forward,” Taka said. “You said it was dark and cold, and your fear was suffocating you, right?”

“I couldn't move or speak,” Saki said. “No matter what I did.”

“You could interpret that as a loss of control,” Taka said. “Darkness, cold, and fear are all straight forward too. You're paralyzed by your own insecurities, and it's starting to affect you.” He sipped his hot chocolate. “But Zer0 is the one who is guiding and comforting you. Maybe you're leaning on him for support?”

“It felt more complicated than that,” Saki said. “More like the kind of selfless comfort a mother gives you.”

Taka tilted his head, humming thoughtfully. “Maybe it's love.”

Saki flushed. “What?”

“Love,” Taka repeated. “You two love each other.”

Saki's ears started to burn. He stammered, unable to make a cohesive sentence.

“Love takes a lot of forms,” Taka said. “Like the love of your family, or the love of your friend.”

Saki relaxed at these words. “R-right. Of course.”

Taka narrowed his eyes at Saki. “I don't know much about romantic love, but I get the feeling that you've been burned before, and it makes you jumpy now.”

Saki flinched. “You're just imagining things—”

Taka sighed. “You're so transparent, Saki! Everyone knows already! You don't have to pretend!” He shook his head. “It's pretty obvious that you're crushing on Netto too.”

Saki felt like his face had just caught fire. He managed to squeak, but nothing else came out of his mouth.

Taka patted Saki's arm reassuringly. “Listen, I'll support you the best I can, but I don't think you're going to have an easy time of it. Netto is as oblivious as a concrete wall. And you're not the only one with feelings for him, so you'll have competition.”

Feeling the color drain from his face, Saki looked at Taka, who shook his head.

“No, no! Not me! But there's a few other people that I've noticed.”

“Oh...” Saki felt his stomach churn. “I...I shouldn't say anything. He's probably not...he probably wouldn't even be interested in me.”

“You cook, you're 100% Netto's type,” Taka insisted.

“Yeah, but I'm...” Saki's voice dropped to a whisper. “But I'm a _guy_.”

Taka looked unimpressed. “So?”

Saki tried to make a follow up comment, but failed miserably. He ended up gesturing wildly with his hands before sighing and letting them drop to his sides.

“I'm almost certain everyone around here is a little bit queer,” Taka said. “You don't have anything to feel anxious about.” He waved his hand. “But we're off-topic now. Back to your dream.”

“R-right, my dream,” Saki said, distracted.

“My theory is that you're just experiencing love,” Taka said. “The same kind of love that me and Axl feel. We'd do anything for each other, probably even die.” He paused. “Except Axl would never let me die.”

“You might be right,” Saki said. “I mean, me and Zer0 are pretty close now.”

“And you were worried that Cross Fusion wouldn't work!” Taka said, laughing. “Now look at you! You were _too_ successful!”

Saki smiled weakly.

“It's a good first step,” Taka said, “But you have to keep going. Talking to Zer0 is good, but now you have to start having heart-to-heart discussions.”

Saki groaned, and Taka gave him a serious look.

“I mean it! You have to talk about the hard stuff! What makes you sad, bad things that have happened in your life, that sort of thing. Zer0 will understand, I promise. It'll also help him get to know what your limits are!” Taka took a drink from his can. “No one is an emotional island, Saki.”

Saki looked at the coffee can in his hands. It wasn't a discussion he was looking forward to, but he knew it would have to happen soon.

***

Saki ended up not having that talk.

He got very close. One night he sat down, fully intending to talk to Zer0 about how he was feeling, about his anxiety and his fear, but in the end, he chickened out. He still wasn't fully ready to have that discussion.

A week after the initial Cross Fusion test, Netto arrived in the break room with a strange device under his arm. Everyone stopped what they were doing to stare at the boxy jumble of bits and pieces seemingly held together with hope.

“What is that?” Taka asked finally.

“This,” Netto said, chest puffed up proudly, “Is my Portable Dimensional Generator! I created it for those times when the satellite is down or there's an emergency and we can't wait around for the Ministry of Science to set up a Dimensional Area for us. It's still in the testing stages right now, but I'm hoping to field test it.”

“So this...” Enzan gestured at the device, “ _Lunchbox_...can generate Dimensional Areas?”

Netto frowned. “It's not a lunchbox!”

“It's totally a lunchbox,” Taka said.

Netto sighed. “Whatever. Yes, this device can generate Dimensional Areas. Small ones. But big enough for a test.”

“How small are we talking?” Enzan asked.

Netto quickly counted on his fingers. “If I had to give a rough estimate, I'd say like...80 by 80 feet? It kind of tends to be circular though, so it's not really that big either.”

“That is kind of small,” Enzan mused. “But it might fit in the empty lot.”

“The old parking lot on the far side of the building?” Netto asked.

“That's the one.” Enzan tapped his chin. “How were you planning on testing it?”

“I figure if I can set it up in a secure location, and generate the field and perform either a Chip Gate or Cross Fusion test inside,” Netto said. “Naturally, having volunteers for this would be way better than doing it by myself.” He wiggled his eyebrows. “If you know what I mean.”

Enzan sighed. “Test subjects.”

Taka's hand shot up. “Ooh, me! I wanna do it!”

Netto pointed at him. “We have a volunteer! Do we have another?” He looked at Saki expectantly.

Saki sighed. “Fine. As long as we get to Cross Fuse, I'm okay with it.”

“All right!” Netto pumped his fist excitedly. “I'll go let Dad know what I'm doing, and the rest of you head over to the vacant lot.”

“I'll observe this time,” Enzan said. “From outside. Just in case something happens.”

Netto frowned. “Not inside?”

Enzan shook his head. “We haven't tested a field outside in years. Who knows what—or who—might come crawling out of the woodwork.”

Netto sighed, bemused. “Always the cautious one. Alright, I'll let you back me up from the outside.” He left the room, practically skipping towards the hall. Saki sighed loudly.

“Is this safe? I mean, he said it was untested...?”

“The worst that might happen is the field destabilizes and Cross Fusion breaks,” Enzan said. “It should be fine. I'll be on standby in case something happens.”

“Don't you want to try running around outside the tube in Cross Fusion?!” Taka asked, practically vibrating from excitement.

“I mean, I do,” Saki admitted. “Still...” _Still, I can't shake this feeling of dread._

Taka dragged Saki along as he ran to the other end of the building, and out into a wide stretch of nothing but pavement and a few covered parking structures. Enzan took a look around, and then turned to the others.

“It should be structurally sound, they only closed this lot a few years ago. Just try not to go crazy. They might reopen it in the near future, so nothing more than superficial damage.”

“Rodger!” Taka said, mock saluting.

“And remember: the Dimensional Area is a closed-off space. Once it's up, nothing can enter or exit it. Until the field goes down, you guys will have to handle anything that happens yourselves.”

“You make it sound like something's going to happen,” Saki said.

Enzan shook his head. “I'm just paranoid,” he grumbled. “I've never had good luck with these things.” He rubbed the back of his neck with a pained expression.

Ten minutes later, Netto arrived, looking particularly pleased with himself. He placed a Synchro Chip into Saki's hand, and then another one into Taka's before marching over to a concrete separator near the covered parking structure, and plunking his device down on it.

“Okay! The range of this device should include part of the structure here, and we can use it for things like climbing and jumping. Just to get a feel for how far and how high you can go. Especially since Taka can get airborne in Cross Fusion!”

Saki looked at Taka, amazed. “You can fly?”

“Sure can!” Taka said, “Although it's more like hovering. But I bet if I manipulate the thrusters just right, I can propel myself like a jet plane!”

Enzan walked back a long ways, until he was near the main building again. He waved at Netto, who nodded.

“Enzan's out of range now, so let's...” He flicked a switch on his device, and it sputtered to life in a small puff of dark smoke. “...Get this thing going!” Netto opened a panel on the device, and quickly keyed in a few commands. Suddenly, the air around them shimmered, and then solidified into an iridescent dome over them.

“Okay!” Netto cracked his knuckles. “Go ahead and Cross Fuse, you guys!”

Taka wasted no time at all. He practically slammed his chip into his PET, and a second later, he was enveloped in a bright light. When it faded, he was now in Axl's trademark navy and red armor. He gave the green visor over his eyes a tap, and grinned. “HUD is now displaying information on the area...this is so cool!”

“Try hovering for me,” Netto said, scribbling down notes in a notebook.

Taka nodded, and the propulsion device on his back roared to life. He lifted a few feet off the ground, and Saki could see him adjust himself with tiny jets on the bottoms of his boots.

“How does it feel?” Netto asked.

“Awesome!” Taka said excitedly. “It'll take a little getting used to, but it's amazing!” He made a few movements, and lifted further off the ground. “I don't know how much lift I can get, but I'm going to find out!”

Taka shot towards the structure, and started to lose some altitude, but he kicked off the wall, and then proceeded to use a mixture of propulsion and wall hops to get as high as the next level of the structure. He let out a whoop of joy.

“Bet I can get to the roof!” He said, and proceeded to keep climbing.

Saki glanced back at the edge of the barrier, where Enzan was intently watching everything that was happening. He swallowed nervously, and turned back to Netto.

“You ready, Saki?” Netto asked.

“I guess so.” Saki pulled out his PET, and slotted the Synchro chip in. He felt the now familiar sensation of going numb and his clothes rearranging themselves into Zer0's armor. The once searing pain in his chest had dulled to a sharp moment of discomfort, and the familiar warmth and presence of Zer0 inside of him reassured Saki that everything was fine. He summoned the Z Saber to materialize in his hand, and gave it a few test swings.

“Everything feels okay?” Netto asked.

“Yeah,” Saki said, flexing his hand. “Feels like it should.”

“Okay, good! Let's try seeing what you can do.” Netto grinned. “Don't hold back! Try some stuff you've always wanted to do!”

Saki took a deep breath. “What about...?” He made a dash for the wall of the parking structure, surprised by his own speed. Thinking quickly, he slammed his foot onto the wall, and pushed himself upward. Keeping his momentum, Saki ran up a wall a good distance before letting himself drop back towards the ground. He twisted in the air, and managed to flip over once before landing. He let out a breathless laugh.

“This is incredible!”

Netto was excitedly scribbling notes. “You have some good speed! And those jumps were really impressive too!”

From the top of the parking structure, Taka waved at Saki. “Hey slowpoke! Get up here!”

Saki looked at the structure, and a plan formed in his mind. He ran back towards the wall, but instead of jumping vertically, he pushed off and jumped towards the wall next to him, hopping back and forth up the corner of the two walls until he reached the roof. Laughing, he reached out for Taka, who nimbly evaded him, and Saki let himself fall back towards the ground, kicking off the wall to land on a nearby sign pole, and then down to a concrete divider before landing on the ground once more.

“Not bad!” Taka called, smiling from ear to ear. “Try harder though!”

Slightly breathless, Saki jogged back towards Netto, who was still writing furiously in his notebook.

“This is amazing!” Saki said. “If this is what it feels like to share a body with Zer0, I can't wait until we're completely open with each other. I bet it'll be even better!”

Netto grinned. “The thing is, the two of you are already open to each other.”

Saki blinked. “Huh?”

“Yeah!” Netto said. “Like big ol' books! Everything you think, feel, or remember is there for both of you to see. No secrets between friends, you know?”

Rather than being relieved, Saki felt an icy stab of terror. _Wait...Zer0 could see everything? Had he seen..._ _*that*?!_

The knowledge that Zer0 had probably seen Saki's worst memories gripped his heart like an ice cold hand, and suddenly, his breathing felt labored. Netto noticed, and dropped his notebook, moving towards Saki in concern.  
“Saki, what's wrong...?”

Netto's voice sounded like it had been slowed down, and he moved as if he was moving through glue. Saki pulled back.

_No! I...I'm scared!_

Something inside of him shut off, and the rational part of his brain stopped functioning. All he could think to do was run, hide, flee.

 _Protect_

The formless word bubbled to the surface, and Saki's thoughts became a jumble. He sensed Zer0 moving, and felt his consciousness take control. There was something soothing about it, something that made him surrender easily.

 _Protect_

Saki's consciousness retreated into the darkness, curling up fearfully.

 _I will protect_

There was a burning thought that stabbed through the darkness, a terrifying wave of anger and hatred that rolled over Saki, sweeping away the warmth of Zer0's presence. He wanted to scream, but his voice was swallowed by the darkness.

“Saki!”

Netto stopped short, watching Saki slump forward on his feet, almost like a rag doll. He stood there, motionless for a long moment. Netto gingerly reached towards Saki.

“Saki, are you—?”

Saki's head snapped up, his eyes filled with a dangerous fury Netto had never seen in the boy. A primal scream of rage tore itself from Saki's throat, and Netto scrambled backwards with a yelp.

Enzan slammed his hand against the barrier, knowing he couldn't break through but too panicked to think straight. “NETTO!” he screamed.

Saki's body sprang forward like a spring, and he slammed into Netto, shoving the older boy to the ground. Netto gave a cry of fright, and twisted to try and push Saki off of him.

“Saki, what's—!”

Saki didn't answer with words, only with another primal bellow. He practically snarled in Netto's face, and Netto used all his strength to throw Saki off of him. Scrambling to his feet, Netto ran to turn off the machine, but Saki sprang to his feet, and was right behind him. Just as Netto was within arms reach of the device, Saki grabbed him and threw him against a support pillar, and Netto's legs buckled a little. He gasped for air, trying desperately to recover before Saki attacked him again.

“Run, Netto-kun!” Rockman urged. “Run!”

“Cross Fuse!” Enzan hissed angrily, still pounding his fist on the barrier. “Why won't he Cross Fuse?!”

Saki summoned his Z Saber to his hand, and Netto yelped as he ducked to avoid one of Saki's wild swings. The tip of the blade carved a narrow channel in the concrete, and Netto scrambled to get further away from Saki's attacks.

“Taka!” Netto screamed. “Do something!”

Taka, who had his pistols at the ready, hesitated, his hands shaking. He bit his lip, trying to pull the trigger, but he never did.

Saki slammed his blade down in front of Netto, who nearly fell over backwards. He sprinted as fast as he could, but Saki was still bearing down on him, now walking slowly, the tip of his sword scraping along the ground. Netto slowed to a stop, now trapped against one of the curved walls of the barrier. He turned back to face Saki, eyes filled with terror but with a brave face. 

“Snap out of it, Saki!” Netto said. “C'mon, whatever it is, we can talk this out.”

“Netto-kun!” Rockman screamed. “What are you doing?!”

“He's still in there!” Netto bellowed.

“He's trying to kill you!” Rockman yelled back, hysterical.

“He's probably just scared!” Netto said. “He's probably scared, and lashing out. Just let me try to talk to him!”

“He'll tear you apart before you can!” Rockman insisted. “Please, just use the Chip Gate!”

“I won't hurt him!” Netto insisted.

Saki raised his Z Saber and swung. Netto lunged out of the way, but Saki caught him by the arm. Netto gave a cry as Saki squeezed hard, and then Saki threw Netto to the ground. Netto's arm twisted oddly, and he gave a blood-curdling scream as his arm gave a sharp 'snap!'. He passed out from the pain, lying motionless on the ground.

“No!!” Rockman screamed, helpless to stop Saki. “No, please stop!”

Saki raised his saber once more, his burning eyes glaring down at Netto's PET. Rockman whimpered.

“Please...”

Saki moved to swing the blade down, but Taka had leaped down off the roof, flew straight into the structure and slammed the butt of his pistol into Saki's head, knocking them both to the ground a few feet from Netto. Everything went silent as Taka pushed himself to his knees. Saki lay motionless, his Cross Fusion breaking a few seconds later. Taka gave a huge sigh of relief.

“Too close,” he wheezed.

Rockman sobbed loudly, clearly overwhelmed by everything that had happened. 

Taka got to his feet, and ran to the device, frantically typing at the controls hoping it would shut off. After a few seconds of trying, the device shut down, and the field around the area dispersed. Enzan nearly tripped over his feet as he ran into the parking structure, and straight to Netto's side.

“Netto! Netto!!”

Taka collected his PET and chip from the ground, where they had fallen, and slowly walked back over to Netto. Enzan was nearly in tears as he carefully moved Netto's arm into a better position and cradled him in his arms.

“Taka,” he whispered. “Go get the others. Go get help.”

Taka gave a tired sigh, but turned and ran for the main building. Axl was frantically trying to connect to someone in the office as Taka ran, panting heavily from exertion. Finally, Meijin picked up.

“What happened?”

“Saki...went...crazy...Netto...hurt...” Taka panted as he ran.

Meijin muttered a curse under his breath, and seemed to get up from his desk. “I'll get the doctors.”

“Think...his arm...broken...” Taka wheezed, turning down the hall to Yuuichirou's lab.

“I'll ask how that happened later,” Meijin said, clearly distressed. “You get Yuuichirou while I grab the doctors. Where is he?”

“Old...parking...structure,” Taka managed to say as he shoved the door open with his shoulder. “Hurry...”

***

Saki's eyes slowly opened. He felt familiar starched bed sheets under him, and tried to sit up. There was an IV catheter in his hand, and he winced in pain as he moved his arm. He felt someone helping him sit up, and looked up to see Taka smiling weakly at him.

“Taka...” Saki said, reaching up to rub the back of his head, where a lump had formed. “What...?”

Slowly, Saki looked around the room, and realized this was not the infirmary at the Ministry of Science. The room was clearly a hospital room, but he had no idea where.

“Where are we...?” Saki asked.

“Densan Hospital,” Taka said. “You and Netto got rushed here...after...” His voice broke, and he looked away.

Meijin was also in the room, although he looked tired and stressed out. Enzan was nowhere to be seen, and neither was Netto.

“Where's Netto?” Saki asked, concerned.

“They gave him his own room,” Meijin explained. “Chances are he's still being questioned.”

“Questioned?” Saki felt his face grow cold. “Questioned about what?”

“About...how you beat the shit out of him and broke his arm,” Taka said, clearly unhappy. He refused to make eye contact with Saki.

“Me?!” Saki pointed at himself, and then winced. Every part of him ached, and his own voice rang in his head painfully. “Me? Attack Netto?”

“You did! I saw it, Saki!” Taka's eyes welled up with tears. “You attacked him!”

Saki slumped forward in shock.

“When I got there, Netto was unconscious, and Enzan was trying to set his arm back into place,” Meijin explained. “I stopped him, of course, and told him to wait for the doctors. Then I called an ambulance. You were unconscious too, and Taka explained to me that he'd had to pistol whip you to get you to stop.”

“It was the only thing I could think of!” Taka blurted. “I didn't want to shoot you, and I was too cowardly to try and stop you myself.” He started to cry, and buried his face into his hands.

“But I don't _remember_ attacking him,” Saki insisted. “I don't remember...”

The door to the room slammed open, and Enzan charged into the room, past the rows of beds and straight up to Saki. He planted his hands on either side of Saki's bed, and looked him dead in the eyes.

“Tell me why the hell you attacked Netto for no reason, or so help me, I'll break both your legs.”

Saki stared into Enzan's eyes, smoldering with rage, and swallowed nervously.

“I...I don't know, I—”

Enzan swiftly slapped Saki across the face with an open palm.

“Don't give me that crap!” Enzan yelled. “I know you know why!”

Meijin leaped to his feet, and pulled Enzan off of Saki. Enzan continued to yell and berate Saki, who had curled up and put a hand over his injured cheek.

“Enzan, calm down!” Meijin demanded.

“I want an answer, damn it!” Enzan roared. 

“I don't have one!” Saki wailed.

“You hurt Netto!” Enzan screamed. “You attacked him when he couldn't fight back! I'll never forgive you for it!”

Saki's eyes filled with hot tears, and he buried his face in his hands. He wailed, unable to hold back his emotions anymore.

“I don't know! I don't know what ha-happened! I don't re-remember!” His voice stuttered around great heaving sobs.

“We're all upset, Enzan!” Meijin barked. “Calm down! Yelling isn't going to fix things!”

Slowly, Enzan stopped trying to break out of Meijin's grasp. Taka's sobs continued for a long time, eventually becoming small whimpers. Meijin finally let Enzan go, and he threw himself into a chair before glaring daggers at Saki.

Saki, however, refused to look up. His hands were wet with tears, and his voice was hoarse from screaming as he cried. His shoulders shook, and Meijin gently rubbed a small circle on Saki's back, trying to help calm him down.

“I-I don't remember,” Saki insisted through his tears.

“It's okay,” Meijin said quietly. “We'll figure it out together. It's going to be okay.”

Taka wiped at his eyes with his wristbands, and sniffled loudly. His eyes were puffy from crying, and his face was red and blotchy. Meijin gently steered Taka to sit on the bed, and patted his head comfortingly. Taka, in turn, reached for Saki's arm, and gently rubbed it.

“Takashi and I both saw him attack Netto,” Enzan said with a steely voice. “I think it's pretty obvious what happened.”

“B-but what if it's not?” Taka asked, his voice feeble. “I-I mean, just be-because we _saw_ that d-doesn't mean—”

“It was me,” came a quiet voice. Everyone turned to look at Saki's PET. Saki froze. No one could believe what they had just heard.

“What?” Enzan asked, slowly leaning forward in his seat.

“I was the one...who attacked Netto-dono.” Saki recognized that Zer0 had slipped back into using 'dono' even though he had stopped, more than likely out of shame.

“Why, though?” Enzan asked through gritted teeth.

“I...I cannot say for certain,” Zer0 said. “I do recall a strong desire to protect Saki-dono...perhaps that was partially to blame. There is a large gap in my recollection, but I do know that I was in control when we...when _I_ attacked Netto-dono.”

Enzan threw himself back into his chair, furious. “So then you, what? Malfunctioned?”

“Enzan,” Meijin said, his voice soft but with an edge to it.

“Netto is hurt, and if the cause is an out of control NetNavi, then I'm going to damn well fix it!” Enzan made a motion like he was going to stand up, but Meijin glared at him.

“Zer0 is _my_ responsibility,” he said, his words as cold as ice. “You need to stop now, before you do something you'll regret.”

Enzan sat back in his chair again, and pursed his lips.

Meijin sighed, and turned back to Saki. “We need to understand why Zer0...lost control the way he did. Anything at all you remember would be helpful.”

Saki pulled his hands away from his eyes, letting them flop onto the bed. Taka shuffled a little closer, and gently wiped Saki's hand off with a corner of the top sheet before holding it firmly in his own. He smiled at Saki encouragingly. Saki swallowed, still uncertain.

“I...” His hands shook. “I remember...Netto said something that...that set me off into a panic attack.”

“What did he say?” Meijin asked calmly.

“He...he said...” Saki swallowed again. “He said that...me and Zer0 were already linked so deeply that Zer0...could see all my secrets. All the awful things I...I never wanted to tell him.”

Taka squeezed his hand, his expression changing to disappointment for a moment.

“I...I just felt...consumed. By fear. It was like it was amplified a hundred times over.” Saki took a shaking breath. “I felt myself...sink into this...darkness. And then I couldn't feel or hear or see anything anymore.”

Enzan sat rigid in his chair, clearly consumed by rage.

“I think...I think I felt...Zer0's desire to...protect me...and then there was all this...anger and rage...it seemed to overpower Zer0 too. I didn't feel Zer0 at all after that.” Saki did his best to choke out the rest of his story, and then lowered his head once he'd finished. “That's all I know, I swear.”

“He speaks the truth,” Zer0 said. “I, too, lost my senses as I was consumed by anger.”

“So you...lashed out?” Meijin asked.

“No...” Zer0 said. “It was more that...something deep inside of me awoke. Something even I had not been aware of. An overpowering will that was not my own.”

Enzan twitched at Zer0's words. Meijin's expression grew dark.

“This is obviously going to require a much more in-depth investigation,” Meijin said, his voice tightly controlled. “I'll have to do a much deeper diagnostic of Zer0 than I've ever done before. There might be something in there that I missed.”

Saki whimpered.

“They'll ask you questions too,” Meijin said, trying to be kind. “Just tell them everything you've told me, and you'll be okay. As long as you're honest, you don't have anything to worry about.”

“What if...” Saki's voice trembled. “What if...they take Zer0 away forever? What if they...delete him...”

“I won't let that happen,” Meijin promised. “He's a Navi, and Navis can be reprogrammed. We'll fix what's wrong with him, and he'll be good as new.”

“But what if he isn't the same?!” Saki asked, terrified. “What if he isn't 'Zer0' anymore?!”

“Of course he will be,” Meijin said firmly. “Trust me, Saki.”

Meijin got to his feet, and walked towards Enzan, who glared up at him. They didn't say anything for a moment, but there was a definite conversation between them. Finally, Enzan got to his feet, and left the room. Meijin followed after him, but stopped at the door to give Saki a smile. He walked into the hallway and disappeared.

Taka sat with Saki, stroking his hair and holding his hand. Saki's shoulders shook, and he buried his face into his hands again.

“It'll be okay,” Taka insisted quietly.

Saki shook his head.

“It's all my fault,” he sobbed. “If I had just been honest with Zer0 instead of chickening out...this never would have happened.”

“You don't know that,” Taka said.

“I freaked out because I didn't want Zer0 to know something that happened years ago, and it caused me to hurt Netto really badly! Nothing that happened to me was worth that!” Saki pushed his palms against his eyes. “I'm a coward, and people got hurt. I might as well have broken Netto's arm myself!”

“Even if that's the case, you are still entitled to your own trauma!” Taka insisted. “They aren't the same, no, but you are allowed to hurt. You don't have to force yourself for the sake of someone else! Even if you _had_ told Zer0, it still would have happened because the pain would have still been there.”

Saki didn't respond.

“If I know Netto at all, I know that he'll forgive you,” Taka continued. “It was awful, yes, but he'll forgive you because he'll understand that it wasn't your fault. It wasn't Zer0's fault either. It was something that couldn't be controlled.”

Saki leaned against Taka, and Taka hugged him tightly.

“Everyone will forgive you eventually, even Enzan.”

“Do you forgive me?” Saki asked tearfully.

“Of course I do,” Taka said. 

Satisfied, Saki finally let himself go limp. Taka quietly sat with him, holding Saki tightly until he finally slipped into a deep sleep. Lowering Saki carefully back down onto the bed, Taka tucked him in, and then settled back in next to him to keep vigil.

“I know a thing or two about needing forgiveness,” Taka murmured under his breath.


	7. Unexpected Visitors

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Saki finally finds the strength to open up about his past.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> _CW: trauma, CW: death mention, TW: slur, TW: bullying, TW: abuse_
> 
> _A big shoutout to @cellotherapy for letting me borrow their notes on Laika! I'm a huge fan of their characterization of him, and I'm borrowing it for this story._
> 
> _A few more country names for reference:_
> 
> _Sharo - Literally Russia. The name comes from the Japanese pronunciation of Russia (ロシア or Roshia) where the 'Ro' and the 'shia' are reversed.  
>  Creamland - I like to believe that Creamland is based on real world Iceland (mostly for the ice cream puns), but since it's canonically located next to Sharo, it's more likely that Creamland is the amalgamation of all the Nordic countries.  
> Syacclea - @cellotherapy's notes included the mention of a small strip of land between Sharo and Creamland that was constantly being argued over for ownership. It's mentioned briefly in the anime, but she was able to expand upon it more._

The doctors at Densan Hospital agreed that Netto and Saki should stay overnight for observation. Saki was especially spent: the exertion of rampaging in Cross Fusion mixed with the exhaustion he had not recovered from had taken a toll on his body, and his doctor insisted he stay for a few days in order to rest properly. Saki put up weak resistance, but was easily overruled by his mother, who had rushed over as soon as she'd gotten the call that her son was in the hospital.

“I always said you were pushing yourself too hard!” Keiko said, scolding Saki with motherly concern. “Now look at you! Listen to the doctor, and stay here for a while. Everything will be fine, I'll take care of it.”

“But—!” Saki began, but Keiko shook her head firmly.

“I'm completely capable of taking care of Michi and the house. I took care of both of you for years!”

Saki's shoulders slumped. “Okay,” he said at last. “I'll stay here and rest.”

“Good.” Keiko smiled, relieved. “Let me handle calling your jobs as well. That's stress you don't need right now.” She patted Saki's head soothingly. “Let me take care of you.”

“Mom, I'm sorry,” Saki said, leaning into Keiko's touch.

“I forgive you,” Keiko said. “I know you're a good boy, and you're just trying your best.”

“I just want to support the family, like Dad did. But I...I don't think I'll ever fill Dad's shoes,” Saki admitted.

Keiko smiled kindly. “No one is asking you to, Saki.”

***

Enzan slowly opened the door to Netto's room. Netto was sitting up in bed, his left arm in a cast from hand to shoulder, held in place by a sling. He turned his head to look at Enzan when he entered, and smiled brightly.

“Hey!”

Enzan sighed. He walked over to Netto's bed, and slowly lowered himself into a chair next to it. He wore a mixed expression, and Netto's bright smile faded.

“What's wrong, Enzan? You look upset. Did something happen?”

Enzan hesitated, as if trying to choose his words very carefully. Finally, he looked Netto in the eyes and spoke.

“Netto...why didn't you Cross Fuse?”

The color drained from Netto's face, but he tried to seem unfazed. “What are you talking about? There wasn't any time to—”

“Don't lie to me,” Enzan said, his voice even and soft.

Netto looked away. “No, I'm not—”

“Netto-kun.” Rockman's voice, though soft, was firm. “Tell him. He deserves to know.”

Netto's face twisted. It seemed as if he was wrestling with himself. Finally, he let out a deep sigh, and looked at Enzan. He seemed tired, and his usual energy was gone.

“Okay,” he said. “You deserve to know the truth.”

Enzan folded his hands on his lap and waited patiently for Netto to continue.

Netto looked down at his bed sheet. It took a while for him to speak.

“Do you remember seven years ago? The Super Cybeast incident?”

Enzan nodded.

“Well...when we—when me and Rockman—passed through the Fossa Ambience to fight the Super Cybeast, we did a lot of damage.” Netto rubbed the sheet between his fingers with his good hand. “It took a bit to subdue it, and then...” His voice faltered. “It was really hard to be Cross Fused with the Beast Element in there with us. It took everything me and Rockman had to suppress it. And we were doing great, until...” He pursed his lips for a moment. “Until we beat the Cybeast...and then...I don't know, maybe we got caught up in the moment. We kind of...let off a blast...” Netto took a shaky breath. “It was just a quick thing, but it did a lot of damage. We got ourselves back under control, and rushed off back to Beyondard to finish purging the Beast Element. We just didn't have time to survey the damage, you know?”

Enzan nodded again.

Netto looked up, his eyes red with unshed tears, and gave a weak smile. “I haven't forgiven myself for that.”

“It wasn't your fault,” Enzan said.

“You don't know that,” Netto said, his voice hoarse. “Me and Rockman know. We know we're to blame. We could have stopped ourselves.”

Enzan leaned forward. “Netto, it was a moment of weakness. You're not at fault for that.”

“Enzan, we killed people!” Netto yelled angrily. He trembled for a moment, and then his whole body slumped. “We killed people...”

Enzan sat rigidly. He didn't speak.

Netto continued, his voice was devoid of emotion. “The family that sued the Ministry of Science...they were filled with so much pain. _I_ did that, Enzan. I took their son away from them.”

“But they cleared you of any wrongdoing,” said Enzan. “Why do you still think you're responsible?” 

“Because I am,” Netto said.

Enzan sighed, and shook his head. “But what about you not Cross Fusing?”

Netto swallowed. “Well...probably since I felt so responsible for killing people, I kind of...got scared. Of Cross Fusing, that is.” He gripped the bed sheet tightly in his good hand. “Rockman too. He was scared of more people getting hurt. It got so bad that we were so in sync over being afraid, and we couldn't Cross Fuse anymore.”

Enzan put a hand on Netto's leg. “Have you talked to anyone about this?”

“Dad, mostly,” Netto said. “And a therapist. But...it's not helping. We're still too scared to be of any use.”

Neither boy made eye contact, but Enzan took Netto's hand in his. They sat in silence for a while.

“What will you do?” Enzan asked at last.

“Dunno.” Netto shrugged. “Probably what I've already been doing: helping out wherever I can, working on a portable version of the Dimensional Generator, training the kids.”

“We're sorry,” Rockman said. “We wanted to say something, but we never had a good opportunity.”

“You were always exhausted from work, or your own personal life,” Netto added. “I didn't want to dump my problems on you like that.”

“Netto, that's what partners do,” Enzan said. “They support each other.” He sighed. “You're always helping me with my troubles. I wish you trusted me enough to do the same for you.”

“Sorry,” Netto said meekly. “It wasn't like I didn't think you could...I just didn't want to trouble you.”

“Idiot.” Enzan gently whacked Netto in the head with his hand. “Trouble me. I don't mind.”

A gentle smile graced Netto's face, and Enzan seemed flustered by it. He looked away for a moment, and cleared his throat.

“I mean, you trouble me constantly already with your stupid decisions.”

“Netto's smile turned into a pout, and Enzan chuckled.

“You're a bully,” Netto said.

“Affectionate teasing,” Enzan said. “That's all it is.”

***

Keiko stayed by Saki's side as long as she could. When she left, she promised to be back the next day, this time with Michi. Saki had waved to his mom as she left, and then sat in silence for a long while, unsure of what to do next.

A knock on the door interrupted his thoughts, and two men in smart suits came into the room. They walked up to Saki's bed, and Saki felt his nerves return.

“Saki Tanaka?” one of the men asked.

“Yes?” Saki said. “Can I help you?”

The man pulled out his PET, and showed Saki a digital badge. “We're from the NetPolice. My name is Katsuo, and this is Atsushi.” The man named Katsuo motioned to the man standing next to him, who gave Saki a small smile, and nodded his head. “We'd like to ask you a few questions.”

“Sure,” Saki said weakly.

The two men sat down, and asked Saki various questions about his attack on Netto. Saki answered them honestly, telling them what he had told Enzan and the others earlier in the day. When they were finished, Katsuo folded his hands in his lap, and said, “I see.”

“It sounds like you went through quite the ordeal,” Atsushi said kindly.

“It...was pretty scary,” Saki admitted.

“I have another question,” Katsuo said. “Have you ever come into contact with a strange chip? Maybe through a sketchy seller?”

Saki's brows furrowed. “No...” he said slowly, “I haven't. Why do you ask?”

“There's been a few...incidents lately, involving an illegal chip,” Katsuo said. “We're just checking to make sure this incident wasn't related to them.”

“If someone offers you a strange chip, you shouldn't take it,” Atsushi said. “Make sure you tell the authorities too.”

 _That's kind of obvious_ , Saki thought, but simply smiled. “I will,” he promised.

Katsuo nodded, seemingly satisfied. He got to his feet. “Well, I think we've asked enough questions. We'll leave you to rest now.”

“Thank you for your cooperation,” Atsushi said.

“Of course.” Saki bowed his head slightly to the two men as they bowed back, and left the room.

 _What an odd question..._ Saki thought. _What's all this about a strange illegal chip?_ Saki decided to ask someone about it later.

Twenty minutes later, Taka arrived, a duffle bag slung over one shoulder.

“I return with gifts!” he said triumphantly, and dropped the bag on Saki's bed. Unzipping it, Taka reached inside and rummaged around, eventually pulling out a small handheld gaming system.

“For you to use,” Taka said. “That way, you'll have something to do.”

“Thanks,” Saki said slowly, taking the game system from Taka.

Taka pulled out a handful of cartridges out of the duffle bag, and dumped them in Saki's lap. He looked at them one by one, reading the names out loud.

“Pavement Pounder II, Felonious Fulcrum, Brave Barrister, Fiery Breath, Night Warrior, Finally Fighting, Digital Hero Rainbow Man, Magical Stone, Project X Over...” Saki felt overwhelmed. “There are so many titles here!”

“There are even more in the bag!” Taka said. “I also brought a small tv and some anime if you get tired of playing games.”

“You didn't have to,” Saki said.

“Sure I did,” Taka said. “You were going to go crazy if you had to stare at the wall all day.”

“But what if you want to play them?” Saki asked.

“I'm fine,” Taka said. “I have a newer console I play on, and a loan I have to pay back to a tanuki. Long story.” He grinned at Saki. “You'll have fun playing these games, I promise!”

Saki sighed. “A few books would have been fine.”

Taka slapped his forehead with the palm of his hand. “Crap! I forgot the manga I was going to bring! There were a few really good titles in there too!”

Saki heaved another sigh.

“Also, I'm going to come visit as often as they allow me to,” Taka said, putting his hands on his hips proudly.

“That's the opposite of good,” Saki said. “How will I get any rest if you're always here?”

Taka seemed to consider this. “Good point,” he said at last.

Saki picked up the pile of games in his lap and dumped them back into the duffle bag, along with the game console. He wasn't in the mood to play a game. Taka put the bag on the floor and sat on the bed, looking at Saki expectantly.

“What?” Saki asked. “You're making me nervous.”

“What's been eating at you?” Taka asked. “Anything you wanna get off your chest?”

Saki frowned. “What's this, all of a sudden?”

“Well, I did some thinking,” Taka said. “And I realized that talking to me about heavy stuff might be easier than talking to Zer0.”

“And have you tell everyone?” Saki asked.

Taka looked hurt, and put a hand to his chest. “I am _not_ some common gossip!” he declared. “I can keep a secret, I promise!”

“Still don't know how much I believe that,” Saki said.

“Look, I know some pretty scandalous stuff about some people around the office, and I haven't breathed a word of it to _anyone_ ,” Taka said. “I'll take your secrets to the _grave_.”

Saki sighed. “Okay, I believe you.” He shook his head. “But that doesn't mean I know what to talk about.”

“How about...” Taka tapped his cheek thoughtfully. “The thing that you were so insistent not to let Zer0 know anything about?”

“No,” Saki said flatly. “I don't want to talk about that.”

“If you get it off your chest, you'll feel a ton better,” Taka insisted.

Saki pursed his lips.

“Don't be stubborn,” Taka said. “I'm trying to help you.”

“I didn't ask for help,” Saki said, his voice tense.

“Yes you did. That whole thing where you went berserk because you didn't want to talk about your trauma was the biggest cry for help I've ever seen.”

Taka's words stung, and Saki looked down at his hands.

“What if I told you about myself first?” Taka said. “Laid all my cards out on the table, so to speak.”

Saki gave Taka a curious look. Taka looked back at him, his expression neutral.

“What would you even say?” Saki asked. “You're a shut-in otaku who's too nosy for his own good. I think I already know everything about you.”

“Do you though?” Taka asked.

Saki hesitated. Taka's voice and face were both serious. Saki suddenly found himself uncertain.

“Okay then,” he said reluctantly. “Tell me about yourself.”

Taka took a deep breath. “Okay. Where to start...?” He thought for a moment, and then launched into his story.

“My family is...kind of important. I met Enzan long before entering this program because we both had to go to those big fancy parties, the ones where 'important people' meet other 'important people' and pretend to like each other so they can ask for favors later.”

Saki stared at Taka, feeling a strange mixture of dawning horror and panic.

“My Papa started a company called Vega,” Taka continued, undeterred. “He died when I was a baby, so I never knew him. My Mamma had to take over running the company, and she's really busy these days. I almost never see her anymore.” There was a tinge of sadness to Taka's words. “I have—had—an older brother named Shin'ichiro. We were super close. He was kind of weird, but it was what made him so charming. He went to Amerope to attend college there, and picked up surfing. He also picked up all the lingo that goes with it.” Taka laughed. “He loved space so much, and his dream was to become an astronaut.” Here, Taka paused, his face flushing a little. Saki suspected that Taka was emotional, and gave him a moment to collect himself.

“Shin gave me this once,” Taka said, fishing out a necklace from under his hoodie, a small piece of rock on a thin silver chain. Taka held the rock in his hand as he continued. “It's a piece of a meteorite, he said. It was his prized possession. Well, next to his telescope and surfboard, of course.” He sighed lightly. “We promised each other that one day we'd go see the stars together...” His voice faltered, and he stopped again to collect himself. “He had a fiance too. She was really sweet, and me and Mamma really loved her. They were supposed to be married in the spring...”

Saki realized he had reached out and squeezed Taka's hand. Taka took a breath and continued.

“Seven years ago...he went to go be a part of the volunteers who were evacuating people from downtown. The day the huge monster came from the sky...” Taka bit his lip. “I begged him not to go...I'd had a dream, you see. I saw him die. I get these dreams sometimes, really strong ones, and they always come true. So I begged him to stay home, but he just smiled at me, and said, 'I have to go, they need help.' Then he ruffled my hair and said he'd be home soon. That was...that was the last time I saw him alive.”

“Taka...” Saki whispered.

“Mamma took it really hard,” Taka said. “She was depressed for months. I was too. I didn't leave my room, and I barely ate. I just cried in the dark for hours at a time. Mamma eventually called for a therapist to help me, but it still took me a while to come back around. One day, I just sat up and said to myself that it was useless to cry. After that, I kind of just...stumbled through each day. I stayed at home, and hardly went out. I started socializing online, in forums. I just kind of...withdrew from the world.

“One day, Mamma came to me, and said that she heard about a program I should join. She said that I had talent with virus busting, and that the Ministry of Science needed people like me. She also said that it might give me a step up towards getting into NAXA, and that was really exciting for me, since I still wanted to keep my promise to Shin and go to space one day.”

“So you entered the Cross Fusion program,” Saki said.

“Taka nodded. “Vega makes satellites for NAXA, so Mamma was able to put in a good word at the Ministry of Science, and that's how I got in.”

They sat in silence for a long moment.

“Your family's pretty important, I guess,” Saki said.

“Yeah,” Taka said, “I'm a rich kid.” he hung his head. “I know how much you hate rich people.”

“I don't _hate_ them,” Saki said. “What I hate are people who use their money and power as a weapon against those who can't fight back.”

“Oh,” Taka said.

“But still,” Saki said, sighing, “That's pretty awful...losing your brother like that.”

“He got caught in a collapsing building while he was evacuating people,” Taka said. “Everyone said it happened really fast.”

“My Dad...died that day seven years ago too,” Saki admitted. “I can understand how it hurts to lose someone like that.”

Taka's eyes widened. “How did he die?”

“Umm...” Saki bit his lip. It was hard to talk about, but Taka had poured out a lot of his own pain and Saki felt like he should too. “My Dad was a firefighter. He got called in to deal with the fires that started when the monster attacked the city. He thought someone was still in a burning house, and ran back inside. There was a back draft and...” Saki's voice cracked and faltered.

“I'm sorry,” Taka said sorrowfully. “I had no idea.”

“Mom was pretty devastated. Michi was a year old, so she doesn't remember anything. I remember feeling...angry at him for being stupid. He knew better than to run back into a burning building, but he did it anyway.”

“If there was a chance that he could save someone, then I'm sure he would try,” Taka said. “Shin was like that too.”

Silence settled over the room. Taka looked at Saki, and Saki could see tears clinging to the corners of the boy's eyes. Without thinking, he reached forward and brushed them away. Taka muttered a soft 'thank you', and wiped his eyes with the back of his hand.

“So is that...what you didn't want Zer0 to know about?” Taka asked.

Saki shook his head. “No, it was...something else.”

“Will you tell me?” Taka said hopefully.

Saki hesitated. The subject was very raw and painful for Saki to think about, but he wanted to be finally freed from the burden. 

“Okay,” he said at last. “But I kind of want something warm to drink first.”

“I can see if I can get someone to make you some tea!” Taka said, leaping up. “Wait right here!” Then he seemed flustered. “I mean, of course—you're kind of—uhg! Never mind! I'll be back!” Flushing, Taka darted out of the room.

Saki stared at the window, gathering his thoughts. Taka's smiles never reached his eyes because he was trying desperately to move on from losing his brother. All of Saki's thoughts suddenly snapped into clear focus. Taka was struggling with depression.

“Poor kid,” Saki murmured. “That's a lot to bear all by yourself.”

A sparrow landed on the window ledge, and Saki watched it hop about.

“It must be nice to just go about your day without worry,” he told the bird. “Just eating and sleeping. That sounds wonderful.”

The sparrow chirped a few times, and then flew away. Saki watched it go and sighed softly.

Some time passed before Taka came back, holding a tray in his hands. He carefully nudged the door open with his elbow, and walked slowly back to the bed, trying not to drop the cups of hot tea he was balancing delicately on the tray. He sat it down on the bedside table, and heaved a sigh of relief.

“Sorry you had to go get that for me,” Saki said, feeling guilty.

“It's no trouble!” Taka said. “The nurses were kind of amused though. They wouldn't let me make the tea myself, saying I'd probably get burned.” He pouted. “I'm not _that_ incompetent!”

“But you admit you're incompetent,” Saki said, smiling with amusement.

“Only when it comes to food,” Taka admitted. “I can't cook at all. But I can make myself tea.”

Taka looked down at the tray, and his brow furrowed. “Uh oh...which one of these is mine...?” He looked at the cups helplessly. “Mine had sugar in it...uhh...” He sniffed one of the cups of tea. “Oh boy. I don't know. They both look the same...”

Saki took the cup closest to him, and gingerly took a sip. He smiled at Taka. “This one's mine.”

Taka sighed, relieved. “Oh, that's good.” He picked up his own tea, and then set it back down again, quietly whispering 'ouch' repeatedly under his breath. Saki chuckled.

“Let it cool off first,” he said.

“Yeah,” Taka said, settling back down on the bed again. Saki took another sip of his tea before allowing himself to start talking.

“I haven't talked about all of this since it happened. I've kind of...tried to forget about it. But it doesn't want to be forgotten.

“I was in middle school at the time. My class representative was very patient and understanding, with a charming smile and always willing to listen to my questions. I couldn't help but develop a crush on him.”

“That's your type, huh?” Taka asked.

Saki blushed. “I mean, I don't know. I don't even know if I have a 'type'.”

Taka mused this over, and Saki hurriedly continued.

“Anyway, I got the courage up one day to write my class rep a letter. I confessed my feelings for him, and asked him to meet me on the roof after school. Put it in his shoe locker, and waited on the roof for him.”

“Did he come?” Taka asked.

Saki nodded. “He was very surprised to see me. He asked if it was a prank, to which I said no, and then made my full confession.” Saki paused, taking another sip of tea. Taka seemed enthralled by Saki's story, and waited breathlessly for Saki to continue.

“After I confessed, my class rep became angry. He said that he couldn't accept my feelings, and said I was 'disgusting'. He left after that, and I cried for a while before going home. I was miserable that night, but tried to reassure myself that it was done and over with, and I didn't have to dwell on my feelings anymore.

“Except, when I got to school the next day, there was a crowd of people near the front bulletin board. Everyone was whispering about something, and when I pushed to the front to see what it was, I was in shock. There was my confession letter, crumpled and smoothed back out again, pinned to the board along with a picture. It was clearly me and my class rep, but you couldn't see his face, only mine. Someone must have taken it through the window of the door to the roof. Everyone stared at me, and someone said, 'gross'. Then they were all whispering again, but this time it was me they were talking about. I wanted to die, to fall into the earth.

“My class rep wouldn't even look at me. Most of the class stared at me, or said nasty things within earshot of me. A few days later, I came to class and my chair was missing. A few days later, my whole desk was gone. The teachers didn't do anything about it, or looked the other way as I got bullied. At one point, I was changing for gym class, and one boy threw me into the lockers. The other boys joined in, hitting and kicking me while they called me 'fag' and 'nasty'. They said I was probably leering at them. I told a teacher, but nothing was done about it. After that, I'd get attacked every day on my way home from school. I had to tell my mom once the bruises became visible.”

Taka stared in horror, a hand over his mouth. Saki took another sip of tea, and took a deep breath.

“Mom was livid. She wanted to go to the school, but I begged her not to. I didn't want to get her or Michi involved. Eventually though, I lost my temper. A kid screamed at me on my way home, called me nasty trash, and said he was going to come to my house and attack me and my family. I slugged him in the face, then sat on his chest and beat him until he passed out.

“Obviously, his mom called the school, and I got hauled into the principal's office. The mom was in hysterics, and demanded that I be expelled on the spot. My mom was equally angry, saying that I'd been trying to get the teachers to notice that I was being bullied for a few months and nothing had been done. The principle didn't care about my reasons for attacking the kid, only that I did. My mom said she was pulling me out of the school, and marched me out of the room.”

Saki looked down into the tea in his cup. “We had to move to another house after that, and I transferred to another middle school. I finished up the rest of my year, and then told my mom that I wasn't going to attend high school.”

A heavy silence filled the room. Saki looked up, and saw that Taka was crying, huge tears rolling silently down his cheeks. Saki panicked, set his cup down on the table, and reached out for Taka.

“What—!? Why are you crying?!”

“It's just so sad,” Taka wailed through his tears. “That you'd get harassed so badly for so-something you can't control, and then get expelled when you defended yourself!”

“It happened, okay? It's over with now.” Saki desperately wiped away Taka's tears, even though Taka continued to cry even more. “Nothing will change it.”

“I-is that why you're so s-scared to open up to us?” Taka asked.

“Yeah.” Saki pushed some hair behind his ear. “It's frightening how quickly everyone can turn against you, no matter how close you had been with them before. I was scared of it happening again.”

“But you can trust us,” Taka said. “We'd never turn on you like that!”

“I know,” Saki said wearily. “I know that now.” He shook his head with a bitter expression. “And it isn't like I was blameless in that situation. I was the one who refused to get help sooner, and I was the one who attacked that boy. I didn't have to hurt him that bad, I could have stopped sooner.”

“He threatened your family!” Taka insisted.

“But did it warrant that level of violence?” Saki asked.

Taka hesitated. “Well, no...”

“It just proves that I'm capable of doing something like that again,” Saki said. “And I ended up proving that today.”

“What happened wasn't your fault,” Taka insisted. “It was an unfortunate accident. I'm sure once Meijin finishes looking over Zer0, he'll say the same thing...”

“I can only hope so.” Saki shook his head. “Zer0 shouldn't be forced to atone for my mistake.”

Saki took another sip of his tea, and Taka tried a sip of his. He seemed satisfied with the heat level, and took a deeper gulp.

“Thank you for sharing that with me,” Taka said to Saki. “I know that was...probably pretty hard, and I'm proud of you. I also want you to know that I meant what I said; I won't talk about this with anyone.”

“Thank you,” Saki said. “I appreciate that.”

“That being said, I think you need to take your mind off of it,” Taka said. “How about watching a few episodes of an anime with me?”

“I'll pass,” Saki said. “I'm pretty worn out from everything that happened today. I think I want to try getting some sleep finally.”

“The nap you had earlier wasn't long enough?” Taka asked.

“It got interrupted,” Saki explained. “And then a couple of NetPolice agents came by and asked me a lot of questions.”

“What kind of questions?” Taka asked, brow furrowed.

“Mostly about what happened,” Saki explained. “But they also asked if I'd ever received a weird chip from an illegal seller. It sounds like there have been a few incidents involving them, and they're trying to get leads.”

“A strange chip...” Taka put a hand to his chin, and seemed to be deep in thought. “Hmm...I wonder what that could be about...?”

“No idea,” Saki shrugged. “Hopefully, we won't have to find out.”

“I might try poking around a bit on the forums I frequent,” Taka said. “Someone might have heard something.”

“Don't poke around _too_ much,” Saki said. “This isn't something kids like us should be dealing with.”

“I'll be careful,” Taka said.

***

Enzan came back from having a meal, and continued to speak to Netto about how he was handling not being able to Cross Fuse. They threw a few suggestions around for overcoming Netto's fears, and then they dissolved into lighter topics.

“I'm still having issues with the design for the V7,” Enzan said, sighing wearily. “It's exhausting to keep having to redraft it every other day.”

“You have employees to do that for you,” Netto said.

“And I work with them,” Enzan said. “Very closely, in fact.”

Netto laughed. “You still can't let other people handle things themselves, can you? Always have to have your hands in it too.”

“It feels like I can't rely on someone else to do it right,” Enzan admitted. “Even if I know they're more than capable, I still feel like I have to do it myself.”

“You're the president of the company, Enzan!” Netto said, exasperated. “You don't have time to do every little thing!”

“I know,” Enzan moaned.

Netto sighed. “How's that personal project coming along?”

Enzan perked up a little. “Oh, that? I'm making progress. I reached out to Ayanokoji for advice on making outfits for Navis. If I can figure out how to make that program work in tandem with the Copyroid's appearance subroutines, then I can effectively control how the Navi appears while in the Copyroid.”

Netto's eyes lit up. “Clothes,” he whispered excitedly.

“Saito will get to dress however he wants if I succeed,” Enzan said.

Netto beamed. “Enzan, did you know I love you?”

Enzan laughed. “I had no idea, Netto, none at all.”

While the two laughed, the door to the room was yanked open, and a tall man loomed in the doorway, glaring daggers at Netto.

Enzan and Netto stared at the visitor in surprise and horror.

“L-Laika!” Netto yelped.

“Привет, Netto,” Laika greeted, stepping into the room and briskly walking to the bed. “I see that you, indeed, got injured doing something foolish.”

Netto flushed. “I didn't do anything stupid, I swear! It was an accident!”

“A likely story,” Laika said dryly.

“Good to see you too, Laika,” Enzan sassed.

Laika gave Enzan a sidelong glance. “Don't think I'm not going to tear into you when I'm done with Netto.”

“Oh joy,” Enzan said sarcastically, and sighed.

“Laika, you're here not even five minutes and you're already so tense,” Netto said. “Why don't you have a seat, and tell me what you've been up to lately. It's been a while since we've seen each other.”

Lowering himself into an empty chair, Laika crossed his legs and stared down his nose at Netto intently. “We can catch up later. Right now, I want to know exactly what happened.”

Netto sighed. “I was testing the portable version of the Dimensional Area Generator, and Saki...he kind of lost control. He's fine,” Netto added hastily.

“Fine recruits you found,” Laika said, clearly not impressed. “Losing control on their first day.”

“Tanaka has his own issues to sort out,” Enzan said. “It just so happens that he had an episode while Cross Fused. The investigation is still going on, but I'd wager that his Navi overreacted.”

“And who gave him that Navi to begin with?” Laika asked coldly. “Meijin's a fool too.”

“Don't be too hard on Saki,” Netto said. “I'm sure you'll like him once you meet him.”

“What about the other one?” Laika asked. “Wakahisa, I think.”

“Taka's a good kid,” Netto said brightly. “He's also a fast learner. I'm sure you'll be able to teach him a bunch of stuff!”

“My main concern will be how he takes to my style of teaching,” Laika said. “I'm not going to hold his hand or stroke his ego. He picks up what I'm teaching him, and he does it promptly, or I'm out.”

“It'll be fine!” Netto insisted. “I really appreciate you coming all the way out here to help us with the training.”

“I had some leave saved up,” Laika explained. “That being said, I might have to go back at a moment's notice, so don't get too comfortable yet.”

“How are things in Sharo?” Enzan asked.

Laika sighed. “Still tense. Talks with Creamland over Syacclea are still stalled. On top of that, there's been some discontent between Amerope and Sharo for a while now. Needless to say, I've been quite busy.”

“Last time you were here, you were working as an interpreter for talks between Sharo and Japan,” Netto said. “How did that go?”

“It went well, actually,” Laika said. “It seems like there will be more trade opportunities opened up for both countries.”

“I'm relieved,” Enzan said. “Sharo desperately needs those contracts.”

“Now if only talks with Creamland could go as well,” Laika muttered.

“Speaking of Creamland...” A nasty grin spread across Netto's face. “How's Princess Pride?”

Laika's cheeks flushed slightly, and he looked away from Netto. “She's fine.”

“Just 'fine'?” Enzan asked, a smug grin on his face. “I would have thought you'd have more to say on the matter, given how close you two are.”

“Our relationship is strictly professional,” Laika said, but he was clearly rattled by Netto and Enzan's teasing.

“Come on, Laika, it's pretty clear that she doesn't think it's _just_ a professional relationship!” Netto's grin was even wider.

“I've seen the way she looks at you,” Enzan added.

Laika sputtered, and then slammed his hands down on the arms of his chair. “Drop this subject _immediately_.”

Netto cackled loudly. Enzan still wore a smug grin.

Flustered, Laika fixed his uniform, and frowned at Netto. “When do I get to meet the recruits?”

“Later,” Netto said. “Saki's recovering, and I think Taka's with him.”

“They're in the same room then?” Laika said. “Good.” He stood up. “That makes this much easier for me.”

“Laika, don't,” Enzan said, but made no movements to stop him.

Ignoring Enzan, Laika left the room.

“It's rude to interrupt them!” Netto called after Laika.

“He can't hear you,” Enzan muttered.

As Laika strode down the hall, he pulled out his PET.

“What room is Saki Tanaka staying in?” Laika asked.

“Room 201,” Laika's Navi, Searchman, answered back.

Quickening his pace, Laika made his way down the hall, and to the room at the end. A placard next to the door read '201', and Laika pulled the door open.

The room had six beds, but only one was in use. Saki and Taka both looked up as Laika entered, and Taka's eyes widened as he spotted Laika's crisp uniform. He jumped to his feet, and fumbled with a salute.

“Who are you?” Saki asked, tired.

“I am Major Laika Nikitovich Biryukov,” Laika said, “And I'm here to help train both of you.”

A deep sigh slowly escaped Saki. “Oh boy, another one.”

“Laika-san...sir,” Taka said, clearly on edge, “It's a pleasure to meet you—”

“You must be Wakahisa-kun,” Laika said. He looked Taka over and snorted. “Not much to work with, I see. I have quite a lot to do.”

Taka seemed to wilt, and Saki felt sorry for him. 

“Taka's a really capable NetBattler,” Saki said. “I think you're being too quick to judge him.”

“I'll see for myself what he's capable of once training starts,” Laika said briskly. “That goes for you too.”

“Huh?” Saki asked, confused.

“Once you're out of the hospital, you'll both be starting a strict physical regiment. You both need to be in good shape and have lots of stamina in order to properly use Cross Fusion. Netto has expressed to me that he feels this is something Wakahisa-kun especially lacks.”

Taka looked terrified. “Wait, I have to _work out?_ Oh no, please, I can't take any more of that!”

“Work out?” Laika scoffed. “No, Wakahisa-kun, you'll be going through boot camp.” His dark eyes narrowed. “Once I'm done with you, you'll be begging for mercy.”

Taka looked to be on the edge of tears.

“T-think about it this way! You'll need to be in good shape if you want to join NAXA!” Saki said, trying to be optimistic.

“I'm going to die!” Taka wailed.

Saki caught sight of Enzan hovering in the doorway, and shot him a pleading look. Enzan simply shrugged in response.

“Netto and Enzan will also be joining you,” Laika continued. “I have orders to whip them back into shape as well.”

Enzan's face twisted bitterly, but he stayed quiet.

“I'm not here to be your friend,” said Laika. “I'm here to instruct you, and nothing more. If you give me an attitude, I'll be sure to help you correct it. Forcefully, if I must.”

“Isn't this a bit much?” Saki asked.

Laika crossed his arms. “The biggest problem I have with Enzan and Netto's teaching style is their lack or order and discipline. Netto is too friendly, and he's soft as a result. Enzan is incapable of adjusting to others, and therefore fails to be a good teacher.”

Enzan seemed angry, but remained silent.

“I, however, understand that you both learn at a different pace. My job is to speed that pace up.” Laika gave the boys a cold smile. “You _will_ learn, or you will fail. Failure is not tolerated.”

“I'm thirteen,” Taka said, clearly frantic. “I'm not made to be a soldier!”

“When I was thirteen, I was already enlisted,” Laika said.

 _That ought to be illegal_ , Saki thought bitterly.

“As I recall, you lied about your age to get in,” Enzan said, speaking up for the first time since entering the room. Laika turned to look at him.

“Yes, well, there were certain _circumstances_ ,” Laika said.

Enzan rolled his eyes. “They're kids, Laika, and this isn't the military. I'm not about to clean up the mess you make if one of them drops dead.”

“They won't,” Laika said. “They'll want to, but they won't.”

Enzan sighed, turned, and left the room, muttering something under his breath about lawsuits.

“Listen,” Saki said. “I've had a very long day, and I'm exhausted. Can we continue this _lovely_ conversation another day?”

“I was about to leave,” Laika said. “I simply stopped by to say hello. Now that I've done so, I'll be on my way.” He walked towards the door, then paused, looking back at Saki and Taka. “I will see you both soon.” And with that, Laika left.

“Fun guy,” Saki grumbled.

Taka sank back onto the bed, his face white as a sheet. “I'm going to have to get lessons from that guy,” he whispered.

“A terrifying thought,” Saki said.

Taka looked at Saki. “I should probably draft my will now.”

***

The bright lights of the Kabuki district cut through the darkness of the cold night. A man in a leather jacket with long red hair stood by his delivery scooter, finishing a cigarette. He ignored the people going by, letting the noise of the crowds wash over him. He breathed a puff of smoke slowly into the air, and watched it slowly drift up, curling around the bright lights of the sign above him.

While he smoked, the sound of an altercation reached his ears. He paused, turning to look towards the source of the scuffle. A young woman in a beautiful dress was trying to pull away from a man in a suit. He swayed on his feet, and the redheaded man guessed that they'd been drinking. The woman gave a shrill cry as she tried to pull her arm free.

“Haruto-san, please,” she said. “Please, I still have to finish my shift. I can't go anywhere.”

“Please, Keiko-san!” the man named Haruto said. “Please come with me! We can get a meal! I'll treat you, I promise! Just let me keep spoiling you!”

“I told you, my policy is to never date my guests,” Keiko said, still trying to pull away. “I can't go with you, Haruto-san.”

The man in the leather jacket dropped his cigarette and crushed it under his boot. Sighing, he walked towards the man and the woman, clearly unhappy.

“Sir,” the redheaded man said once he was close enough for Haruto to hear, “The lady said she doesn't want to go. Why don't you listen to her?”

Haruto gave the man a sneer, and seemed to size him up. “Huh? Wazzat? Are you trying to tell me what to do?”

Keiko yanked her hand free, and ran to stand behind the man in the leather jacket. He put a hand out to shield her further.

“Oooooh, I get it!” Haruto said, pointing unsteadily at the man. “You're trying to keep Keiko-san all to yourself!”

“I only just met her,” the man said. “I have no idea what you're talking about.”

“Yer lyin'!” Haruto said. “I'm not about to let someone else snatch up my Keiko-san like that!”

“Haruto-san, please!” Keiko pleaded. “I keep trying to tell you, I'm just doing my job! I don't belong to only you!”

Haruto didn't seem to hear, and instead tried to throw a punch at the redheaded man. He stepped back, avoiding the punch easily, and Keiko gave a yelp of fear. 

“Let's not start a fight,” the man said.

Haruto threw another punch. The man sighed, batted Haruto's drunken punch away before grabbing his arm. In one swift movement, he threw Haruto to the ground, and pinned his arm behind him. Haruto yelled loudly, but the man's grip was firm.

From the club nearby, a tall, stocky man came running out. He stopped when he saw Haruto pinned.

“I'm the bouncer for Club Sunshine,” the stocky man explained. “Haruto-san here has been harassing our girls a lot recently, so I kicked him out earlier. I guess he grabbed Keiko-san while she was on her way into work.”

The bouncer took Haruto from the other man, and hauled Haruto to his feet. “I'm calling the police this time,” he told Haruto. “You can't just attack our girls like that!”

“Keiko-san!” Haruto wailed as he was led away. “Please! Keiko-saaaaaannnnnn!”

Keiko sighed in relief, and the man looked at her.

“You okay?” he asked.

“Yes, thanks to you,” Keiko said. “I apologize for that.”

“I can't stand men who act like that.”

Keiko smiled sweetly. “May I ask your name, kind sir?”

“Hinoken,” the man said. 

“Hinoken-san,” Keiko said.

“Just Hinoken is fine,” he insisted.

“Hinoken, then.” Keiko took a step towards him. “I would like to thank you properly for rescuing me.”

“No thanks is necessary,” Hinoken said, trying to edge away.

“But I insist!” Keiko said. “I'm sure my boss would understand if you came inside for a drink.”

“I don't frequent these kinds of places,” Hinoken said, waving a hand towards the club. 

“Oh, no!” Keiko's eyes widened. “No, not like that! I meant that I would like to offer you a drink as thanks! Not as a paying customer.”

Hinoken relaxed. “I really can't. I was just finishing up a delivery nearby when I heard your fight.”

Keiko seemed crestfallen. “Oh, I see.” She paused and said, “Then, is there some way I can reach you?”

“It's fine, really, you don't have to thank me—”

Hinoken stopped. The disappointed look on Keiko's face caused his heart to twist uncomfortably. He heaved a great sigh.

“Alright, one drink. One.” He held up his finger. Keiko's face broke into a warm smile, and she took Hinoken's hand in hers.

She led him into the club. The music was relatively quiet, and everywhere there were groups of people at tables, talking and drinking and having a great time. Hinoken's eyes darted around nervously.

“This way,” Keiko said, pulling Hinoken towards a small table at the back. She urged Hinoken to sit, and slid into the booth after him. Hinoken felt his heart stutter as Keiko pressed up against his arm.

“What would you like to drink?” Keiko asked.

“B-beer is fine,” Hinoken said.

Keiko nodded, and waved at a well-dressed server. “Can I get a beer over here? Please put it on my tab!”

Hinoken cleared his throat as Keiko pressed up against him once more. He looked at her out of the corner of his eye, and she smiled up at him.

“So Hinoken, what is it that you do for a living?”

“Oh, uhh,” Hinoken felt himself sweat a little bit. “I deliver curry.”

“How nice!” Keiko said. “My son delivers ramen!”

“You...have a son, Keiko-san?” Hinoken took a closer look at Keiko, who smiled coyly at him.

“Yes, he's sixteen!” She giggled. “Did that surprise you~?”

“Ahh, a little,” Hinoken admitted. He paused and then asked, “Are you married, Keiko-san?”

“Not anymore,” Keiko admitted, and a little sorrow crept onto her face. “My husband died seven years ago.”

“Oh, I'm sorry to hear that,” said Hinoken.

Keiko shook her head. “It's quite alright. I'm sure he wouldn't want me to be sad.”

The server returned, and placed the drink on the table in front of Hinoken. Keiko smiled, and thanked the server, who nodded and left. Hinoken took a long drink, and sighed with satisfaction as he set his glass back down on the table.

“Oh no!” Keiko said, “We didn't toast!”

“Ahh, I guess not,” Hinoken said.

“How about we toast to your health!” Keiko suggested.

“Why don't we toast to meetings,” Hinoken said.

“A lovely idea!” Keiko said, clapping her hands. “To meetings!”

“To meetings,” Hinoken said, and raised his glass. He took another drink of beer.

Keiko waited until Hinoken had set his drink back down. “Are you dating anyone right now, Hinoken?”

Sputtering, Hinoken looked at Keiko. “Wha—?! N-no, I'm not!” He composed himself. “Why do you ask?”

“Oh, I was just curious,” Keiko said. “I'm quite surprised though! I was certain someone as handsome and courteous as you would have been snatched up already!”

“I'm...not looking for a girlfriend,” Hinoken said.

“Is that right?” Keiko seemed to think about it. “Is there a reason?”

“I'm...sort of on a quest for self-improvement,” Hinoken admitted.

“Oh, I see! That must be why your arms are so big!” Keiko laughed and gave Hinoken's arm a playful squeeze. Hinoken's face flushed.

“My husband had big arms too!” Keiko said. “He was a firefighter, you know!”

“A firefighter, eh?” Hinoken mused. “He and I wouldn't have got along then.”

“Why not?” Keiko asked.

“I'm kind of a big fan of fire,” Hinoken said.

Keiko laughed. “Ahh, I see! You two really would have been at odds!”

Hinoken took another drink of his beer. He was nearing the bottom of his glass already.

“Say, Hinoken?” Keiko asked. “If you _were_ looking for a girlfriend, what sort of girls would you be into?”

Hinoken looked at Keiko. Maybe it was the beer, or the lighting, but Keiko had a beautiful face. His eyes slowly traveled down her body, and he cleared his throat, embarrassed.

“Well, I suppose she'd have to be rather curvy,” he said. “I do like a woman with nice curves.”

“Oh, I see.” Keiko was smiling coyly again. “And what else?”

“She'd have to be funny,” he went on. “And maybe like to ride on a scooter.”

“How funny, I used to ride on a motorcycle a lot in my youth!” Keiko said, her eyes going wide with surprise. “I love the way the wind tosses your hair around, and the feeling of flying when you open up the throttle.”

Hinoken's heart skipped a beat. “Never would have thought you were into motorcycles, Keiko-san.”

“I'm full of surprises,” she said, pressing up against Hinoken once more.

Hinoken reached for his drink, but Keiko put her hand over the glass. She looked him in the eyes, and Hinoken swallowed.

“I want to know more about you,” she said. 

“I'm not the kind of man you want to get to know,” Hinoken said. “Especially if you've got a kid.”

“Two, actually,” Keiko said. “And don't try to make decisions for me.”

“I'm not a kind man deep down,” Hinoken said.

“And I'm sure you're just exaggerating,” Keiko said.

The two stared at each other for a long moment. Finally, Keiko lifted her hand off the glass, and sat back in the seat. Hinoken finished off his beer. He set his empty glass down and looked at Keiko.

“It's been fun,” he said, “But I have to be going now.”

“I'll walk you outside,” Keiko said, and scooted out of the booth. Hinoken followed suit, and Keiko slipped her arm around Hinoken's steering him towards the front door. When they got outside, Keiko looked at Hinoken sadly.

“Are you sure I can't have your number?”

Hinoken hesitated. He seemed to be wrestling with himself.

“I thought you don't date customers?” he asked.

“I don't,” Keiko said, “But you're not a customer, are you?”

Hinoken sighed. He pulled out his PET slowly, and Keiko stopped him.

“Never mind. Let me give you my number instead.” She pulled a piece of paper and a pen out of her purse, and scribbled something on it. She handed the paper to Hinoken, and smiled.

“I look forward to your call,” she said, and then walked back into the club.

Hinoken watched her leave, and then looked at the piece of paper. It turned out to be the business card for the club. In cute writing was a phone number, and a simple message that said, “I'll be waiting, Keiko.” 

Hinoken stuffed the card into his jacket pocket, his face red with embarrassment. He quickly walked back to his scooter, hands stuffed into his pants pockets, and plopped down on the scooter's seat. He ran a hand over his face and sighed.

“What should I do about this...?”

After a minute of thinking, he swung his leg over the scooter, and turned the key to start it. He let the motor warm up a little before he finally took off down the brightly lit streets of Kabuki, and into the night.


	8. Dark Shadows

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Taka does some poking around in forums and digs up some info on the strange chips currently in circulation. Laika gives his first lesson to Taka, who does not take it well.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> _Sorry for posting this so late! Thanks for your patience! I spent all of Saturday writing an outline (yeah, I didn't have one of those until now), so hopefully things will go smoother._

The bedroom was dark, lit only by the harsh light of the computer monitor on Taka's desk. The boy sat, bundled in a large blanket, staring at the screen with rapt interest. With a fumbling hand, he reached off to the side, and grabbed a small container of pretzel sticks, which he opened before shoving a pretzel into his mouth.

“Salty...” Taka muttered, and reached for a bottle of soda on his desk. He uncapped it and took a deep drink before returning his attention to the computer screen.

Scrolling down a forum filled with posts, Taka's eyes scanned each one quickly, searching for a certain word or phrase. Finally, he stopped scrolling as his eyes landed on a post titled, 'I BOUGHT A STRANGE CHIP AND IT DELETED MY NAVI!!' He clicked on the post to expand it, and continued reading.

_A week ago, I was approached by someone who claimed to have a performance enhancing chip for my Navi. It was pretty expensive—10,000 zenny apiece—but it was really tempting. I ended up buying one, thinking it could just be a collector's piece, but..._

Taka sighed. “This already sounds like they got scammed,” he muttered.

_After a few days, I couldn't seem to help myself. I took the chip out of my collection, and put it in my chip folder. There was a fight I was going to be in, and I just wanted to be sure I would win. It was almost like someone was whispering to me to take it. I can't explain properly why I did, I just know that I felt like I had to._

_I went to the fight, and it wasn't looking good for me. I pulled out the weird chip, and slotted it in. That's when everything went really, really bad._

_Every alarm in my PET went off all at once, and my Navi went completely crazy. I tried to Operate him, but he wasn't responding to any of my commands. Then my Navi tore into the other Navi and damaged him pretty badly. The other guy was able to log his Navi out in time, but my Navi wouldn't log out no matter how much I tried. Eventually, my Navi collapsed and then...fell apart. I don't have a better way of describing it. It was like he fell to pieces and then was deleted. I checked my back-up data, and it was corrupted. No matter how hard I tried to restore it, I just couldn't do it. It was completely destroyed._

Taka paused, shuddering. He's read stories before of people using strange chips, and their Navis going berserk and escaping into the Undernet, but never one that flat out destroyed the Navi. In the previous cases, deleting the Navi allowed the Operator to restore them from the Navi's backup data, but this new chip seemed to destroy the backup data as well.

“Whoever made these chips definitely wanted to cause some damage,” Taka muttered darkly. “It's clearly malicious.”

Axl materialized on the desk, and looked up at Taka. He seemed nervous as well.

“Taka, why do you think someone would make chips that delete Navis? Spite? Misplaced anger? Some sick pleasure at watching them die?”

“It could be either one,” Taka said. “Some hackers just want to watch the world burn.”

Axl looked back up at the screen. “Well whatever the reason, if this story is the truth then these chips are super dangerous.”

“Agreed,” Taka said. “I'm going to keep digging, and see what else I find. Can you look too? You might be able to find something I miss.”

“I'm on it!” Axl said, and disappeared again.

Taka clicked back to the forum, and continued scrolling down the list. It was a while before Taka found another post that sounded relevant. Taka clicked on it, and read this post too.

_Have you guys come across one of these weird chips? I ended up getting scammed into buying one for like 10,000 zenny, and honestly I never used it. I put it on my desk and forgot about it for a week or so. By the time I remembered, it was gone. I don't know where it went! It was like it disappeared!_

“He probably misplaced it,” Taka said, clicking back to the forum. “Next.”

Taka found several more posts. One talked about a person who had bought one being plagued by nightmares and hearing voices until they threw the chip away, and another says their Navi also went berserk, but ran off into the Net somewhere. When they checked their backup data, it too was corrupted beyond repair.

“Some of this seems kind of fake,” Taka said. “Hearing voices? Yeah right.” He shifted uncomfortably in his seat, and adjusted his headphones. “Probably just making stuff up.” He pulled his blanket around him tighter, and stared intently at the screen. “The stuff about Navis going berserk, or backup data being destroyed though...” He made a thoughtful noise. “There have been a few posts with the same claims. Could it be the truth? Or are people just making claims based on other posts? People can often inflate things to seem more grandiose than they actually are.”

“Some people just want the short burst of fame,” Axl added, materializing back on Taka's desk.

“Welcome back,” Taka said. “Find anything interesting?”

“Just more of the same,” Axl admitted. “But I ran into a Navi that was posting, and they told me that a friend of theirs had gone missing a few days ago and not returned. They were getting pretty anxious, what with all the talk of strange chips and crazy Navis.”

“I'd be worried too,” Taka said.

Axl crossed his arms. “Well, we're not getting very far here. Want to try somewhere else?”

Taka tapped a finger on his desk thoughtfully. “Let's check the Undernet forums.”

“Ugh, really?” Axl seemed disgusted. “You know I hate going down there.”

“I know, I don't like it much either,” Taka said, sighing. “Plus, we're likely to only hit even more overinflated lies. But we might find something genuinely helpful too.”

“I guess,” Axl said, although he seemed hesitant still. “But I can't forget last time we were there.”

“You mean the time that Navi tried to eat you?” Taka asked.

Axl shuddered. “It...it was just this...gaping maw...just a pile of messed-up data and a gaping maw...”

Taka sighed. “I'm sorry. I guess I wasn't really thinking about how you'd feel about it. You don't have to go this time, I'll do my research from this end.”

Still shaken, Axl nodded. “Just...just be careful, okay?”

“I'll be fine!” Taka said cheerfully, flashing Axl a wide grin. “I know better than to engage people on the Internet.”

“It's just...” Axl bit his lip, and then reached hesitantly for Taka. “If something were to happen to you...I couldn't...I'd never forgive myself.”

Taka's expression softened. He reached out, and touched Axl's outstretched hand with his finger.

“I know,” he said softly. “I feel the same way about you.”

Relief washed over Axl's face. He stepped towards Taka's finger, and pressed his face against it.

“I was made to be here for you, no matter what,” Axl said. “To be here when Shin couldn't...” He paused, collecting himself. “I just think that...you might be getting in over your head a little bit.”

“Saki said it was a bad idea too,” Taka said. “But I just can't leave it alone. If there's some nasty chip out there deleting Navis, then I want to do something about it.” The harsh light of the computer screen reflected coldly in Taka's eyes. “People who prey on Navis and are the absolute worst.”

“You know I'd do anything to help you,” Axl said, “But I draw the line at things that put you in mortal peril.”

Taka smiled, chasing away the dark expression he'd had only a moment before. “No mortal peril, I promise.” He pulled his hand away from Axl, and started typing on his keyboard. He switched from the public forum he'd been using to a different one, this one much more plain looking, free from images or clipart, and the background a sickly pink color. Taka started clicking and scrolling through the different subforums, looking for posts on the strange chip.

“I'm not getting a lot of hits,” Taka said. “Most of what I'm seeing are posts dragging internet celebrities and fashion groups dragging its members. Lots and lots of drama, very little else.”

“A quiet night, I guess,” Axl said.

“Mmm.” Taka clicked a few more times, and then paused. His eyes widened. “Oh, here! In the chip trading forum!” He clicked a post, and quickly read it, his eyes flickering back and forth. “I think this is what I was looking for!”

Axl leaned in eagerly.

“'Trying to sell this weird chip I bought. Paid 10,000 zenny for it. Price negotiable. It's creepy and I just want to get rid of it.'” Taka grinned. “Looks like I might have gotten pretty lucky here.”

Axl made a face. “Could be a trap.”

“Probably.” Taka cracked his knuckles. “Let's see what I can do.”

Pulling up a response window, Taka quickly engaged anonymous mode and made an offer.

_Price isn't really an issue, but do you have pictures? I just want to see what I'd be buying._

Taka hit send, and waited.

A few more responses went up, also asking for pictures. The original poster didn't respond.

Taka frowned. “Maybe it was a bait post after all.”

Then, just as he'd said that, he refreshed the post and there was a response from the original poster.

_I can take one, just give me a second._

Taka and Axl waited, breathlessly, for the picture reply. Finally, an image loaded, and Taka peered at it.

“It's so dark,” he muttered, “I can barely see it.” He sighed. “Probably a fake.”

 _Your camera sucks_ , one reply said.

 _Take better pictures_ , said another.

 _Seems like a scam to me_ , Taka posted.

 _Wait_ , the original poster said, _let me try again. I'm having a hard time, for some reason_.

Taka waited patiently. The other posters began writing nasty posts, saying that it shouldn't be hard to take a good picture and that they were just trying to scam them, but Taka wasn't interested in buying the chip. He only wanted to have a picture of it for reference.

Finally, a new picture went up, and Taka stared at it in amazement. The picture was in perfect focus, but for some reason, the chip in the poster's hand was blurred and hard to see. Taka guessed the color was silver, but he couldn't make out much more than that.

 _Why are you photoshopping it?_ one poster asked. _I still can't see it!_

 _This was the best picture I could take!_ the original poster replied. _I told you this chip is creepy!_

Taka was satisfied. He quickly saved the picture to his computer, and backed out of the thread.

“We're done here,” he said. “That's probably the best picture we're going to get of this thing.”

“Wonder why it was so blurry,” Axl pondered aloud.

“It could be lots of things,” Taka said. “In this case, I doubt that the poster was photoshopping it. Even an experienced photoshopper would have taken more than a few minutes to do a job like that. The time period between posts was too short.”

“So you're saying the chip really just...refused to be photographed?” Axl asked, looking unsettled.

“Who knows,” Taka said. “But I don't want to stick around that nasty forum to find out.”

Taka sat back in his chair, and sighed. He rubbed the bridge of his nose with his hands.

“What now?” Axl asked.

“For now, we should ask people around town,” Taka said. “Maybe someone knows something. I'm going to wait a while before I start searching the Net again, just in case we've attracted attention.”

“Good idea,” Axl said. “Who knows what kind of people are monitoring those threads?”

Taka stared blankly at his computer screen. “Back when Dark Chips were still floating around the Net, people would suddenly stop logging in after talking about them. There were a lot of rumors about people being silenced.” He reached for the pretzel sticks, and ate another one, followed by a sip of his soda. “Reading the archived threads on that event gave me the creeps.” He looked at Axl. “Something about this incident reminds me of that one...”

“So you're going to take my advice and let the adults handle this one?” Axl asked, hopeful.

Taka looked thoughtful. “Probably not. I'm just going to change tactics.”

Axl sighed heavily.

***

After being in the hospital for a few days, Saki was relieved to finally be allowed to go home. He looked down at the hand his IV had been in, now bandaged, and flexed his fingers, wincing.

“Happy to be going home?” Keiko asked.

“Yeah,” Saki said. “I'm sure you're glad too. You can finally get more sleep in the mornings.”

Keiko laughed. “I get enough sleep anyway!”

Michi slipped her hand into Saki's unbandaged one. “Let's go home, okay?” she said.

Saki smiled softly. “Sure thing, kiddo.”

As they walked down the hall towards the exit, Keiko cast a nervous glance at Saki. He noticed, and asked, “What's wrong?”

“Oh, nothing, it's just...” Keiko hesitated. “Saki, do you think the Ministry of Science will call you back in to work this soon?”

Saki thought about his conversation with Laika a few days earlier. “Probably,” he admitted.

Keiko seemed sad. “Oh...”

Smiling, Saki said, “Don't worry, Mom, I'm not going to let them drag me back to work the same day I get out of the hospital. I haven't been able to eat with you guys in days! I won't trade that for anything.”

Michi giggled, swinging her arms happily. Keiko smiled too, although hers was slightly pained, as if she was trying to reassure herself.

Saki thanked the front desk worker after he had signed out, and the family left, ready to go home and rest after a long few days. However, he was not expecting to see Netto waiting for him once they got outside.

“Heya!” Netto said, waving with his good arm. Saki glanced at the full arm cast in the sling, and felt his stomach twist.

“H-hey...” Saki replied, waving weakly.

“How are you feeling?” Netto asked.

“Much better,” Saki said.

“Good!” Netto looked at Keiko and Michi in turn. “This must be your family then! How do you do? I'm Netto Hikari!”

Keiko clapped her hands together. “Oh! You work with Saki! It's nice to finally meet you!” She put a hand to her chest. “My name is Keiko, and I'm Saki's mother.”

Netto's eyes widened. “Mother?! Oh, I thought you were his older sister!”

They both laughed, and Saki clenched his teeth.

“Oh you!” Keiko said, putting a hand to her mouth as she chuckled. “And this is my daughter, Michi.”

“Hello,” said Michi.

Netto crouched down, and grinned at Michi. “Hey there, Michi-chan! I'm a friend of your brother!”

“It's very nice to meet you,” Michi said politely.

“How old are you, Michi-chan?” Netto asked.

“Eight,” Michi said. “I just turned eight on May 9th.”

“Oh, happy belated birthday!” Netto said. “Was it a good birthday?”

Michi nodded. “My classmates and I had cupcakes, and my brother made me a cake, and Mamma made my favorite foods!”

“That sounds awesome!” Netto looked genuinely excited. Michi smiled brightly, and nodded.

“What brings you here, Netto-kun?” Keiko asked.

Netto straightened up before answering. “Well, I came to make sure Saki was going to be okay after being discharged, but I guess I didn't have to worry after all.”

Saki smiled, but it felt plastic and fake. “What's the real reason?”

Netto paused. “Well...” He scratched the back of his head with his good hand. “Laika wants you to come to practices as soon as possible.” Netto sighed. “I tried to tell him you needed time to rest, but he won't listen to me.”

 _I knew it_ , Saki thought bitterly.

Michi became upset. “No!” she said, stamping her foot. “Big brother _can't_ go to work! He's going to stay home with us today!”

“He promised us and everything!” Keiko said, and Saki could tell that she was disappointed but had expected this exact situation to have occurred.

“I know, I didn't want him to go in either!” Netto said. “I'll try to talk to him, but I want Saki to stay home today.” He gave Saki a sharp glance. “No matter what, stay home and rest.”

Saki breathed a sigh of relief.

“Laika's a tough teacher, but he can't argue with direct orders. I'll put him in his place.” Netto seemed confident in his words, even if Saki wasn't.

Keiko gave Netto a smile. “Thank you for always looking out for Saki. I know he can be a lot sometimes.”

Saki's stomach twisted violently, and he looked at the ground.

“Oh, he's really fantastic!” Netto insisted. “He takes initiative, and he's a hard worker. I really enjoy working with him, honestly.”

 _I'm sure he's just saying that_ , Saki told himself.

“Well then, it was a pleasure to meet you,” Keiko said, gently tugging Michi's hand. “We'll give you and Saki a few moments to talk. Come on, Michi, let's go wait over here.”

Michi obediently trotted after Keiko, and Saki found himself alone with Netto. He still couldn't bring himself to look up.

Netto took a deep breath, and exhaled loudly. “Boy, I never realized how much I use my left hand until now!”

Saki didn't look up.

“I keep trying to move it, and then realize that it's in a cast. It's hilarious! Or, it _would_ be, if it wasn't so aggravating.”

“I'm sorry,” Saki said, his voice barely above a whisper.

“Don't apologize,” Netto said sincerely. “It wasn't as if you did it on purpose. I'm just relieved you're not hurt too.”

Slowly, Saki looked up, his face hot and his eyes stinging. He swallowed as he looked at Netto, who was still smiling as he always did, as if nothing at all had happened.

“I don't understand why I wasn't let go,” Saki admitted. “I proved to be dangerous, and probably unpredictable. There's no telling if it'll happen again—”

“It might,” Netto said, interrupting, “But who cares? We can stop it next time too.” He looked Saki in the eyes. “Using Cross Fusion is pretty unpredictable. Lots of stuff can happen—has happened, in fact. It's a risk, and we all know that.” Netto patted Saki's shoulder. “The only thing we can count on is teamwork and looking out for each other.”

Saki averted his eyes, but didn't turn his head away. He knew Netto was telling the truth.

“That's why we train so hard. It's so that we're always prepared for the worst.” Netto let his arm drop back to his side. “You've had to bear a lot, all on your own, up until this point. But it's okay to rely on other people too. Nobody can do _everything_ on their own.” He sighed. “No matter how much Enzan seems to think he can.”

Saki made a face. “I'm not as bad as Enzan, am I?”

“No way!” Netto laughed. “But you might if you keep trying to do everything all by yourself!”

Saki cracked a weak smile.

“Go home, and be with your family,” Netto said. “I'll get Laika to wait until tomorrow.”

“Okay,” Saki said.

“Good!” Netto turned and started walking away, pausing long enough to wave at Saki. “See you tomorrow then!” he called, and then nodded to Keiko and Michi, who nodded back. Finally, Netto walked away, and disappeared down the street.

Keiko waved to Saki, and he jogged over to them.

“How did it go?” Keiko asked.

“Better than I was expecting,” Saki admitted.

“That's good,” Keiko said. “I'm glad.” She patted Saki's head. “Now, let's go home, and I'll make us curry for dinner.”

“What about work?” Saki asked.

“I called out tonight,” Keiko said. “I told them my son was coming home from the hospital, and my boss practically begged me to stay home.”

Saki laughed. “More like you strong-armed them into letting you stay home.”

Keiko gave a mischievous smile. “I would never do that!” she said.

***

Saki spent a quiet night at home. Keiko made her curry for them all, and Saki savored each bite. He could feel his mother's love in each spoonful, and it made him feel safe. Then, they all played card games until Michi grew sleepy. Keiko shooed both Michi and Saki off to bed, and Saki heard her making tea as he changed into his pyjamas. He brushed his teeth, and kissed Michi goodnight before slipping into his own bed. 

Even though he was tired, Saki still had trouble falling asleep. He kept wondering if Zer0 was okay.

 _I hope that they were able to fix Zer0_ , he thought. _I hope Zer0 is still Zer0 when I see him next..._

Saki eventually heard Keiko retiring to bed, and before long she was snoring lightly. Saki tried to fall asleep as well, and it was a long time before he was finally able to nod off.

The sensation of weightlessness stirred Saki's senses, but he couldn't see anything or open his eyes. He tried to move, and his body refused to respond. He felt a tinge of panic, but he recalled feeling this way once before.

 _When I fainted after the first time I Cross Fused, I felt this way_ , Saki remembered. _It's exactly the same as last time_.

Unlike last time, however, there were no icy tendrils pulling him down into the dark depths. Instead, there was a gentle warmth that clung to him. A tingling sensation spread across his skin, and Saki felt his muscles twitch involuntarily. It reminded him of being shocked by static electricity.

 _This is a pretty odd dream_ , Saki thought. _I wonder if it means anything_.

He lay there for a very long time, unable to move, the electric shocks happening at random intervals. Eventually, Saki grew tired of feeling trapped.

 _It'd be nice to move_ , he thought.

The feeling of an echoed sentiment passed through his mind, and Saki was momentarily startled. It felt a little bit like when he was in Cross Fusion.

 _But I'm not Cross Fused!_ Saki tried to think of a rational explanation. _Maybe I'm more exhausted than I thought. Or maybe I just miss Zer0 that much..._

A lonely feeling settled into his chest. He tried moving again, to no avail.

 _I hate this_ , Saki thought. _I want to leave this place. I want to see Zer0_.

Again and again Saki desperately tried to move his limbs, but they still felt heavy and unresponsive. Just as he was reaching the point of wanting to scream in frustration, he was jolted out of his dream by Michi shaking him.

“Wake up, big brother,” she said sleepily. “It's time to get up.”

Saki felt his heart beating rapidly in his chest, and raised his arm slowly. It still felt heavy, but it moved under his will power, and he was filled with relief.

“What an awful dream,” he muttered.

Saki sat up, and Michi looked at him, puzzled. “Did you have a bad dream, big brother?” she asked.

Saki nodded. “I was trapped in my own body. I couldn't move at all.”

Michi shivered. “That does sound pretty bad.”

With a sigh, Saki pushed his blanket off. “Let's eat breakfast,” he said to Michi.

***

Taka was waiting for Saki when he entered the break room at the Ministry of Science. He jumped to his feet, and ran over, looking excited.

“I did some digging,” Taka said, “And I think I have more info on that chip the Net Police were asking you about.”

Saki raised an eyebrow. “Oh?” He frowned. “No 'hello, how are you?' or anything?”

“Sorry,” Taka said, “I guess I was pretty excited.”

Taka dragged Saki over to the couch, and summarized everything he'd found a few nights before—how the chips were being sold for a large sum, about how people often referred to them as 'creepy' or 'unsettling', how they made their Navis go berserk after they were used, and about how their backup data was also corrupted beyond use.

“And get this! People insist that they can't find the chips after they've used them!” Taka was quite animated by this point, hands flailing as he spoke. “I also managed to get someone to take a picture of one, but it came out so blurry I can't tell what it looks like for sure.”

“It's probably a hoax,” Saki said.

“That's what I thought,” Taka said. “It's more than likely that they had altered pre-existing pictures, or just faked them entirely. But on the slim chance that it's the truth, then this chip might be weirder than we had first thought.” He showed Saki the picture he'd saved from the Undernet forum.

Saki squinted at it. Everything's in focus, so why is the chip the only thing that isn't?

“It's creepy, isn't it?” Taka asked, more excited than he really should have been.

Axl materialized on Taka's shoulder. “I told him we should leave this to the authorities.”

“I agree,” Saki said. “This already seems way too dangerous for us to mess with.”

Taka pouted. “My next step was to ask around, and see if anyone knew anything. I bet if I poke around Akihara, I might get some good info!”

Saki sighed, and was about to tell Taka that it was a terrible idea, but the sound of footsteps at the door stopped him. He looked up, and saw Laika glaring at them.

“There you are,” he said. “We're starting.”

Taka grumbled, and got to his feet. Saki followed suit, and they meekly walked out of the room, following Laika who walked at a brisk pace.

“I had wanted to start today with a ten mile run, but neither of you showed up early enough,” Laika said, clearly annoyed.

“Ten miles...” Taka wheezed.

 _That's a lot, even for me_ , Saki thought.

“But I suppose I'll have to settle with testing what you're both capable of,” Laika continued. 

“Oh boy,” Saki sighed.

As they were passing through the office, Meijin ran up to Saki, and paused next to him, breathless.

“What's up?” Saki asked.

“Here,” Meijin wheezed, handing Saki his PET back. “We're all done with Zer0. He came back clean. It seemed that it was just a buggy subroutine. He perceived a threat, and went into a protective state, more than likely.” 

Saki sighed with relief. “I'm glad he's okay.”

“I did my best to fix the subroutine, and his personality is fine. Still the same Zer0 you know and love.” Meijin grinned. “I told you it would be fine.”

“I'm sorry I ever doubted you,” Saki said.

Meijin brushed it off. “Anyway, I have to get back to work. I'm a little behind my deadline, so I have to try and catch up.” He waved at Saki as he jogged off again. “Later.”

Saki watched him go, then turned and ran to catch up with Laika and Taka.

“Good to have you back, Zer0,” Saki said.

“I am delighted to be back,” Zer0 replied.

“Hey Zer0! Good to see you!” Axl said.

“How are you feeling?” Taka asked.

“I am fine, thank you,” Zer0 said. “It seems that I was simply malfunctioning. I apologize if I have caused any distress.”

“We were just worried about you,” Axl said. “I'd be sad if anything happened to my other favorite partner!”

Laika came to a stop at the door to the practice room, and then gave the boys a sharp look. 

“Today, I'll be seeing what you are capable of during battle,” he explained. “How you react to situations, how you handle stress, and how you improvise.” He opened the door, and motioned for them to enter first. Taka gave Laika a wary glance, and entered the room. Saki followed. Laika entered last, and shut the door behind him. Saki could feel the nervous energy filling the room, and he shuddered.

“Wakahisa,” Laika said, and Taka snapped to attention. “You'll be up first.”

“Huh?” Taka seemed flustered. “Oh, umm...”

“Sure,” Axl said, his face unusually serious. He stared at Laika, his arms crossed.

“What will I be doing?” Taka asked timidly.

“You'll be battling me,” Laika said.

Taka looked like he'd bit into a raw lemon. Axl didn't seem fazed.

“Let's go then,” he said calmly. “Taka, you can handle this, right?”

Taka took a deep breath, and slapped his cheeks twice. When he was done, he seemed much more focused.

“Sure can,” he said, his expression also serious.

“Very good.” Laika pulled out his PET, and both of them plugged into the terminals. Saki watched nervously from the sidelines.

“Laika seems pretty tough,” he muttered. “Do you think Taka and Axl are going to be okay?”

“They will be fine,” Zer0 said firmly. “Axl is a seasoned warrior, and Taka is much stronger than you think him to be.”

And indeed, Taka seemed serious about his match, but Saki could see his hands tremble ever so slightly.

“I just hope that you're right,” Saki said.

Searchman materialized on the battlefield, and a moment later, Axl did as well. Saki made note of Searchman's long gun.

“Axl's going to have a hard time with that gun,” Saki said.

Axl, however, didn't seem fazed. He twirled his pistols idly on his fingers.

“So, you're Searchman,” Axl said, nodding. “You sure live up to your reputation.”

“I have heard of you as well,” Searchman said. “I have heard that you are cocky, and incredibly flashy.”

Axl shrugged. “What's the point of a fight if you don't show off a little bit?”

Taka stared at Laika. “We won't go easy on you.”

“I would hope not,” Laika said. “Neither will we.” He motioned with his hand. “Searchman, fire.”

Searchman opened fire, and Axl dashed to the side. Saki thought Axl was simply fast, but he could now see that Axl was using the boosters on the bottoms of his boots to glide across the ground, almost as if he was skating. He easily maneuvered around Searchman's shots, quickly closing the distance between them before pulling out his pistols and firing.

Searchman paused his attacks, rolling out of the way of Axl's shots before setting up to fire again. Axl hardly gave him the chance, and was right up in his face again, firing. Searchman pulled back, and tried to put distance between them, but Axl stayed with him, keeping close.

“Can't shoot if you don't have the space,” Taka said. “Keep up the pressure, Axl!”

“Searchman, maneuver Alpha,” Laika said.

“Understood,” Searchman replied. He dropped his gun, and pulled out a knife. Axl yelped, and leaped back just in time to avoid being slashed across the face. He used his momentum to do a backflip, and landed cleanly some distance away.

“I didn't know he had a knife,” Taka muttered.

“I didn't expect him to use it so soon,” Axl said. He grinned wickedly. “This is getting pretty exciting!” He trained his guns on Searchman, waiting for him to make a move.

For a long moment, Searchman stood, poised to attack. Finally, he dashed in, knife raised. Axl fired off a few rounds, but when Searchman got in too close, he jumped, using Searchman as a springboard. He used his thrusters to twist in the air, and rained a hail of bullets down onto Searchman before landing a short distance away. Searchman took a few minor hits, but turned again, this time rolling towards his gun. With a flourish, Taka deftly maneuvered Axl out of the way of Searchman's gunfire, his fingers snapping across his buttons like someone at an arcade cabinet. Axl got close to Searchman again, but was greeted with a grenade. Taka made a 'tsk!' and slammed on the buttons again. Axl back flipped out of the way just in time, and the grenade exploded, kicking up a large cloud of dust that Searchman slipped into and disappeared.

“Too close!” Axl wheezed. “Almost had my face blown off!”

“He's got excellent offense and defense,” Taka murmured. “Gotta get tricky, I see.”

Everything was still and quiet for a moment, and then a bright blast ripped through the smoke, straight at Axl, who leapt out of the way just in time.

“Get out of there, you!” Axl yelled angrily, firing a spray of bullets into the smoke near the origin of the blast. The smoke scattered, but Searchman was nowhere to be seen. Axl tensed, looking around him.

“Behind!” Taka said, quickly tapping buttons.

Axl dodged another shot, but it clipped his side. He winced, but fired back, and managed to clip Searchman a few times.

Saki watched the fight, breathless. Everything was happening so fast he could barely keep up. The two seemed evenly matched, and Saki wasn't sure who would come out on top.

“You're mine!” Axl yelled, lining up to fire at Searchman.

In response, Searchman raised a hand to the sky, and summoned a small satellite. Axl yelped as lasers rained down on him. He did his best to maneuver around them, but he still took a hit to his arm, and Taka grunted in pain.

“Sorry, Taka!” Axl said. “I was trying not to let you get hurt!”

“Keep going!” Taka said. “I can handle it!”

Searchman raised his gun again, and Axl gritted his teeth. “Taka,” he said, “Let me use it!”

Taka hesitated, then nodded. “Okay.” He pressed a few buttons.

Axl rushed at Searchman, even as he fired. “Chameleon Circuit!” Axl cried, and suddenly his whole body glowed white. When the light subsided, he was gone, and Zer0 was in his place.

Saki stared in shock. What had just happened?

'Zer0' raised his sword, and slashed up, catching Searchman in the attack. However, Searchman managed to lean back enough to avoid the majority of the damage, and countered 'Zer0' with a swift knee to the stomach. He followed it up with an elbow blow to 'Zer0's' back, and Taka gave a sharp, hacking cough, slumping forward. 'Zer0' fell to the ground, and transformed back into Axl.

“Damn it!” Taka wheezed. “Axl, are you okay?”

“Y-yeah...” Axl mumbled into the ground. “I'll live.”

Taka slammed his fist down on the terminal, Laika regarded him coldly.

“Is that really your best?” he asked.

Taka didn't reply. Tears streamed down his cheeks, and he clenched his teeth. Saki wanted to reassure Taka that him and Axl had been fantastic, but Laika's icy glare stopped him.

“You both treat battle like a game,” Laika said. “You spend too much energy showing off, and get easily blindsided. If you can't even anticipate such basic maneuvers, how do you plan to deal with someone out to actually delete your Navi?”

Axl tried to push himself off the ground. “I can...still fight...”

“Stop,” Taka begged.

“It's not...over...” Axl insisted.

“Please, stop!” Taka cried. “You're too injured to keep fighting right now!”

“I won't lose to him!” Axl screamed. “I won't lose to anybody!”

Searchman kicked Axl in the side, and the Navi gave a sharp, breathless cry. Taka also cried out, clutching at his side.

“It's over,” Laika said. “I admire your guts, but know when you're beaten.” He pointed to Taka. “Didn't you say you didn't want him to get hurt?”

Axl looked up at the screen, and Taka looked back at him. Axl's face twisted with guilt, and he went limp.

“I surrender,” he said, defeated.

Taka slid slowly to the floor, sobbing loudly. Saki could only watch, his heart ripping in two.

“Do you understand?” Laika asked Saki. “In a battle, you have no time to focus on anything other than the fight. If your focus shifts, even a little bit, then you'll lose.”

“He's just a kid!” Saki said angrily.

“Just as you had to learn the weight of a sword, he has to learn the weight of a gun,” Laika said. “Child or not, he's one of us now, and he has to get better.”

“You make it sound like you're sending us to war!” Saki yelled.

Laika gave Saki a sympathetic look. “If you are ever deployed to the field, you will understand.” And with that, Laika walked past Saki, and out of the room, leaving Saki alone with Taka, who was still sobbing on the floor.

***

Netto planted his good hand on his hip, and glared angrily at Laika.

“What?” Laika asked.

“I heard what you did,” Netto. “You completely embarrassed Taka, and then had the gall to rub salt in the wound.”

“He lost, and I pointed out his mistakes,” Laika replied.

“You utterly crushed a kid in battle! You toyed with him for half the match, and then told him that his whole style of battle was wrong. You ripped him down instead of building him up!”

Laika frowned. “I was simply doing what you asked me to do!”

“I asked you to train them, Laika, not destroy their self esteem!” Netto said, rolling his eyes in exasperation. “It's like you don't know how to connect with people at all! Even Enzan has more compassion than that!”

Laika seemed visibly annoyed to be compared to Enzan. “If you don't like my teaching methods, then find someone else!” He stormed past Netto, who sighed deeply and watched him go.

“He's so stubborn!” Netto grumbled. 

***

Saki slowly entered the medical ward, and up to the bed that Taka was sitting in. He rubbed his bruises before looking up at Saki with listless eyes. Sighing, Saki sat down next to Taka, and patted his head comfortingly.

“We lost,” Taka muttered. “It's my fault.”

“You did your best,” Saki said, “And that's all you could have done.”

Taka shook his head. “Axl got distracted because he was worried about me. And I didn't read Searchman's last attack fast enough.”

“You get better with practice. That's what you keep telling me, anyway,” Saki said.

Taka didn't reply. Saki looked at the PET in Taka's lap, and saw that Axl was in repair mode. There wouldn't be any encouraging words from the Navi for a while.

“Takashi,” Zer0 said, and Saki put his own PET in Taka's lap so that the boy could see him. “There are times when things are quite hopeless. We will all experience loss and pain. We will all hope to have done better. But it simply does not help to dwell on such thoughts. Learn what you could have done differently, and apply it to your next challenge.”

“Easy for you to say,” Taka snapped.

“Perhaps it is,” Zer0 admitted. “I have not existed for very long, and have not had many setbacks. However, the ones I have experienced have been bitter, and I have dwelled on them long after they have happened.”

“I've felt the way you do before,” Saki admitted. “I really feel like I'm not good enough to Operate Zer0, but I won't ever get good enough if I don't practice.”

“Leave me alone!” Taka yelled. “You don't know what I'm feeling! You wouldn't understand! Stop pretending that you do!”

Saki shrank back, startled.

“Axl isn't just some Navi!” Taka continued, nearly hysterical. “Shin made him for me! He's my precious partner! If he was hurt really badly...if I wasn't able to fix him...” Taka sobbed loudly.

Saki reached out, and petted Taka's head again. “I'm sorry, I didn't realize...”

“This isn't about me losing,” Taka said between sobs, “This is about me being stupid and almost losing him.”

Zer0 looked ashamed, and hung his head. Saki felt pretty awful as well. The thought of losing Zer0 forever was a scary one.

“You said Shin made Axl for you?” Saki asked. “Shin was your brother, right?”

Taka nodded, grinding his palm into his eye. “Uh huh. Shin made him for me for my fifth birthday. Mamma says he worked very hard on Axl too, going without sleep for a week sometimes. He got help from the Ministry of Science, Mamma said. He'd never made a Navi before, so he asked for help. Marched right in and begged people until someone helped him. He poured his whole heart into making Axl special.”

“Why did he go to the Ministry of Science though?” Saki asked, confused.

“Mamma said that, at the time, there weren't many people experienced at making them, but the Ministry of Science had some. She knew a lot of people who work here through her work connections, and told Shin to try talking to them.”

“It's still pretty brave of him to just walk in and ask,” Saki murmured.

Taka nodded. “Shin was like that though. Honest and kind, and hated to beat around the bush. He would always speak his mind, no matter what. He wanted to make a difference, so he always volunteered or helped with public functions. He would always go straight to the top if he needed something. He was fearless.”

“Sounds like a cool guy,” Saki said.

“Axl's a lot like him!” Taka said. “He's also pretty blunt sometimes, and he always wants to help. He may act all distracted, but he's really observant! If he sees trouble, he's always the first one there.”

“Axl's pretty amazing. It's hard to believe an amateur made him.”

“Mamma says that Shin caught on fast,” Taka explained. “He was also studying to be an astronaut, so he was really good at complex stuff. He came up with Axl's thrusters and Chameleon Circuit all by himself!”

“Yeah, I wanted to ask you,” Saki said. “What _is_ the Chameleon Circuit? Axl used it, and suddenly he was Zer0!”

Taka grinned. “The Chameleon Circuit is a subroutine that lets Axl transform into another Navi! He looks like them, and can even use their abilities! But it only lasts for a half hour at most, and it takes three hours to recharge.” Taka sighed. “It's for emergency situations, which is why he asked if he could use it.”

“How does he know what Navi to change into?” Saki seemed dazed.

“Axl can copy a Navi's data as long as he makes contact with them for a few seconds,” Taka explained. “He makes a simplified copy of the Navi's code and abilities, and then he can use it later. He can choose which one to change into as well!”

“Sounds...complicated,” Saki said.

Taka hummed thoughtfully. “Shin said that he made Axl with the idea of a spy in mind. He kind of looks like a spy jet, don't you think? And he's good at cracking locks and getting past firewalls. He wanted Axl to be sleek and fast, but not really a heavy hitter in combat. And being able to look like another Navi, the way a spy would wear a disguise! Kind of like a spy in a movie, quietly slipping in and out before anyone can find them!”

“I don't really see the spy jet,” Saki admitted. “But the rest of it makes sense now.”

“That's why it was hard to beat Searchman,” Taka said. “He's tough, and our shots were kind of weak. We have to do lots of shots to do any real damage, but he was pretty good at dodging them. Plus, he had such heavy arsenal!” Taka sighed. “It was all I could do to maneuver Axl through some of those attacks.”

“Why do you think Laika's being so hard on you, specifically?” Saki asked.

Taka shrugged. “Probably because Axl uses guns. You can't use a gun like a sword, after all. And Laika and Searchman have a lot of experience with guns.”

“They also have a lot of experience with fighting in general,” Saki said. “I could barely keep up with the fight! Axl and Searchman were both so fast.”

“He's a soldier, after all,” Taka said. “I read about him when I heard that he was coming to help us.”

“When did you hear about him coming?” Saki asked, confused. “I never heard anything about that.”

“A day before the incident,” Taka said. “I overheard Netto and Enzan talking.”

“Oh.” Saki's face fell. “Guess I was the last one to find out...”

“Don't feel bad!” Taka said. “I probably wasn't supposed to know either!”

“So what were you doing then, snooping?” Saki asked suspiciously.

“I can't help it if I walk quietly,” Taka said.

The two of them chuckled, and Taka rubbed his head sheepishly.

“Sorry that I yelled at you. I guess I was just upset over the whole fight. It was wrong to take that out on you, I apologize.”

“Apology accepted,” Saki said. “I probably wasn't helping, talking like I knew what you were going through.”

“People do that to provide sympathy,” Taka said. “Sharing similar experiences can help bridge the gap.”

“Still wasn't very cool,” Saki said.

“I apologize as well,” Zer0 said, bowing. “I gave advice that was not relevant to your situation.”

“Nah, it was super helpful!” Taka said. “Just not what I wanted to hear, I guess.” He stretched, and gave a small sigh. “I'm over moping. Let's ditch and go get food.”

“We can't just _leave_ ,” Saki said. “What if Laika catches us?”

“Who cares?” Taka said. “He doesn't have the authority to stop us.”

“But...” Saki protested meekly.

“Let's go get food,” Taka insisted. “I'm starving after all that crying.”

“Where do you want to go?” Saki asked, giving in.

“There's a really nasty ramen cart downtown that Enzan and Netto frequent, if we wanna punish ourselves,” Taka suggested. “Or we could go down to Akihara and get something decent. Better yet, we could go down to Ebisu and get some _actually_ good food.”

“I wanna stay out of Ebisu for now,” Saki said. “I don't want someone to see me and think I was skipping out of work or something.”

“Like you totally are?” Taka asked.

Saki sighed.

“Akihara it is,” Taka said, getting out of the bed. “What are you in the mood for?”

“Dunno,” Saki admitted. “I had my mom's curry last night, and I'm still on cloud nine.”

“Curry sounds good, actually,” Taka said. “Let's hit up Maha Ichiban!”

Saki sighed. “I guess that's fine,” he said. “Let me guess: you're paying?”

“Always,” Taka said.

***

Akihara was pretty crowded, and Saki felt himself pressing a little too close to Taka in an effort to shrink away from all the stimulus around him. Everything was too loud, and he felt boxed in. Taka didn't seem to care about the crowds, however, and weaved his way through them, dragging Saki along by the wrist. Eventually, the crowds thinned out enough that Saki could catch his breath. 

Looking around, Saki recognized the surrounding buildings. The chip shop Netto frequented was on his left, and Saki spotted people making purchases through the glass doors. Kitty-corner from the chip shop was a strange antique shop that Saki had visited only once. It was dark inside, and the shop owner had stared at him so hard he thought he would catch fire. He hadn't been back since. Down the street from the antique shop was a flower shop that sold many beautiful and fragrant flowers. The shopkeeper, a lovely woman with a round face, had offered to make tea for Saki when he'd stopped by, but he'd politely declined, saying he might another day. And around the corner, several more blocks down, was Maha Ichiban, the curry shop with the rude staff that Netto loved to frequent despite the staff clearly hating him. The doors opened with a soft hiss and a jingle, and Saki spotted Madoi coming out of the kitchen to greet them.

“Oh, you two again,” she said. “Netto isn't with you today?”

“We skipped out to eat,” Taka said. “Couldn't risk getting caught.”

Madoi laughed. “Yeah right. That slacker would have run off with you!”

“Probably,” Saki said.

“Sit down, I'll take your orders in a second,” Madoi said, strangely more friendly than usual. Saki wondered if all her usual hostility was because Netto had been with them, and then shrugged it off. Maybe Madoi was having a good day.

“Do you have melon soda yet?” Taka asked.

“Sorry, just ramune,” Madoi said. 

Taka snapped his fingers, disappointed.

“Hot tea?” Madoi asked Saki, who nodded. “Got it,” she said, disappearing into the kitchen.

While Taka and Saki glanced over the menus, the door opened, and Saki looked up to see a tall, redheaded man enter. They both gave each other a glance, and the man grunted in greeting. Then he walked into the back of the store, and out of sight.

“Who was that?” Saki asked.

“Oh, that's just Hinoken,” Madoi said, setting Saki's tea down in front of him. “He's our delivery man. Don't pay him any mind, he's always in a bad mood.” She paused. “Well, not really. Recently, he seems a little bit more mellow for some reason. Can't imagine why.”

“Maybe something good happened,” Taka suggested. “Like he won a lottery, or got a puppy.”

Madoi laughed. “I wish! That man wouldn't take care of an animal if his life depended on it!”

“Charming,” Saki deadpanned.

“Anyway, what do you want to eat?” Madoi asked. “The fried chicken's been pretty good today.”

“I want that,” Taka said. “And the house curry, no veggies please.”

“What about potatoes and carrots and onions?” Madoi asked.

“Well, you can't take those out, so they're fine,” Taka said. “But no extra ones!”

“Got it, extra veggies then,” Madoi said, scribbling on her notepad.

“The pork cutlet curry was really good last time,” Saki said. “Can you recommend something else?”

“The chicken curry is really good,” Madoi said. “That one's my favorite.”

“Chicken curry, then,” Saki said.

“Coming right up,” Madoi said, and then disappeared into the kitchen again.

Saki pulled his PET out, and propped it up on the counter so Zer0 could talk to them while they ate. Taka gave the screen a little poke.

“You doing okay, Zer0?” he asked.

“Yes,” Zer0 said.

“You've been pretty quiet,” Taka said.

“I have been reflecting on my actions,” Zer0 said. “I must learn not to be so hasty.”

“We all make mistakes, Zer0,” Taka said. “And, honestly, your advice wasn't that bad.” Taka sighed. “I guess I got a little cocky. Axl and I are such a good team that we haven't lost in a long while. I guess I thought we were pretty invincible.”

“I felt that way when Zer0 and I lost,” Saki admitted. “He was so good that I thought he could do anything.”

“It's not that Axl was weak, it was more that Laika and Searchman are just so overwhelming,” Taka said. “They don't have a single chink in their armor.”

“I wonder what 'maneuver Alpha' is?” Saki mused. “Was it the technique Searchman used with the knife? Or was it something else entirely?”

“We'll probably never know,” Taka said. “That's what code is for, after all.”

Zer0 sighed. “Perhaps I, too, will be faced with a formidable opponent such as Searchman. I can only hope to learn something from the experience.”

“How goes your training with Blues?” Saki asked.

“It goes well,” Zer0 said. “However, he has confessed to me that he has nothing left to teach me.”

“Oh no!” Taka said. “What will you do now?”

“He has suggested that I study other Navis, and try to formulate my own style of battle. Blues suggested 'stealing' other Navis techniques.” Zer0 seemed puzzled. “But if I steal a technique, then it is not mine, is it?”

“I think he means to use it as the base for something original,” Saki said. “Samurai created their own styles this way. Chefs do it too! Most artists learn their own techniques by watching others do them first.”

Zer0 put a hand to his chin. “Hmm, I see. Using the techniques of others to create my own.” He nodded. “Then, I will try this. I will create my own style of fighting.”

Madoi returned with their curry, and put them on the counter. Taka eyed up his plate of fried chicken eagerly, and popped one into his mouth. “Ahh, too hot!” Taka mumbled around his food, and waved his hand in front of his mouth, trying to cool it down.

“Fresh out of the fryer!” Madoi said. “Try not to burn yourself, shortstack.”

“Thank you,” Saki said, “It looks delicious.”

“I hope you like it!” Madoi said.

“Say, Madoi?” Taka said, taking a sip of his ramune to cool down his mouth. “Do you know anything about any weird chips? Maybe someone buying one?”

Saki looked at Taka, stunned that he had simply asked in such a casual way. Madoi, however, seemed upset by the question, and her expression darkened. She leaned over the counter, and whispered, “Between you and me, you should stop asking people about that.” She looked around nervously. “There's been some bad rumors going around. Those chips are involved in something really nasty. Take my advice, stay away from them.”

“How do you know about them?” Saki asked.

“I know some people in, uhh, _less than scrupulous_ professions,” Madoi said, waving her hand. “Even they say not to get involved. Kids like you especially.” She sighed. “Don't buy strange chips from strangers. That's just common sense.”

“I was only asking because the Net Police were looking for information, and they asked Saki about them the other day,” Taka explained. “I just wanted to know what was up.”

“Let the cops handle this,” Madoi said. “I don't like them much, but they're more equipped to handle this kind of thing than a couple of kids.”

Saki gave Madoi a strange look. “Madoi, you're not a... _criminal_ , are you?”

Madoi sighed. “Look, I'll be honest with you. Me and the others here, we're all ex-WWW. We quit once Wily disappeared. But that doesn't mean we're good people or anything.”

“So you _are_ a criminal,” Saki said.

“In the loosest sense,” Madoi said. “It's not like we run illegal schemes anymore, but we're kind of still wanted for our previous crimes, if you catch my drift.”

“She means don't be a narc!” Taka said. “Or you'll get strung up!”

Saki gulped.

Madoi laughed. “Try not to think about it, okay? These days, we're just Maha Ichiban, serving up the world's best curry!”

“If you say so,” Saki said.

“Think of me as your beautiful and dangerous big sister!” Madoi said.

Saki stared at Madoi's thick eyeshadow and false eyelashes and tried not to pull a face. Madoi frowned.

“Don't give me that look!” she said angrily.

“What look?!” Saki replied.

“The one that says, 'she looks like an old hag!' I know that look!”

“I never said that!”

“Your face sure did!”

Taka sighed. “Saki, you have no right to judge a woman's beauty.”

Saki grumbled. “But I didn't!”

“You just can't appreciate a mature beauty like myself,” Madoi said.

“That's not it at all, trust me,” Saki deadpanned.

“Saki's type is more like Hinoken,” Taka teased.

Saki felt his face heat up. “Shut up! That's not true!”

Madoi put a hand to her mouth and chuckled. “Oho~? Like your men on the older side, I see~”

“Stop it!” Saki sputtered. He spotted Hinoken poking his head out of the back of the store, and turned to his food, a shiver running up his spine. He didn't like the way Hinoken was glaring at him.

“I'm sure some nice sugar daddy will scoop you up one day!” Madoi said, sneering.

“Drop dead,” Saki growled.

“I'll spend money on you until then,” Taka said.

“Stop,” Saki said. “You're only embarrassing yourself.”

Taka stuffed another piece of fried chicken into his mouth. Saki shoveled a spoonful of curry into his own mouth. Neither one said anything else.


	9. On a Roll

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A strange boy challenges Saki to a Net Battle, and a fight breaks out in the office

With a quivering lip, Netto stared into Saki's face with the most miserable expression Saki had ever seen. Saki, feeling guilty, glanced at Taka, who was standing next to him. Taka wore an equally guilty expression.

“You abandoned me,” Netto whined. “You didn't even try to reach out to me. How could you?”

“It wasn't like we were _trying_ to abandon you,” Saki insisted, “We simply forgot to come ask you!”

“Yeah!” Taka nodded vigorously. “Plus, Laika might have caught us if we came in here.”

Netto crossed his arms and pouted. “You're just making excuses!”

“Honest, we never intended to leave you out,” Saki said.

Netto didn't seem convinced. He continued to pout, and refused to make eye contact with either of the others. Saki gave a deep sigh, and glared at Taka.

“This is all because you thought it would be a great idea to skip,” he grumbled.

“I didn't think anyone would find out!” Taka said.

“Akihara is Netto's stomping grounds,” Saki said. “Of _course_ he's going to find out!”

Taka's expression of guilt deepened. “Okay, you're right. That was my bad then.”

Saki and Taka looked at Netto, who was turned away from them and making fake crying sounds. He peeked at them to see if they were looking, and then returned to his fake crying, now at a louder volume.

“We get it!!” Saki yelled. “Now stop pretending to cry!”

“I'm not pretending,” Netto said, “I'm deeply wounded that my precious kouhais would leave me behind, and go eat at my favorite restaurant without even so much as asking me to come along. I thought what we had was special.”

“You're the one who refused to let us call you 'senpai', so you don't get to pull the kouhai card,” Saki said, anger seeping into his voice. “And we already told you: we didn't want to risk Laika catching us. We weren't leaving you out on purpose.”

“Food grudges are scary things,” Netto said.

“Then how about we make it up to you?” Taka asked.

Netto fixed his gaze on Taka.

“We can take you out to eat at Maha,” said Taka.

Immediately, Netto's face brightened. “And I can have whatever I want?”

Taka sighed. “Yeah, okay, you can have whatever you want, and I'll pay for it.”

Netto became instantly more upbeat. “I was thinking we could get crepes afterward! Ooh, and maybe we can get snacks too!”

“Don't push it,” Taka growled. “Even I'll put my foot down at some point.”

Humming happily, Netto grabbed Saki and Taka by their wrists. “Let's go now!” he said.

“Right now?!” Saki asked.

“Right now!” Netto said. “Before Laika catches us!”

“Are you avoiding him too?” Taka asked.

“Sure am!” Netto replied cheerfully. “I'm still angry at him for the way he's been treating you guys!”

Saki quietly tucked away Netto's answer in his brain for later. It seemed that the two weren't getting along, and he wondered if something had happened.

“We had Maha yesterday,” Saki groaned. “And I had mom's curry the day before that! If I keep eating curry, I'll turn into curry!”

“Curry is the best!” Netto said. “I could eat curry for every meal!”

“I'm not entirely convinced you don't,” Saki muttered under his breath.

As they walked out of the office, they passed Enzan, who still looked tired. Enzan watched them pass with confusion.

“Where are you going?” he asked.

“Gonna go get curry with the kids,” Netto said.

Saki spotted a look of betrayal on Enzan's face just before the door to the office shut.

“Should we have told him?” Taka asked. “What if he tells Laika?”

“He won't,” Netto said. “And even if he does, Laika won't be able to do very much.”

***

Netto practically bounded through the door of Maha Ichiban. “Guess who?” he called out cheerfully.

“Get out,” Madoi said, leaving the kitchen to glare at him. “We don't want you here.”

“Aww, I missed you too!” Netto said, slipping into his seat at the counter. “Sorry I wasn't here yesterday.”

“It was nice and quiet without you,” Madoi said. “You should not come more often.”

Netto clapped his hands together. “Okay, so I'm going all out today since Taka's paying.”

Taka sighed deeply as he slid into his seat, and buried his face in his arms on the counter. Saki couldn't help but feel sympathetic.

“It's awfully rude to make a kid pay for you,” Madoi said. “Aren't you supposed to be the grown-up here?”

“I'm a broke college student,” Netto said. “And Taka offered.”

“I did,” Taka said miserably. “I regret my decision.”

Madoi put her hands on her hips, and gave a small sigh. “You're more of a criminal than I am, exploiting children.”

Netto put a hand on his chest. “I'm hurt. I'm not exploiting anyone. I'm simply taking advantage of an act of kindness.”

 _That's the very definition of exploitation_ , Saki thought bitterly.

Madoi looked at Saki. “Ready to try a different curry today?”

“Yeah,” Saki said. “What's your recommendation?”

“Today I recommend the aigake,” she said. “It's rice served with curry and hayashi sauce! A very sophisticated flavor!”

“Oh, I've heard of that!” Saki said. “That sounds really interesting. I think I'll have that.”

“Hayashi sauce?” Taka asked, puzzled.

“It's a demi-glace sauce made with red wine and tomato sauce, with beef, onions and button mushrooms. It's inspired by western dishes, actually.” Saki bit his tongue, realizing he was oversharing.

“Eww, mushrooms.” Taka made a face. “Too slimy for me.”

“Mushrooms are good though!” Netto said.

“Let me guess: regular curry, light on the veggies,” Madoi said to Taka.

“You got it,” Taka said.

“And an extra large helping of the regular curry for the glutton,” Madoi said, writing on her notepad.

“I'll probably want seconds,” Netto said.

Taka opened his mouth, but Madoi cut him off. “No melon soda today either.”

Taka pouted.

“I'll be back with your drinks,” Madoi said. She entered the kitchen, and Saki glanced at the others.

“Madoi seems a little off today,” Netto said. “It's like her edge is dulled.”

“Wonder why?” Saki said. “She seemed pretty nice yesterday, come to think of it.”

“Maybe she's heartbroken,” Taka suggested.

“Or sick,” Netto added.

“Or maybe it's none of our business, and we should leave it alone,” Saki said.

“I'm just concerned,” Netto said.

“Don't be,” Madoi said, putting a glass of water down in front of Netto a little more forcefully than necessary. “I'm the same as always.”

“See?” Saki said.

“But you're not as cutting today,” Netto said. “I was worried you might be feeling unwell.”

“I'm a little tired,” Madoi said, setting Saki's tea down, “But it's nothing worth commenting on.”

“Is it really that busy?” Taka asked.

“Oh, no, not really,” Madoi said. “It's something else. But it's not worth talking about.” She turned and walked back into the kitchen. “Be back with your food.”

“So what's the deal with Laika?” Taka asked. “Is he just being a hardass, or is he mean normally?”

“He's...hard to read,” Netto said. “He can come off as standoffish. But he also cares very deeply about people he becomes close to. I think he's just...trying to separate his job from his personal life.” Netto made a face. “But he's still being kind of a bully, the way he toyed with Axl for half the fight. There was no reason he couldn't have held back at the end.”

Taka frowned, cracking open his ramune. “So it wasn't my imagination then...”

“So what do we do about him?” Saki asked.

“Push back,” Netto said. “That's all you can do. He'll get mad, I'm sure, and push back harder, but if you just let him walk over you he'll only get angrier. Nothing makes him madder than a weak-willed person.”

“So, in other words, we can get him mad by defying him, or get him mad by letting him have his way.” Taka sighed in exasperation. “That's a no-win situation.”

“Laika's thinking like a soldier right now,” Netto said. “He's treating you two like new recruits. He'll push you until you break. You have to remind him that you aren't recruits, and force him to respect you as equals.”

“Did you have to do that too?” Saki asked.

“You bet!” Netto said. “He hated me at first. He said I was 'empty-headed' and 'stubborn'. He even refused to work with me because he said I'd only get in the way. Eventually, I ended up saving him, and he started to change his thinking. But for a while, I was ready to give up! I kept thinking, 'wow, this guy is just such a jerk!'”

“So his natural state is just being an asshole,” Saki said.

“His hard, cold exterior is to protect his soft, squishy inside,” Netto said. “The guy's a real bleeding heart. Put a dog in front of him, and you'll see.”

“Well,” Taka said, “I guess if he likes dogs he can't be all bad.”

“One thing to look out for is how competitive he is.” Netto grinned mischievously. “I have it on good authority that he and Enzan have a real rivalry going. Both of them hate to lose.”

“So no challenging him, got it,” Saki said.

Madoi returned with their food, and Netto immediately shoved a spoonful of curry and rice into his mouth.

“Ahh, curry,” Netto said around the food in his mouth. “You always know how to make me feel better.”

***

“So,” Rockman said, “How are you feeling, Axl?”

“Much better!” Axl said, puffing up his chest. “It wasn't that bad, honestly, but I definitely don't like taking any kind of damage.”

“You fought hard,” Zer0 said, “You should be proud.”

“I was outmatched, plain and simple,” Axl said, shrugging. “Searchman's reputation precedes him, so I was expecting a hard fight, but I was completely overwhelmed.”

“He's a very tough opponent,” Rockman admitted. “I've had difficulty fighting him in the past.”

The three Navis sat in the restaurant's network, chatting amongst themselves while they waited for the boys to finish their meal.

“So Zer0,” Axl said, “I heard you're going to start a new type of training!”

“Yes,” Zer0 said. “I plan to develop my own techniques by stealing them from others.”

“Yeah, stealing!” Axl said, pumping his fist in the air.

“It's probably more like copying,” Rockman said.

“Yeah, copying!” Axl said with equal enthusiasm. Rockman chuckled.

“I am still searching for an opponent worthy of learning from,” Zer0 admitted. “I had thought to try and learn from Blues, but he has expressed that he would rather I learn a few techniques before I challenge him again.”

“How about Rockman?” Axl suggested. “He's pretty handy with a sword.”

“Oh, no, I'm really only average,” Rockman said. “I'm sure that there are better Navis to learn from.”

“I would still like to have a match with you some day,” Zer0 said. “I am certain that it will be quite the learning experience.”

“You're too modest!” Axl said, gently slapping Rockman's back. “I know what you're capable of!”

Rockman blushed. “Oh n-no, I—”

“Such modesty is inspiring,” Zer0 said, putting a hand to his chest. “I can only hope to become as modest as you some day.”

“Please stop,” Rockman said weakly. “I'm not a role model or anything like that.”

“You don't want Zer0 looking up to you?” Axl asked. “If it were me, I'd totally be excited to have someone who wanted to emulate me!”

“My days of serious competition are behind me,” Rockman said. “Me and Netto have not entered any tournaments in several years, not since he had to start studying for entrance exams.” He smiled. “I'm very content to be just a simple Navi assisting Netto with his daily life.”

“You sound like an old man,” Axl teased.

Rockman blushed and sputtered. “I do not!”

Zer0 seemed to contemplate Rockman's words. “I had not thought of it that way. I suppose it would be difficult to continue training if there are things interfering with that.”

“More like Rockman's running away,” Axl said. “He has plenty of opportunities to train with the rest of us, but doesn't.”

Rockman hesitated. He didn't seem to know how to answer.

“Just look at Blues and Enzan! They still train daily, and Enzan is far busier than Netto is!”

Zer0 looked at Rockman, who was clearly very uncomfortable, and held up his hand. “Axl, I would ask you to stop. Rockman seems very distressed by your words.”

“Huh?” Axl looked at Rockman. “Oh. Sorry.”

“It's fine!” Rockman said. “You were just speaking the truth.” He laughed, but it was halfhearted.

“Everyone has their own reasons,” Zer0 said. “Why Rockman chooses not to train is not for us to question. When he is ready, he will return. Or perhaps he will not. But the choice is his alone to make.”

Relief washed over Rockman's face. “Thank you, Zer0.”

“I guess I understand,” Axl said. “I just can't imagine it though. I'm always training, trying to one up myself. I want to defeat the me from the day before, and eventually reach a point where I can go toe-to-toe with strong Navis like Searchman and Blues.” He leaned in close. “It's really hard to try and touch Blues. It's like he senses my motives, and skirts away.” He grinned. “But I managed to copy Searchman during our fight. Wait until our next match! That'll knock his socks off!”

Rockman cleared his throat. “So, Zer0! What kind of techniques are you hoping to create?”

Zer0 mused. “Perhaps something simple, but elegant, like Blues? Or something with more power behind them? It is hard to say.”

“You could draw your sword in a flash, and then say, 'Once again, I have cut a worthless object',” Axl suggested. “Or you could just use your fist to punch stuff! No one would see it coming!” His eyes lit up. “Oh oh oh! I've got it! You could learn to use other weapons! Like a pole arm, or a fan! That'd be really cool, I bet!”

“I have no desire to use another weapon,” Zer0 said firmly. “The Z Saber and I are one.”

“What about a sword that becomes a chain?!” Axl said. “That's be super cool I think!”

Zer0 sighed. “I would prefer to use my current sword.”

Axl pouted. “It's cool I guess. But you could at least _try_ to be flashier.”

“I think Zer0's current fighting style is just fine,” Rockman said. “He keeps a cool head, even in scary situations. Those kinds of fighters are always the best as adapting to surprises.”

“Yes, I will allow you to remain the flashy one,” Zer0 said. “That way, I will be able to attack unseen.”

Both Navis stared at Zer0, shocked. After a long pause, Axl timidly asked, “Zer0, did you...just make a joke?”

Zer0 blinked. “I believe I did,” he said at last.

Rockman burst out laughing. A moment later, Axl did as well.

***

Saki had just finished his plate of curry when the door to the shop opened, and the bell rang. Everyone looked up to see a boy standing in the doorway, panting heavily. Saki stared at the boy's dust covered clothes, and the smudges of dust across the boy's face, and wondered just what had happened to him.

Netto's eyes widened, and he stood up out of his chair. “Dingo!” he yelped.

The boy Netto called Dingo grinned, and put his fists on his hips. “I'm back!” he declared.

“Who's this?” Taka asked.

“No idea,” Saki said.

Dingo brushed some dirt off his fringed leather vest, and Netto ran over to hug him.

“You've been gone for months!” Netto said. “Don't tell me you got lost again.”

“Again?” Taka asked. “You mean he gets lost frequently?”

Dingo scowled. “I don't get lost! I simply take the long route!”

“Maybe if he stopped using his tomahawk to navigate, he'd get places faster,” came a snarky voice from Dingo's hip.

“My tomahawk is never wrong!” Dingo said angrily. “It always points to exactly where I need to go!”

“He's not wrong,” Netto said. “He usually shows up at just the right moments.”

Dingo looked around, his ruddy brown eyes landing on Saki. “Who's this?” he asked Netto. “And this kid,” he jerked his thumb at Taka, “I don't recognize him either. New friends of yours?”

“They're part of the Cross Fusion program,” Netto explained. “They just joined recently, in fact.”

“Huh.” Dingo nodded his head slowly. “I bet that's a crazy story! I can't wait to hear it!”

“Later,” Netto said before he turned to Taka and Saki. “Let me introduce you. This is my friend, Dingo! Dingo, this is Taka and Saki.”

“Nice to meetcha!” Dingo said, rubbing his nose.

“Nice to meet you too!” said Taka.

“A pleasure,” Saki said. He paused, and then asked, “Are you a foreigner, Dingo-san?”

Dingo waved his hand. “Just Dingo is fine. I hate all that formal stuff.” He grinned. “But yeah, I'm from Amerope originally.”

“What brought you to Japan?” Taka asked.

“Dunno, can't remember exactly,” Dingo admitted.

Netto guided Dingo over to the empty chair Netto had vacated, and Dingo sat down heavily. Saki heard the clink of the beaded, feathered chain at Dingo's hip, and stared at it with interest. Dingo grabbed Netto's water glass, and drained it with greedy gulps.

“Where did you go this time?” Netto asked, plopping down into another chair.

“I was trying to make a delivery nearby,” Dingo said. “But for some reason, I ended up in Roppongi.”

Saki stared at Dingo. “How did you do that? Roppongi is nowhere near Akihara.”

“It's just the weirdest thing,” Dingo said. “When I tried to backtrack, I ended up in Shibuya.”

“That's—” Saki began, but fell silent. He couldn't believe how awful Dingo seemed to be with directions.

“After that, I just kept trying to head back, but before I knew it, I was up in Sapporo.”

“That's up in Hokkaido,” Taka said, exasperated. “How did you get all the way up to Hokkaido?”

“I don't know!” Dingo said.

“It should have been a clue when you had to get on a boat that you were going the wrong way,” Saki said.

“Typical Dingo,” Netto chuckled. “at least you didn't go all the way to Jawaii this time.”

“How are you still alive?” Taka asked. “I mean, you made it all the way to Hokkaido.”

“I'm an expert at surviving in the wilderness!” Dingo said proudly.

 _Probably because you're always getting lost in the wilderness_ , Saki thought.

“I'm just glad you're back,” Netto said.

“Me too,” Dingo said. “At one point, I was eating whatever I could find. I can't wait to eat some real food.”

Madoi poked her head out of the kitchen, as pale as a sheet. “Dingo!” she shrieked. “It _is_ you!” She turned back to the kitchen. “Guys, Dingo's back!” She looked back at Dingo. “Do you have any idea how worried we were?! You never made your delivery, so Hinoken went looking for you. We almost gave up this time!”

“Sorry!” Dingo said. “I'm really sorry for making you guys worry!”

“'Sorry' doesn't cut it!” Madoi said, angry. “You were gone for three months! We were swamped with work, and you vanished! Probably having a blast somewhere too!”

“Not really,” Dingo said, shrinking back from Madoi.

“Just wait until Hinoken gets a hold of you!” Madoi said, her cheeks flushed with rage. “You'll _wish_ you were still lost in the woods!”

“I said I was sorry!” Dingo said. “Please don't let Hinoken beat me up!”

“Madoi, calm down,” Netto said, putting himself between the two. “Dingo said he's sorry, and I believe him. It isn't like he gets lost on purpose or anything!”

“I guess not,” Madoi said reluctantly.

“Can you get him something to eat?” Netto said. “It would mean a lot to him.”

With a huff of frustration, Madoi disappeared back into the kitchen. Netto sighed with relief.

“Thanks,” Dingo said. “I thought I was done for.”

“It'll blow over,” Netto said. “Just give Madoi time to calm down.”

Madoi returned with a plate of curry, and she dropped it unceremoniously down in front of Dingo.

“Eat up,” she said. “Because when you're done, you're on dishes.”

Dingo groaned, but quickly started shoveling food into his mouth. Saki thought to himself that Dingo and Netto had very similar eating habits.

Once he was finished, Dingo sat back in his chair and sighed happily. “That was the best meal I've had in a while,” he said. After a moment, he sat back up and pulled out his PET. He set it on the counter, and a small hologram of Dingo's Navi appeared on the counter.

“This is Tomahawkman, my Navi,” Dingo said.

“How do you do?” Tomahawkman asked.

“We're an unbeatable team!” Dingo said proudly. “We never lose to anyone!”

“Dingo's pretty proud of our battle record,” Tomahawkman said, laughing nervously. “But yeah, we're pretty good, if I do say so myself. Maybe I'll get to have a battle with you two at some point.”

“I bet Axl would win,” Taka said confidently.

“Oho!” Dingo said. “Is that a challenge?”

“N-no, not right now,” Taka said, putting up his hands. “Maybe later.”

Deflated, Dingo looked at Saki. “How 'bout you? Wanna have a Net Battle?” His eyes gleamed with hope and excitement.

“Uhh...” Saki glanced nervously at his own PET. Zer0 looked back at him confidently.

“Maybe you should ask Zer0 yourself,” Saki said. 

“Maybe I will!” Tomahawkman said, and then disappeared from view. A moment later, he logged into the restaurant's server.

“Hey there!” he said.

“Tomahawkman!” Rockman greeted. “Welcome back!”

Tomahawkman sized everyone up. “Hmm, what do we have here...?” He looked at Axl. “Pretty scrawny, but I used to say that about Rockman too, and he was way tougher than I anticipated.” He looked at Zer0 next. “And you...” He gave a grin of delight. “Yeah, you look like you might be a good challenge.”

“You didn't even ask our names!” Axl groused.

Tomahawkman ignored Axl. “What's your name?” he asked Zer0.

Zer0, perfectly calm, looked into Tomahawkman's eyes. “I am Zer0,” he said.

“Zer0 then.” Tomahawkman grinned even wider. “How about a match?”

Axl looked at Zer0. “You're not seriously going to fight this guy, are you?”

After a long moment, Zer0 nodded. “I accept your challenge,” he said, rising to his feet.

“All right, let's do this!” Dingo said, pumping his fist.

“Hey guys!” Madoi called into the kitchen, “Dingo's gonna Net Battle someone!” Maha and Hinoken poked their heads out, curiously.

Dingo got up from his chair, and faced Saki, who had also risen out of his chair. They stared each other down for a long moment.

“Ready?” Dingo asked.

“Ready as I'll ever be,” Saki said, even though his palms were sweating.

Rockman and Axl backed up, giving Tomahawkman and Zer0 space to fight. The two circled each other at first, sizing each other up. Finally, Tomahawkman grinned, and took a wide stance.

“Before we start, I'd like to introduce you to my friend.” With a broad grin, Tomahawkman summoned a totem pole from the ground, and with a powerful jump he landed on top of it. “Meet Totem-sama! As long as he's on the field with me, I'm unstoppable!”

Zer0 looked up at Tomahawkman from the ground. “It will require more than this to defeat me,” he said.

“Oh, of course!” Tomahawkman said. “Totem-sama is merely my partner! I'll be the one doing all the work, don't you worry.” He lifted the arm his tomahawk was attached to, and made a leap off the top of the totem pole.

“Tomahawk Rolling!” he cried as he rolled towards Zer0, slamming into him at high speed. Zer0 was thrown quite far, but managed to land safely, skidding to a stop.

“Such power behind his strikes,” Zer0 whispered in awe.

“Yikes, try to stay away from that,” Saki said. “Do you want me to send a chip—?”

“No, not yet,” Zer0 said. “I wish to know the extent of his abilities.”

“Okay.” Saki felt conflicted. Tomahawkman was a powerful Navi, and Zer0 lacked any kind of armor or strong defense. But Zer0 seemed confident, so Saki decided to hold off on the battle chips for the time being. He looked up at Dingo, who wore a nasty grin.

“Tomahawkman's pretty strong, yeah?”

“Yeah,” Saki said. “But don't count us out yet.”

“That's what I like to hear,” Dingo said.

Saki looked back to the fight, and spotted part of the totem pole turning. A face came into view, and then there was a low rumble just before a rain of meteors came down from the sky.

“You're kidding me,” Saki groaned. “It can do that?!”

Zer0 nimbly dodged meteors as he made his way towards the totem pole. Tomahawkman saw him advance, and raised his tomahawk again.

“Oh no you don't!” he cried, and swung his tomahawk downwards. “Tomahawk Air Raid!” The tomahawk left his arm and arced towards Zer0, who managed to block the attack with his Z Saber. With a grunt, Zer0 pushed the weapon away, and it arced back up to Tomahawkman's hand.

“How are you doing?” Saki asked.

“I will manage,” Zer0 said, dodging another meteor. “As long as I can get close, I think I will have a chance.”

“As if I'd let you!” Tomahawkman cried, swinging his weapon once more. “Tomahawk Air Raid!”

“That will not work twice!” Zer0 cried, and leaped off the ground. He landed on the handle of the tomahawk, and launched himself upward, slamming the weapon into the ground in the process. The jump was high enough for Zer0 to make it halfway up the totem pole, and he ran up the rest of the length. Tomahawkman looked surprised as Zer0 appeared at the top, sword already in mid swing. Even though it clipped Tomahawkman's breastplate, Zer0 failed to deliver a decisive blow as Tomahawkman leaped backwards and off the totem pole. Zer0 gave chase, leaping off after him.

“You're fast!” Tomahawkman said. “Guess I underestimated you!”

Zer0 thrust downwards, but wasn't able to catch Tomahawkman, who rolled to safety. With a few quick steps, Tomahawkman was able to retrieve his weapon, and charged at Zer0.

“Tomahawk Swing!”

Zer0 skidded, and leaned back, the tomahawk catching his chest a little even as he did so. He managed to get out of the way, but he now sported a cut across his torso. Saki felt his own chest burn, and he clutched at it before he could stop himself.

Zer0 was on his feet again in an instant, his sword already swinging. The two Navis' weapons clashed against each other over and over again, Zer0 swinging again and again, and Tomahawkman parrying every blow.

“In a head-on fight, Tomahawkman will always win,” Dingo said with a feral look in his eyes.

“You don't know what Zer0 can do,” Saki said through gritted teeth.

With a twist of his wrist, Zer0 thrust his sword forward, slipping past Tomahawkman's weapon and into his face. Tomahawkman dodged to the side just in time, but the blade cut his face.

A think trickle of blood ran down Dingo's cheek, but he didn't even flinch. Saki stared at him in horror.

“That's good!” Tomahawkman said as he darted to a safe distance away. “You're out for blood now! That's what I like to see! Come at me like you mean it!”

Zer0 charged, but Tomahawkman jumped back onto his totem pole. Another face rotated into view, and a shield shimmered into view around Tomahawkman.

“That's bad,” Saki said. “Stay back!”

Quickly, Zer0 retreated across the field, but Tomahakman was already setting up another attack. With a cry of “Tomahawk Rolling!” he was on top of Zer0 once more, and Zer0 did his best to block the blow, which catapulted him some distance away.

“This is nuts!” Saki said. “We have to find a way to get rid of that stupid totem pole of his, or we'll never get an attack in!”

“It would require an attack of great force,” Zer0 said. The Navi let out a thoughtful hum.

“What is it?” Saki asked.

“An idea has come to me,” Zer0 said. “I will try to find an opening.”

“We have to wait for that stupid shield to wear off though,” Saki said. 

“It will not be long now,” Zer0 said. “The meteor attack was relatively short, so I imagine this shield will also fade soon.”

Sure enough, at Zer0's words, the shield faded. Tomahawkman didn't seem phased, however, and charged Zer0 once more.

Zer0 shifted into a defensive stance, and Saki thought back to what he'd learned on swordfighting.

_Strong stance, tight guard. Don't charge at the enemy, let them come to you. Patience is a virtue. Push the blade up and away from you._

“Tomahawk Swing!” The blade came down, and Zer0 caught the blade with his own. The sword caught neatly in the curve of Tomahawkman's blade, and with a twist, Zer0 was able to wrench it free of his grasp.

“What—?!” Tomahawkman stumbled back, and Zer0 jumped, planting his foot squarely on Tomahawkman's face. He pushed off with all his might, and launched himself at the totem pole.

“Use the force of your swing to gain momentum,” Zer0 murmured under his breath. At the top of his jump, Zer0 swung his blade down, much like Tomahawkman had done, and tucked into a roll.

“ _Kuuenzan!_ ” Zer0 cried, smashing down into the totem pole with all of the force he could muster. The pole split, and cracked in half, collapsing to the ground with a mighty roar and crash. Zer0 landed on the ground, falling to one knee from the force.

Tomahawkman stared at Zer0 in complete shock. “T-Totem-sama...”

“What the hell was that?!” Dingo yelled.

“Zer0!” Saki yelped. “Are you okay?! What just happened?!”

Shaking slightly, Zer0 got to his feet. “It would appear that I have successfully formed a new technique.”

“No one has _ever_ destroyed Totem-sama before!” Tomahawkman cried, enraged. “Who do you think you are?!”

“If you are a warrior, then come at me without tricks,” Zer0 said, his eyes ablaze with fury. “I will not allow you to defeat me here!”

“You're dead!” Tomahawkman said, charging in with his tomahawk raised. “Tomahawk Sw—”

Zer0 ducked under the swing, thrusting upwards. Tomahawkman's helmet cracked and shattered on the left side as the Z Saber smashed into it. Thrown off balance, Tomahawkman stumbled backwards, and Zer0 swung down, catching Tomahawkman across the breastplate, leaving a deep gash. The Navi fell to the ground, and Zer0 stood over him, blade raised.

“Zer0! Don't!” Saki pleaded.

Zer0 slammed the Z Saber down into the ground next to Tomahawkman's head. The fierce look in his eyes remained as he glared at Tomahawkman, now helpless on the ground.

“Know this,” Zer0 said, his voice booming. “Your rage blinded you. If you allow yourself to be consumed by it, then you will lose sight of what is truly important.” Zer0 took a deep breath, and regained his composure. “You claimed I was out for blood. Nothing could be further from the truth. I do not seek bloodshed in battle. Rather, I seek only to better myself. Perhaps you should do the same.” And with that, Zer0 pulled his Z Saber free, and stepped back. He offered Tomahawkman a hand up, and the other Navi took it.

“Incredible...” Dingo said. “No one's ever destroyed Totem-sama before.” He glared at Saki. “How did you do it?”

Saki shrugged helplessly. “Ask Zer0, not me.”

“That Navi of yours is incredible!” Dingo shook his head. “Too bad he's stuck with such a terrible Operator.”

“What did you say?!” Saki snarled. He felt his face heat up, rage building in his chest. “Say that again, I dare you!”

“A total loser who doesn't even know how to Operate his own Navi!” Dingo taunted. Saki tried to lunge at Dingo, but Netto grabbed him and held him back.

“Dingo, stop that,” Tomahawkman scolded. “They're a great team. I lost, fair and square.”

“You lost to _Zer0_ , this guy didn't have anything to do with it!”

“Dingo,” Netto said, “That isn't true. Saki is just as much a part of this as Zer0 is.” He looked at Saki. “How's your chest?”

“Stings still,” Saki said, gently touching the spot on his chest where he'd felt it burn earlier. “I think it was a shallow hit though, so probably no bruising.”

“Good,” Netto said. “But you have to learn to turn off Full Synchro every now and then, or you might end up with a lot worse than a bruise.”

“Sorry,” Saki said sheepishly.

“Wait,” Dingo said, pointing at Saki's PET. “Were you using that hunk of junk PET this whole time?”

“Uhh, yeah?” Saki said, confused.

“And you _still_ beat me, even with the input lag!” Dingo seemed amazed. “Okay, I'll admit, you're not so bad after all. You have to have some skill to use a dinosaur like that and beat me and Tomahawkman.”

 _I get it_ , Saki thought angrily, _my PET is really old! I don't need everyone to remind me!_

Dingo wiped at his cheek, and seemed to suddenly realize he had been bleeding. Taka handed him a napkin, and Dingo wiped the blood off.

“You're both nuts,” Taka said. “One's a barbarian, and the other's got a death wish.”

“But you have to admit, that was pretty impressive of Zer0, stealing Tomahawkman's attack, and using it mid-fight!” Axl said, materializing on Taka's shoulder.

Saki looked at Zer0, now safely back in his PET. “Yeah, that was pretty impressive. Nice name too.”

“You could say I was...inspired,” Zer0 said.

“'Air Circling Slash' is maybe a little _too_ on the nose,” Saki said with a laugh.

“I'm impressed though,” Rockman said from Netto's shoulder. “You only saw Tomahawkman preform Tomahawk Rolling twice, but you were able to copy it perfectly!”

“I simply applied the same method,” Zer0 said. “Using the downward swing of the attack to propel one forward, while also using the momentum of the roll to gain speed. A clever attack.”

“Me and Tomahawkman came up with his moves while training back home,” Dingo said. “We watched the way my tomahawk would spin when I threw it, and thought, 'we can do that too!' And so Tomahawk Rolling was born!”

“You sure scared me good at the end there,” Tomahawkman said. “I thought for sure you were going to finish me off!”

Zer0 hesitated. “I honestly had the thought cross my mind. It was a dark pondering, and I am glad that I did not allow myself to give in to the temptation.”

Saki frowned. “You actually considered it?”

Zer0 shook his head. “Do not misunderstand: I had no intention of bringing harm to Tomahawkman. However, the thought came up regardless. Much like a dark whisper at one's shoulder.”

“That's kind of scary,” Taka admitted. “I never would have guessed that Zer0 was capable of contemplating violence.”

“I'm sure it's nothing to be worried about,” Saki said, feeling a knot of anxiety in his gut.

A sharp clap from the counter made everyone look at Madoi, who had been watching the battle. She gave Dingo a sickening smile.

“Well, now that that's over with, it's time for the loser to do dishes~!”

Dingo groaned. “Oh no, I forgot about that!”

“Get to work, slacker!” Madoi said, shooing Dingo towards the kitchen entrance. “It's the least you can do, especially after we fed you!”

“Sure, sure,” Dingo said, entering the kitchen. He looked back at Netto and the others. “See you around, I guess.”

“See ya!” Taka said, waving.

Netto sighed. “Well, that was certainly a lot more chaotic than I was hoping for.”

“It ended up being lunch and a show,” Taka said.

“Very funny,” Saki said. 

“Once Taka settles the bill, we should probably get going. We probably want to try and get back before Laika notices we're gone.” Netto scratched his head. “I'll probably get lectured too.”

***

Laika was waiting for them when they got back, arms crossed and wearing a fierce expression.

“This is two days in a row now,” he said, his tone icy. “Did you think I wouldn't notice?”

“Yes?” Taka said.

Laika glared daggers at Taka, who shrank back. 

Netto gave Laika a stern look. “They wouldn't want to skip out all the time if you weren't being so mean.”

“You were the one who asked me to come and teach them,” Laika said pointedly. “If you don't like my methods, then it's already too late.”

“I wanted you to come and help them learn the ropes, not put them through _boot camp_ ,” Netto said, exasperated. “Ten mile runs in the mornings? Even I have trouble running that far!”

“You especially need the exercise,” Laika said. “You sit at a desk most of the time.”

“Listen, Laika, we're all trying to balance our lives and this job,” Netto said, clearly frustrated. “Ease up, okay? That's all I ask.”

A loud slurp interrupted Netto, and everyone looked over to see Enzan leaning up against a nearby desk, slowly sipping his coffee. He waved his hand. “No, please, don't stop on my account. Continue.”

“I've been meaning to speak to you as well,” Laika said. “You are never present for our runs, and I haven't seen you doing anything actually productive since I arrived.”

“I'm incredibly busy running an entire company,” Enzan said. “You're lucky I'm here at all.”

“You're not even trying,” Laika said. “Everyone else is making time, and you aren't. You refuse.”

“I'm not clearing my schedule for a ten mile run,” Enzan said dryly. “Mornings are when most of my meetings are.”

“This isn't about the run!” Laika yelled. “This is about if you are actually willing to put in the time here instead of sitting around for a few hours and then leaving again!”

Enzan narrowed his eyes. “And what exactly do you think I do here?”

“As far as I can tell, nothing.”

Saki looked back and forth between Laika and Enzan, anxiety forming an icy knot in his gut. The two looked like they were ready to throw hands at any moment. Even Netto seemed concerned, his earlier anger overridden by fear in the face of a real fight.

“Guys, come on, don't fight. We can talk this out—”

“Shut up!” Laika snapped at Netto. “I'm tired of your lax methods and flippant attitudes! This isn't some kind of game! Neither of these children have been trained properly! What happens if a crisis pops up, and these two are the only ones we can send into the field? What then?”

“T-then we handle it?” Taka said nervously.

Laika clicked his tongue and looked at Netto. “The way they are now, one of them is going to die. Do you want to be responsible for that?”

Fear flashed through Netto's eyes, and Saki saw him turn pale. “N-no...”

“Laika, that's enough,” Enzan barked. “We both get what you're saying. What we're upset about is the fact that you don't think we're contributing, even though we're both putting in as much of our time as we can. You're not here to see Netto's sleepless nights, or all the training sessions I run with Tanaka. You weren't here for their first tests, or even the accident. _You don't know_.”

“Then _enlighten me_ ,” Laika said.

“We were running a test of Netto's device, a more portable version of the dimensional generators. He handled the situation to the best of his abilities. It was my fault that I didn't stay inside the barrier for the test.” Enzan crossed his arms. “But the fact that Netto is making the device in the first place is what's important. He's trying to prepare us in the event that we don't have access to the satellites, or if we don't have reception, or a host of other scenarios. That's what he spends his nights doing. And during the day, he has classes and he's here running training sessions. No one works harder than Netto does.” 

“And Enzan is always tweaking the PET designs so that they're more efficient, especially during Cross Fusion!” Netto said. “He never gets any sleep because he's always working on this or that. But he still comes in, whenever he can, and gives me a hand with practices. He trains Saki on his own time. And he's the one who eventually talked the government into getting our funding back! Without him, this program wouldn't be up-and-running at all!” Netto teared up. “My Dad's research would be doomed...”

Laika seemed to soften slightly. He gave a tired sigh.

“If you two are so busy, why didn't you ask for help sooner?”

“It's not like we can just get anybody, you know,” Netto said. “Only a handful of people have experience with Cross Fusion, and they have busy lives too. Especially you. We waited until we thought you weren't as busy before we even tried asking.”

“And you didn't _try_ asking anyone else? Sakurai-san? Jasmine-san? Not even...” Laika made a face, “ _Dingo?_ ”

“Would _you_ trust Dingo with these kids?” Netto asked.

“Would you trust Dingo with any kind of teaching?” Enzan asked.

Laika shuddered. “No, I suppose not.”

“It wasn't like we had a lot of choices,” Netto said.

Taka leaned in close to Saki. “I had no idea that Dingo could Cross Fuse,” he whispered.

“Me either,” Saki whispered back.

“So what do you suggest I do then?” Laika asked curtly.

“Maybe try a gentler teaching approach?” Netto asked. “Rather than trying to beat them into submission, I think you should try guiding them. Find out what they need help with, and work on that.”

“And maybe tone down the ten mile runs,” Enzan added. “Wakahisa is liable to end up dead near the six mile mark.”

“Six miles is rather generous,” Taka mumbled.

Laika gave an exasperated sigh. “And if I try this method, and it still doesn't work, can I return to my own method?”

Enzan grumbled. “I suppose. But at least try.”

“I will try,” Laika said.

“Good!” Netto said brightly. “That's all I can ask for!” He looked at Taka and Saki. “You guys too. You have to at least try.”

The boys each gave a half-hearted “Okay,” and Netto seemed satisfied.

“Now that that's all settled...” Netto put his hands on his hips and looked puzzled. “I feel like I'm forgetting something...what was it...?”

“Oh, there you are,” Meijin called, popping out from behind a partition. “I was just about to come find you.”

“What's up?” Netto asked.

“I wanted to know what we're doing with that old computer we found in the back office,” Meijin said. “It's kind of old, but you said it was still usable.”

“Ahh!” Netto smacked his fist into his open hand. “ _That's_ what I forgot!” He turned to Saki excitedly. “I think I remember that you don't have a computer at home! Want to inherit one of our old ones? It runs just fine!”

“Is that a good idea?” Laika asked. “It used to have sensitive data on it, after all.”

“It's fine!” Netto insisted. “I wiped the hard drive myself. There's nothing on it anymore.”

“If it's one of the ones I'm thinking of, those computers are ten years old, at least,” Enzan said. “That's pretty outdated as far as tech goes.”

“But it works just fine,” Netto insisted. “You can use the Net on it, and it has all kinds of word programs. I bet Michi could use it for her school reports!”

“That would be pretty nice,” Saki admitted. “But are you sure?”

“It's no trouble, really!” Netto said. “You can just take it. It'll get recycled otherwise.”

“Well, if you insist,” Saki said, “I'll happily accept.”

“Great!” Netto beamed. “I'll help you get it home after work. It's a little too bulky to carry on public transit all by yourself.”

“You know I could just buy you a new computer, right?” Taka said.

“No thanks,” Saki said. “That's too much to ask.”

“I don't mind, really!” Taka said. “It'd make me feel better about Michi using it!”

“Netto said it's fine,” Saki said. “And we don't need anything fancy as it is.”

“Then let me upgrade your PET at least!” Taka said. “I'm tired of watching you haul that old thing around all the time.”

“No way!” Saki said. “That's too expensive!”

Enzan gave a small sigh, and Saki turned to look at him. Enzan shrugged, as if he didn't know why Saki had turned to look at him in the first place.

“Michi's gonna love it, I bet!” Netto said, grinning from ear to ear. “I can't wait to see her face!”

Saki froze. Was this all just a ploy to see Saki's house?

“Did you plan this?” Saki whispered.

“Huh? Oh yeah, I planned on giving you this computer from the moment I saw it,” Netto said casually.

“No, I mean, did you plan on coming to my house?” Saki asked, panic rising in his chest.

“Uhh, no, not really,” Netto said. “It kind of worked out that way though, didn't it?”

“I can give you a ride!” Taka blurted out. “That way you don't have to take transit!”

Saki looked at Taka in disbelief. “You...don't drive,” he said.

“No, but Axl can!” Taka said. “He usually drives one of the family cars!”

“I'm certified!” Axl said proudly.

Saki shivered. The idea of a Navi driving a car was terrifying.

“Don't you have a driver?” Enzan asked.

“Pfft,” Taka laughed. “As if Mamma would ever hire a driver for me. We don't even have any other staff, aside from the cleaning lady who comes in a few times a week.”

“That's not something to be proud of,” Saki said, sighing and pinching the bridge of his nose.

“Axl only drives me if I'm going somewhere far,” Taka said. “Otherwise, I use transit like everyone else.”

“But if we used a car, we could get it to your house much easier,” Netto said.

“Never look a gift horse in the mouth,” Meijin said. “Although, in this case it's more like...a free ride...” He put a hand to his chin, deep in thought. “Isn't there a saying about a free ride...?”

Saki groaned. “Okay, fine, you win. I'll accept your ride, are you happy?”

“Sure am!” Taka said.

“What kind of car do you have?” Netto asked excitedly. “Is it really big?”

“It's a town car,” Taka said. “So not really. But it has heated seats!”

Saki rubbed his temples. Sometimes he couldn't handle how eager everyone was. A hand on his shoulder caused him to jump, and he turned to see Laika looking at him with sympathy.

“It's hard, isn't it?” he said. “Having to rely on people like them?”

For a moment, Saki was too shocked to answer. Eventually, he nodded his head.

“Hang in there,” Laika said, giving Saki's shoulder a pat.

***

Saki pushed the door to the house open. “I'm home!” he called.

“Pardon the intrusion!” Netto and Taka said, almost in unison.

A flurry of footsteps sounded, and Michi practically ran down the small hallway to the entryway. Her eyes lit up when she saw everyone.

“You brought friends!” Michi said happily.

“Sure did,” Saki said, smiling despite how tired he felt. “They're helping me bring home a little surprise for you.”

“A surprise?!” Michi gasped, clapping her hands with excitement. “What is it?!”

“Let us in, and we'll show you!” Netto said, laughing.

Michi retreated to the main room, and Saki carried the monitor in. Netto had the tower cradled tightly in his arms, and Taka had a box with the keyboard and mouse and other odds and ends in it. Saki jerked his head the corner of the main room.

“Over there should be fine. I think we have a small table I can dig out of storage.”

Michi looked at the computer pieces in awe. “Is this...for me?” she asked.

“Sure is!” Netto said. “Now you'll have something you can write your reports on!”

Michi clapped her hands. “Yay! Thank you so, so much!”

While Saki rummaged around, looking for the table he had mentioned, Netto and Taka looked around the room, taking it all in. A small tube television was in the corner closest to the kitchen, and there was a pair of light curtains hanging in front of the window on the eastern wall. There was the large table in the center of the room to eat at, and a few cushions were scattered around it. Against the wall, near the window, was a small shrine to a man Netto guessed was Saki's father. He bowed his head respectfully before continuing to look around the room. There was a small bookshelf near the AC unit, and a few of the titles jumped out as collections of poetry, but there were a few romance novels in there too, along with some picture books. The patio doors opened onto a small balcony, where a small flower box could be seen, along with a drying rack for clothes. On the walls were a few pictures of Saki and Michi at various ages, and a photograph of Keiko and the man Netto guessed was Saki's father stood atop the bookshelf.

“Seems pretty normal,” Netto said. “Dunno why Saki was so against letting us see it.”

“It's so cute!” Taka said breathlessly. “I've never seen a 1LDK before! They're so tiny and cute!”

“Do you like our house?” Michi asked.

“Of course!” Netto said.

Michi grinned. “That's good! Mamma always worries if it's clean enough for visitors.”

“I think it's just fine,” Taka said. “Do you help clean too, Michi-chan?”

She nodded excitedly. “Uh huh! On Sundays, I help Mamma with the chores before she goes to work.”

“Oh? And where does your Mamma work, Michi-chan?” Taka's eyes sparkled.

Michi shook her head. “She won't tell me. Big brother doesn't know either.”

Taka deflated. Netto chuckled. “She sure works hard to support you guys.”

Michi nodded.

“Found it!” Saki called from the bedroom, and a moment later he came in with a small table, big enough for one person to use. He plopped it down near the bookshelf.

“I found it in the closet, under all the Christmas things,” he said.

“Good job!” Taka said.

“Let's get this all set up,” Netto said. “I'll hook up the monitor. Why don't you make some tea, Saki?”

Saki blushed. “Are you sure I can't help?”

Netto shook his head. “It's okay, let me take care of things.”

“Let me help!” Taka said, leaping to his feet. “I wanna help too!”

While Saki and Taka busied themselves in the kitchen making tea, Netto returned to setting the computer up. Michi sat quietly next to him, her hands folded in her lap. Netto looked at her kindly.

“What's up?”

“Oh, I want to help, but...” Michi hesitated. “I don't want to get in the way.”

“Okay then,” Netto said, “Can you hand me that big cable right there?” He motioned to a cable in the box Taka had brought in. Michi's face lit up, and she retrieved the cord for Netto.

“Thanks kiddo,” Netto said, “You're a big help!”

Michi smiled brightly, wiggling with joy. Netto made small talk as he plugged things in.

“What grade are you in, Michi-chan?” he asked.

“I'm in third grade!” she said.

“Do you like it?” Netto asked.

“It's fine,” Michi said. “I get to learn things, and I get to see my friends.”

“It's nice to have friends,” Netto said. “What are they like?”

“Well, there's Rika-chan, and Hana-chan, and Ken-kun,” she said, listing them off on her fingers. “Rika likes to sing, and Hana loves to read. Ken can be mean sometimes, but he's really nice sometimes too. We like to play Steel Samurai and Pink Princess together!”

“I like the Steel Samurai too!” Netto said excitedly. “He's so cool!”

“I like the way he punishes the bad guys with his spear!” Michi said. “I also like Magical Maidens, but Ryu doesn't like to play that one with me because he's says it's for girls.”

“Not true!” Netto said. “Taka-kun really loves Magical Maidens, and he's a boy!”

Michi put her hands to her cheeks and gasped. “Really?”

“I think Ryu-kun is just embarrassed,” Netto said, plugging the monitor into the tower. “He probably likes the series, but won't admit it because he thinks it will make him look 'uncool', which is totally not true.”

“What's all this about Magical Maidens?!” Taka asked, skidding to a stop next to Michi and plopping down.

“I love Magical Maidens!” Michi said happily.

“Me too!” Taka said excitedly. “My favorite season is 'Sparkle!: Magical Maidens Smile!'”

“I really loved 'Sparkle!: Magical Maidens Doki Capture!'” Michi said. 

“That's a good one too!” Taka said. “I really loved the transformation items that season! Perfume is so elegant and feminine, and it was a nice touch, especially with all the flower imagery!”

“Yeah!” Michi said. “I really loved all the flowers!”

“My favorite was the Blue Maiden, because she was a fashion designer!” Taka said. “I want to make clothes and be a model too!”

“I liked the Yellow Maiden because she was strong and cool!” Michi said.

Netto plugged in the power, and sat back on his heels. “All done!' he announced.

“Just in time,” Saki said, “The tea's ready.” He set a tray with the tea and four cups down on the table.

“Is there sugar?” Taka asked. “I like my tea sweet.”

Saki rolled his eyes. “Of course there is.”

“Thank you, big brother!” Michi said.

“Yes, thank you,” Netto said.

“Thank _you_ for the computer,” Saki said, sitting down. “It'll be a big help to all of us.”

“It's the least I could do,” Netto said. “Everyone at the office wants to see you and your family succeed, Saki. Dad was even saying that he wished he could do something about your PET, but he didn't want to seem pushy.”

Saki blushed. “It's really okay. You've all done enough already.”

“Mamma said that I should always be grateful for gifts,” said Michi. “So thank you very much.”

“No problem!” Netto ruffled Michi's hair. “Everyone in your family is so polite! Keiko-san sure raised good kids!”

Saki sighed, but he was smiling. “Are you going to try the computer, Michi?” he asked.

She shook her head. “Not today, we have guests over. Maybe tomorrow.”

“Let Saki know how it works,” Netto said.

“I will,” she promised.

Saki watched Netto and Taka interact with Michi, and his anxiety eased off. It was hard, trying to remember that Netto and Taka were reliable people, and that they cared about him and his family. He wanted to open up more, but it was always really difficult and painful, like ripping off a bandage little by little.

“Do you...want to stay for dinner?” Saki asked. “Since you're here and all?”

Both Taka and Netto looked at Saki with excited expressions. “YES!” they declared in unison.

“Whoo-hoo! I get to eat Saki's cooking!” Taka cheered.

“I hope it's curry!” Netto said.

Saki laughed. “Too bad, it's omurice.”

“Omurice is good too!” Netto said.

Saki laughed, and a gentle warmth settled into his chest. He'd almost forgotten how nice it was to have friends to spend time with, but something about Taka and Netto felt familiar and comforting.

 _I think this is okay_ , he told himself. _I think this is a good start_.


	10. Growing Pains

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Saki starts to get to know Taka a little better, and Taka has an ominous dream

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> _Taka's dream is one I've been anticipating for a long time. I pulled a lot of inspiration from the song "The Mystic's Dream" by Loreena McKennitt, which I highly recommend listening to._

“See you later!” Saki called to Michi as he left the apartment. He retrieved his bike and pushed it to the sidewalk before getting on and pedaling towards the ramen shop. The early morning was quiet, punctuated by a few loud birds, and the occasional person sleepily making their way to their own jobs. The clicking of Saki's bike echoed off the buildings, mixing with the birds to make an eerie melody. It was a familiar sound, one that Saki was used to hearing, and filled him with a strange peace. No matter how loud and bustling everything would be as the day wore on, the mornings, at least, were still and empty.

The ramen shop was a ten minute ride away, and he arrived long before the store was due to open, so he pulled his bike around the back of the store, and sat down on a wooden box to wait. It wasn't long, however, before the owner opened the back door, and spotted him sitting there.

“Oh, Saki!” he said, raising his hand in greeting. “Early as always, I see.”

Saki chuckled. “I'd rather be early than late.”

The owner nodded his head. “True enough.” He motioned for Saki to come inside. “Better to wait indoors, I think. We'll make you some tea.”

With a grateful smile, Saki followed the owner into the shop. The back door connected to the kitchen, and Saki could already smell all the different soups boiling away. The owner's wife looked up, and smiled at Saki, who smiled back.

“Good morning,” he said.

“Good morning!” the owner's wife said brightly. “Let me put some tea on for you!”

“Thank you,” Saki said politely, and then exited the kitchen into the dining area. The chairs were still up on the tables, and Saki pulled a stool off the counter to sit on, then paused before setting all the stools down on the floor. By the time the owner's wife arrived with Saki's tea, he was halfway through putting the restaurant's chairs down.

“Oh, thank you!” the owner's wife said. “My husband always has such a hard time with the chairs these days.”

“I don't mind,” Saki said warmly. “If I'm here early, I'd rather be doing something to help than just sitting around.”

The owner's wife patted a seat at the counter, and Saki obediently sat down in it. She set his tea down in front of him before sitting down herself, and Saki nodded his head in thanks.

“You've always been a very hardworking, helpful boy,” the owner's wife said, smiling kindly. “Even when you were very small. You'd try to sweep the floors, I remember, even though you could barely use the broom!”

Saki chuckled. “Dad always tried to pound the idea of helping out into my head. He said if I had time to be bored, I had time to help.”

“Being idle sometimes is good too,” the owner's wife said. “You need time to rest and take in the world around you. It isn't a terrible thing.”

Saki sighed softly. “It's hard to remember that.”

The owner's wife nodded. “We do think you're pushing yourself too hard.”

Startled, Saki looked up from his tea. Something about her words struck an awful chord in his heart.

“We appreciate everything you do for us, Saki-kun, we truly do. We've watched you grow up, you and your sister both, and taught you many things about making good food for others. And in return, you've worked tirelessly.” She smiled at Saki, but it seemed halfhearted, her words seemed to be filled with forced cheer.

“You are both very important to our family,” Saki said. “I can't even begin to repay the kindness you've shown all of us.”

“Oh hush,” the owner's wife said, waving her hand wearily. “We only did what we felt was right. It's the job of the community to come together during hard times, don't you think?”

Saki hesitated. “I suppose so.”

“But dear, you're just a child still,” the owner's wife continued. “You've spent so much of your childhood working, and it's rather heartbreaking for us. We understand that your position is difficult, and we want nothing more than to continue assisting you, but...” She took a deep breath, and Saki's gut twisted painfully. “But me and my husband feel...that it's time for you to return to your schooling.”

“Are you...” Saki felt his eyes sting with tears. His voice trembled as he tried to speak around the lump in his throat. “Are you... _firing_ me?”

“No, dear, just...laying you off for now.” Even though she was still smiling softly, Saki could tell the owner's wife was also emotional. “It was a difficult decision to come to.”

Saki stared at the counter, devastated. He barely registered anything that was happening around him anymore. He knew that she had put her hand on his shoulder, but her words were too garbled to make out. He struggled to keep his composure.

“At your age, you should be in high school,” she was saying, “Preparing to go to college. You shouldn't have to worry about supporting everyone yet. Don't you have three jobs? The one at the Ministry of Science, and that one at the fancy restaurant, what was it called again...?”

“Argenterie,” Saki said, his voice devoid of emotion.

“That's the one!” the owner's wife said. “Yes, three jobs is far too many for a boy your age.”

Still unable to fully comprehend anything that was being said, Saki sat still and let it all wash over him.

“I know you're quite upset, Saki-kun. It's alright if you want to cry. Even if I'm trying to be kind, I'm sure this must be very hard to hear.”

Despite his best efforts, a tear fell from Saki's eye and fell onto the counter with a barely audible 'plip'. Saki opened his mouth to speak a few times, each time finding himself unable to do so. It was suddenly as if there was a rock in his throat, and no noise could get past it. He struggled again and again, but to no avail. The tears started to fall freely at this point, and Saki hunched forward over the counter, still trying desperately to make some kind of sound. The owner's wife rubbed his back soothingly.

“There, there dear. Let it all out now. No shame in crying.”

The owner peeked through the curtain in the kitchen doorway, and his face softened. He came up to the counter, and patted Saki's head. A dam seemed to burst inside of Saki, and the tears came even harder and faster, and the rock in Saki's throat cleared. A wail escaped him, and he buried his face in his hands, still sobbing. The owner and his wife continued to comfort him.

When Saki was able to speak again, the first words he uttered were, “B-but what about you? What w-will you do?”

“No need to worry about us,” the owner said. “We've realized that we can't run this place all by ourselves. We'll be bringing in a few new cooks, and someone else to run deliveries. It'll be tough to change, but...”

“But we'll just have to!” the owner's wife finished.

The thought of being replaced hurt, but Saki understood their logic. The owners' children had gone off to pursue their own dreams, and there was no one in the family to inherit the business. The only choice they had was bringing in new people that they could train.

“I-is the new delivery person...good?” Saki asked. “Are they going to know that the delivery box door is loose, and they have to use the bungee cord to keep it shut? Or that Yamada-san likes to have their bowl left at the gate rather than their door, or that—?”

“Saki-kun, it's okay!” the owner's wife said, patting his shoulder. “It'll be okay! They'll be trained, I promise.”

The owner ruffled Saki's hair. “They won't be as good as you, but we'll manage.”

Saki took a few shaky breaths. “I could still work here, you know—”

“Saki-kun.” The owner's wife gently turned Saki to face her. “I know you feel like you're being punished right now, but I promise that we all just want what's best for you. Going back to school will be much better than working here all the time.”

“B-but I can't afford to go back to school!” Saki blurted out. “Everything Mom makes goes directly into rent and bills. If I don't work, we can't afford groceries, or new clothes, or Michi's school trips! We can't save anything for when she has to go to college!”

“I think you might be over exaggerating,” the owner said, patting Saki's head. “I don't think you're mother is the type to push that kind of financial responsibility onto you. I'm sure you all did just fine before you started working.”

“It was kind of tight,” Saki admitted. “But we did get by.”

“Your mother won't let anything happen to you three,” the owner's wife said kindly. “It was hard at first, but I'm sure she's doing much better now. I think it's okay to relax a bit.”

“In my opinion, you should probably stop working at that fancy place,” the owner said. “It's very stressful for you.”

“But...” Saki hesitated. It was a silly reason, sure, but they deserved to know. “I'm still hoping I might be able to...pick up some techniques from the chefs there...” He felt his face heat up.

The owner laughed. “Is that why? If you wanted to learn some techniques, then I'd be happy to show you some of mine!”

“That's very kind, and I would gladly take you up on that offer,” Saki said, “But if I want to learn to be a chef, I'll have to learn Lefleurian techniques at some point.”

The owner gave a thoughtful hum, and put a hand to his chin. “Is that so? I suppose you're right. But I don't know much about the fancier side of cooking. The techniques I have were taught to me by my father, and his father before him. A proud tradition passed down from father to son.”

“It must be hard,” Saki said, “Having to teach them to someone not in your family.”

The owner sighed. “Times are changing, Saki-kun. I have to change too. I can't just let these proud techniques die because of something like tradition.”

Saki had to agree with the owner. The more he thought about it, the more he realized that he, too, was a slave to traditions. He felt like he had to be the one to support the family because he was the first son, but the truth was that his mother was more than capable of doing it, he was just being stubborn. Helping out here and there would probably be welcome, but not allowing himself to stop working simply because he felt like he had to was too much.

“You're right,” Saki said. “Times certainly have changed.”

He thought about how awful his middle school experience had been, how he'd been attacked mercilessly for something he could not change, and how it drove him to abandon his ambitions in favor of something 'safe'. He thought about how everyone at the Ministry of Science had been so open and accepting of him, and how much of a stark contrast it had been from his earlier bullying. It was highly unlikely the world had changed drastically in a few years, but Saki felt like his fear was holding him back from trying to see for himself if things would be better this time around.

“I guess I was really scared of the same things that happened to me in middle school happening to me in high school,” Saki admitted. “And that was why I didn't want to try.”

“Fear is a powerful force,” the owner's wife said. “It's hard to overcome. But I'm certain that you can.” She took Saki's hand in hers, and gave it a gentle squeeze. “Promise me that you'll try.”

“I will,” Saki promised.

The owner gave Saki's head one last pat, and then moved to go back to the kitchen. He looked back at Saki with a large grin.

“Today's your last day, so let's make it a good one, okay?”

Even though his heart still hurt, and his eyes still stung, Saki grinned back, and pounded his chest with his fist. “It might be my last day,” he said, “But I don't intend to just slack off. I'll work as hard as I can until the last moment.”

“'Atta boy!” the owner said.

***

As soon as Saki entered the office at the Ministry of Science, he came face-to-face with Netto, who seemed really eager to see him. Saki's heart, still sore over being let go from his job, skipped a beat at seeing Netto's bright face, and a warm smile came to him naturally.

“There you are!” Netto grabbed Saki's hand and dragged him towards the break room. “Enzan's been looking for you!”

 _Probably more drills_ , Saki thought. _Oh well, it beats moping all day_.

“Oh, I'm sorry,” Saki said, smiling weakly. “I guess I ran a little late at my last job.”

Netto stopped walking, and looked at Saki closely. He frowned. “Are you okay? You look like you've been crying.”

“Ahh—!” Saki realized he'd been found out, and desperately tried to cover it up. “I-I must have been too close to the onions today.”

“This is more than onion tears!” Netto said. “Your eyes are red, and your nose and cheeks are still a little bit flushed! You were crying for real!”

 _Ack, busted!_ Saki thought, feeling panicked. 

Netto got behind Saki, and pushed him towards the break room. “You're going to sit down and tell us what happened while you drink some tea.”

“W-wait!” Saki protested, but Netto clearly wasn't going to listen. Saki ended up in the break room against his will, and his stomach clenched at seeing Enzan and Taka there. Netto shoved Saki towards the couch, and forced him to sit down. Taka gave Netto a curious look.

“What's up?” he asked. “You're being more forceful than normal.”

“Saki's been crying, and I wanna know what's up,” Netto said. “But first, tea.”

“I'm fine, really,” Saki said weakly.

“You were crying?!” Taka said, leaning into Saki's personal space. “What happened?!”

“Nothing,” Saki said, his voice still weak and quiet.

“I'm sure if you cried about it, it wasn't 'nothing',” Enzan said.

“It's fine, I'm already over it,” Saki said, still protesting weakly.

“You can tell us all about it over tea,” Netto said from the kitchen area. There was a long pause, and Enzan looked up from his PET screen.

“Do you even know how to make tea?” he asked.

“Sure I do!” Netto said, but Saki detected a hint of uncertainty in his voice. “It's easy!”

Enzan sighed. “Do you need help?”

“Nope, I'm good!” Netto replied.

Enzan waited a few more seconds before getting up, and walking to the kitchen area and pushing Neto aside. 

“I'll handle it,” he said to Netto. “Go sit down.”

Netto's shoulders slumped in defeat, and he sulked back over to the couch before flopping down next to Saki, and putting his head on the boy's shoulder.

“Enzan's so mean!” he whined.

Saki lifted his hand, and patted Netto's head comfortingly. “There, there.”

As if trying to get Saki's attention, Taka practically crawled into Saki's lap, which startled Saki.

“So are you going to talk about what made you cry?!” Taka asked.

“You're in my personal space,” Saki choked out, his face and ears heating up.

“I was just trying to comfort you!” Taka explained. “You probably need reassuring touches right now!”

Saki felt his head swim for a moment, and he pushed Taka off of him before burying his face in his hands.

“You probably need to re-think your choice of words,” Netto said to Taka quietly.

“Was I wrong?” Taka asked.

“Idiots,” Saki heard Enzan mutter under his breath.

Netto and Taka kept niggling Saki until Enzan finally handed Saki his tea, and took his seat once more. Saki held the hot cup in his hands, and stared at it intently as he tried to calm himself down enough to speak.

“I...lost my job today,” Saki said quietly.

“Oh no!” Taka said.

“You got fired?!” Netto asked.

Saki shook his head. “They laid me off, I guess.” He paused. “Something about wanting me to go back to school.”

“They aren't wrong,” Netto grumbled.

“I'm sure that was very difficult,” Enzan said. “Was it a job you cared for?”

“I'm really close with the owners,” Saki said. “So yeah.”

“The ramen shop, huh?” Netto said, sighing. “That's too bad.”

“I guess we can't ask for discounts there,” Taka said.

“How did you know I worked there?” Saki asked.

“It was pretty obvious,” Netto said, “Especially the way they were talking about you.”

“Yeah, it was obvious,” Taka agreed.

“I suspected that you might work there,” Enzan said. “I went there at another time with Netto, and the owners talked highly of you.” He paused. “Also the ramen is quite good.”

“Enzan's being modest, he was pretty excited when he ate it,” Netto said, chuckling.

Enzan blushed slightly, and coughed. “Anyway, you must have been very upset over the loss of your job.”

Saki took a sip of tea. “Yeah,” he said. “Saying goodbye at the end of my shift was the worst part.”

The memory surfaced. He recalled the looks on the owners' faces as he walked out the back door, and then turned to address them. He had given a deep, stiff bow, and loudly said, “Thank you ever so much for everything!”

“We thank you as well,” the owner's wife had said. “We are grateful for everything you've done for us.”

“We wish you success in your future endeavors,” the boss had added.

Saki hadn't looked up, but the tender words had brought tears to his eyes, and he had quickly stood up, and walked to his bike, trying not to burst out crying there and then. It had been on his way home that he hadn't been able to keep it in anymore, and had gotten off his bike to crouch by the side of the road and bawl loudly.

“I don't know how long I cried there,” Saki said, “But it must have been a while. I ended up rushing over here as a result.”

“I'm glad you were able to get your feelings out at least,” Netto said.

“Grieving over the loss of something is normal,” Taka said. “It might seem silly, but it shows how deeply we cared for the thing we grieve for. That job meant a whole lot to you.”

“The owners are like my grandparents,” Saki admitted. “It was almost like I was being punished for no reason.”

“But I think I understand their logic,” Enzan said. “They only want to see you succeed at higher education so that you can follow your own ambitions, much like their own children did.”

Saki sat in silence for a bit, contemplating everything that had been said.

“I don't know if I want to go back to school just yet,” he said finally. “I know it's selfish, but that's how I feel.”

Taka took a deep breath. “I think that's okay,” he said. “Middle school sounded like a really scary experience, and I wouldn't be eager to repeat it if I were in your shoes.” 

“Ideally, we'd all like you to go back,” Netto said, “But I think it's okay to go back when you're ready.”

“But if you wait too long, you'll miss your chance,” Enzan said. “So be mindful of that.”

Saki nodded. He took a deep sip of his tea, and let the heat wash down into his gut. He felt a lot calmer now, having talked about it with the others.

“This might not be an ideal time, given what happened earlier in the day, but I wanted to talk to you about something,” Enzan said, scratching his head.

“Talk to me about what?” Saki asked.

“Well, you see,” Enzan said, pausing. “I got tired of seeing you use that old V2, so I took it upon myself to do something about it.” He reached into a bag hanging on his chair, and pulled out a small box, which he passed to Netto, who in turn passed it to Saki.

Saki stared at the box in his hands with breathless anticipation. It made him incredibly anxious, but it was also exciting, like getting a birthday present. He looked up at Enzan, as if expecting permission.

“Is it okay?” he asked

Enzan waved his hand. “Sure, it's yours after all.”

Saki tore the box open. Inside, under the tissue paper, was a shiny new V6. It was deep crimson, the same color as Zer0's armor, and was emblazoned with Zer0's distinctive crest. Saki picked it up with trembling hands, amazed at how light it was in comparison to his V2. He looked at it from every angle, flipping it over and running his fingers across the smooth surface of the device.

“Thank you,” he whispered, close to tears again. “It's beautiful.”

“Sure,” Enzan said. “Like I told you, I simply couldn't stand seeing you use that old PET anymore.”

“Enzan's been planning it for a while now,” Taka said, giggling. “He personally worked on it, making sure it was perfect.”

Saki looked back at Enzan, whose face was noticeably pink, but still seemed as stoic as ever.

“Well, regardless of the reason, thank you for this.” He pulled out his old PET, and showed the V6 to Zer0. “What do you think, Zer0?”

“It appears quite nice,” Zer0 said. “I am humbled by this gesture.”

“It's really not that big of a deal,” Enzan murmured, even as a tiny smile pulled at his lips.

***

At the end of a long day, Taka dragged himself into his room, and, with some difficulty, peeled off his clothes, and pulled on his pajamas. He tottered to the bathroom, where he brushed his teeth, and then returned to his room to collapse into bed, completely exhausted. Yet, somehow, his sleep was restless, much like it had been for quite some time. He tossed and turned for what seemed like hours before he finally was able to surrender himself to sleep.

The strange sensation of floating woke him, and as he opened his eyes, he found himself standing in a clearing in the woods, a bright crescent moon hanging heavy in the sky above him. Taka looked around, confused. He had never been to this place, and yet there was something familiar about it. As he continued to look around him, he thought he heard a soft song carried on the wind, even though the trees were completely still. He tried to pinpoint where it was coming from, and noticed a path deeper into the forest. He felt compelled to follow it, even though he did not know why.

The path led him deeper and deeper, until it came out in another clearing. This one seemed to be some kind of ruin made of sandstone brick, covered in thick ivy. He followed the walls into the ruin, his bare feet making no sound against the soft moss underfoot. Whatever this ruin was, it had been here for a very long time, and had not been touched by human hands. Taka used his hand to follow the ivy-covered walls deeper into the ruin, until he came to a room with a hole in the ceiling, where sunlight poured in.

 _But it was the middle of the night_ , Taka thought, trying to make sense of things. His eyes fell upon a wall nearby, and widened with shock.

A mosaic fresco filled much of the wall, partially overgrown with moss and ivy. It strangely refused to grow over the main part of it, as if cradling it gently. As Taka approached, it came into sharper focus, and he could now see that it was of someone, draped in rich clothing, and covered in strange markings that resembled some form of language. Taka squinted, trying to make out the face in the dim light. Suddenly, he knew who it was, and drew back in shock.

The person depicted in the fresco was his brother, Shin'ichiro.

 _What is this?_ Taka thought frantically. _How is this even possible?_

While he was still struggling to understand what was happening, the fresco's eyes opened, and Taka could see deep into them. They were strangely human, despite being part of a mural, and Taka felt himself pulled in.

A voice spoke into his mind, a language he did not know, but somehow understood.

_Do not fear. Your destiny awaits you._

Taka felt himself falling, then swept up into a strong gale, tumbling helplessly. His feet eventually found ground, and he collapsed to his knees in soft red sand.

Raising his head, Taka could see it was night once more. The stars shone brightly in a clear sky over a sweeping desert, and Taka found himself slightly breathless at the sight. As he got to his feet, he could see strange puddles in the sand, as if the sky was pooling in the sand. He approached one, plunging his hand into it, but came up with only sand, which quickly slipped through his fingers. Lifting his head, Taka spotted flickering lights in the distance, and began walking towards them, hoping for some kind of explanation.

He walked and walked, but the lights never seemed closer. Frustrated, Taka fell to his knees, and gave a primal scream.

“What do you want from me?!” he yelled at the starry sky. “Tell me what I'm supposed to be doing?!”

No answer ever came, and Taka looked back down at the sand, panting heavily. But this time, an entrance stood before him. Scrambling to his feet, Taka ran down the stone steps that descended into the earth, feeling the cold close in around him. He found himself unable to see in the darkness, and reached out for something to guide him. He eventually felt a rough stone wall under his fingers, and made his way through the darkness, still unsure of where he was going. A deep dread grew in his stomach, but he pushed onward regardless.

Soon, the darkness gave way to torchlight, and Taka could see that he was in a narrow passageway. As he walked forward, the dread grew stronger and stronger. When he reached the end, he looked at the solid stone wall, and noted a few strange symbols engraved in it. He reached forward, and touched one that looked like two serpents facing each other. As he did so, the door slid away, revealing a large empty chamber where a large, black box sat on a small altar. The box was strangely seamless, no discernable lid or joining seams of any kind. The same symbol Taka had touched on the wall glowed neon blue on the top of the box, and Taka felt compelled to reach out for it. As he did so, however, he stopped short, realizing the same symbol was also now emblazoned on his hand, glowing with the same neon blue light.

Taka rubbed at his hand, trying to see if he could simply wipe the mark away, but it remained. He looked back at the box, and the dread he had been feeling suddenly intensified. The voice from before boomed through his mind.

_Do not wake the evil that sleeps here._

A blast of wind pushed Taka backwards, and suddenly he was falling through the darkness. The inky black gave way to starlight, and Taka found himself in the starry sky, perhaps even space itself. He twisted this way and that, trying to take it all in, gaping in amazement at the stars that seemed close enough to touch.

“It's beautiful...” he breathed.

As he reached for a star, it moved away. More stars moved towards the first, and soon they had clustered together into a bright form. As the light dimmed, Taka could make out the form of his brother.

“Shin...” Taka choked out, reaching for the figure. They took Taka's hand, smiling kindly. Even with the joy Taka felt, he knew the reality of the situation. Shin'ichiro was dead, and this being was just an imitation.

“You're not actually Shin, are you...?” Taka asked.

With a shake of its head, the figure smiled at Taka sadly. Then it shifted, changing before Taka's eyes, until it became Taka himself. Taka stared at his doppelganger with wide-eyed amazement, and they firmly took Taka by the hands, pulling him closer.

“Who are you really?” Taka asked. “What is it that you want?”

The other Taka touched the meteorite fragment around Taka's neck, and Taka instinctively grabbed it. At this, the other Taka smiled.

 _You are one of the last_ , the other Taka said, his voice ringing directly into Taka's mind in the same language as before.

“The last of what?” Taka asked, feeling even more confused than before.

Rather than answer, the other Taka embraced Taka, and a peace washed over him for a moment. Then, the world around him swirled and shifted. The same crescent moon he'd seen when he'd come to this place, the starlight drenched sand, the dark tomb, the sandstone ruins, and flashes of something else he could not understand: a great war, a clash of people and terrifying creatures without discernible form. Taka squeezed his eyes shut, but the voices and sounds still flooded his ears. At last, he opened his eyes, and was met with the looming image of the full moon, filling the sky with its eerie presence. Taka felt himself tremble with fear, although he did not understand why.

The shock of falling out of bed woke Taka from his disturbing dream, and he lay halfway onto the floor for a long moment, panting heavily. He detangled himself from his sheets, and got back into bed, shaking slightly.

 _What on earth was that?_ he asked himself. _Was that really a dream? It felt too real to be just a dream though...and what did it even mean?_ Taka's stomach twisted into a knot. _What if it was one of those prophetic dreams again?_ He chewed on his fingernail nervously. _But if that's the case, then what is it trying to warn me about?_

Taka got out of bed again, and grabbed a sheet of paper and a pencil. He quickly tried to draw as many of the symbols that he had seen in his dream, pausing as he scribbled out the one he'd seen on the box. He looked down at his hand, but there was no symbol there now. He looked back at the symbol he'd drawn on the paper, and made a decision.

“I have to know what these mean,” he whispered. He sat down at his desk, and turned his computer on. Quickly, he began typing in searches for 'ancient symbols' or 'ancient runes', but found nothing to help him. He kept refining his search, hoping to find something, and continued to come up empty. Finally, frustrated, he typed in 'ancient alphabets' as a last-ditch effort, and suddenly he had something. He leaned towards the screen, his eyes sweeping over the list of symbols that resembled the ones he'd scribbled down.

 _The ancient Mu alphabet_ , the description read. _It is unclear what these symbols actually mean, as there is nothing to compare them to, but researchers believe they were similar in nature to Egyptian hieroglyphs_.

“Mu...” Taka tapped his finger. “I guess I have to look into that, too.”

A few searches later, Taka stumbled across a few research essays describing Mu as a civilization. From what Taka could gather, Mu had been an ancient civilization with advanced technology that far exceeded even modern day technology. For a long period of time, they were blessed with prosperity, until a war broke out. Many of Mu's inhabitants had fled to the far corners of the Earth, while the ones that remained became warlike, using their technology to raise their civilization into the sky, and from there ruled the Earth for some time before disappearing completely.

“Scary,” Taka said. “A floating continent. But I wonder what Mu has to do with that weird dream.” He sighed, and scratched his head. “No one seems to know what these symbols actually mean, which is a shame because it would be a whole lot easier to narrow down things if I knew. It might be easier to ask someone who actually studies Mu.” He shifted through the research papers he'd come across, looking for a name he could look into. “I'll make some notes, and look into it in the morning.” He yawned loudly. “I'm tired, but I'm kind of scared to go back to sleep.” He got up from his desk, and picked up his PET. With a few taps, he switched his usual stream of music over to an ASMR channel, and flopped back into bed.

“Okay tingles, lull me to sleep,” he whispered.

***

Saki looked over at Taka, who seemed more tired than usual. His usual enthusiasm was nowhere to be seen, and he sat listlessly on the couch in the break room staring blankly at the wall.

“You okay?” Saki asked, startling Taka.

“Huh? What?” He looked at Saki, as if suddenly seeing his surroundings for the first time. “Oh, yeah, I'm fine.”

“You were zoning out for a bit there,” Saki said. “I was kind of concerned.”

“Worried about me? Aww, how sweet!” Taka said, some of his usual enthusiasm returning.

“You look really tired. Did something happen?” Saki asked.

Taka hesitated. “Ahh, just a strange dream that kept me up, that's all.”

“Oh,” Saki said. “I see.”

“I guess it was hard to get back to sleep afterwards,” Taka admitted. “I tried all kinds of things, but nothing helped. Before I knew it, the sun was up.”

“Sounds rough,” Saki said. “I've had that happen to me a few times.”

“Any advice?” Taka asked.

“I find tea helps,” Saki said. “Herbal tea is really good.”

“I guess I can give it a try, even though I'm not that big into herbal tea,” Taka said with a short laugh. “But I'll try anything if it helps.”

“That's the spirit,” Saki said.

For a few minutes, the two sat in silence. Finally, Taka cleared his throat, and Saki looked at him.

“Hey Saki,” Taka said, “You know how you let me and Netto come over?”

“Yeah,” Saki said. “What about it?”

“Well, I was thinking,” Taka said, pushing his index fingers together. “You haven't been to my house yet.”

“I haven't, no,” Saki said.

“Sooooo...” Taka fidgeted nervously. “I'd really like it if you could come over. Like, on your next day off?”

A chuckle escaped Saki. “You want me to come over?”

“Yeah!” Taka said, blushing. “Sorry, it's just that...I've never asked anyone to come over before, so I'm really nervous.”

“It's fine,” Saki said. “I haven't been over to anyone's house since middle school.” He hesitated, and Taka's face looked fearful, but Saki smiled. “I'll probably be just as nervous, honestly.”

“Oh, that's okay!” Taka said. “You don't have to worry, it'll just be us there.”

Saki felt his face flush. “Oh, that's...actually worse.”

“I-I could invite someone else too, if you want!” Taka said.

“N-no, it's fine! Really!” Saki replied.

Taka smiled, seemingly caught between nervousness and joy. “O-okay! So, when d-do you...want to come over?”

“Ahh,” Saki paused, uncertain. “Sunday, perhaps?”

“Are you free then?” Taka asked.

Saki nodded. “My other job isn't open on Sundays, so I have the day free as long as no one here calls me in.”

“Great!” Taka said, clapping his hands together. “Sunday it is then!”

“Should I bring anything?” Saki asked.

“Oh, no, it's okay! I have lots of snacks, and lots of things to do, so you should only bring something if you want to.” Taka smiled. “I'll come pick you up by ten, and I'll guide you back to my neighborhood on the train.”

“Is it far?” Saki asked.

“A bit,” Taka admitted. “It's a little out of the way.”

“I should probably let Mom know that I might be late getting back,” Saki muttered.

“I can drive you home, if you like!” Taka said.

“Uhh, thanks,” Saki said, still uncertain if he wanted to ride in a car that Axl was driving.

At that moment, Laika stuck his head into the room. “There you two are!” he barked. “I should have known!”

“Aww crap,” Taka whispered.

“You both have been skipping out on morning runs, so you both get to go for one right now,” Laika said in a tone that made it clear they couldn't refuse.

Saki and Taka groaned, but hauled themselves off the couch. When Laika turned away, Taka tugged Saki's sleeve.

“I can't wait for Sunday!” he whispered.

***

Sunday morning, at nine forty-five in the morning, Taka showed up on Saki's doorstep, bright and eager to go. Saki let him come inside while he finished eating breakfast and doing the rest of his morning routine. Saki's PET sat on the kitchen table, and Zer0 sat next to it, clearly delighted to be able to interact with his surroundings. He bowed low to Taka when he sat at the table, and Taka grinned.

“Liking your new home?” he asked Zer0.

“Indeed,” Zer0 said. “Not only does it feel larger, but the added convenience of materializing outside of it is quite nice. I have very much enjoyed exploring the house.”

“That's great!” Taka said happily. “You'll really notice the difference when you're in battle. Enzan said he'd worked really hard to remove all the latency issues that he'd found in the V6 over the last few years.”

“I am sure it will be quite wonderful,” Zer0 said.

“Saki said he's going to your house today, big brother Taka,” Michi said.

Taka grinned at Michi's nickname for him. “He sure is.”

Michi wiggled with excitement. “Big brother hasn't gone to anyone's house in a long time.”

“He said that, yeah,” Taka said. “It's okay though. I'm positive that he's going to have a great time.” After a pause, Taka added, “How do you like the new computer, Michi-chan?”

“Oh, I love it!” Michi said. “I'm making a friend right now. He's kind of grumpy and a little scary, but he's fun to talk to.”

Taka laughed nervously. “Wait, this 'friend' sound kind of suspicious. Where did you meet them?”

Michi blinked. “On the computer.”

“Like, on a weird site, or a forum?” Taka asked.

“No, on the computer,” Michi said. “He lives behind the recycling bin.”

Taka's shoulders relaxed, and he sighed softly. “Are you sure you're not making this friend up?”

Michi shook her head. “No, he's real! He's just not very good at talking to people yet.”

“It's okay to have imaginary friends, Michi-chan,” Taka told her. “I had one once. Mamma said it was a teddy bear who liked to drink tea, and always wanted to jump off the roof for some reason.”

Michi gave Taka a confused look. “But he's not imaginary.”

“Okay then,” Taka said. “But don't go talking to strangers on the internet, okay? That could get you in real trouble.”

Michi shook her head. “I won't.”

“Good girl,” Taka said, patting Michi on the head.

At that moment, Saki entered the room. Taka got to his feet.

“Ready to go?” he asked.

“Yeah,” Saki said. He retrieved his PET off the table, and gave Michi a kiss on the cheek. She giggled, and squirmed away from him.

“Be good, and listen to Mom, okay?” Saki told Michi. “I'll probably be back late.”

“Okay!” Michi said, waving at them as they left. “Have fun!”

Taka and Saki made their way to the train station, and boarded a train headed south. Saki seemed surprised that they were going even farther south than Ebisu, but Taka just smiled.

“I promise it's worth it. I usually get a ride to the Ministry of Science because of how far it is, but getting to your house is much easier.”

“Where are we going exactly?” Saki asked.

Taka looked away. “Ota,” he said at last.

Saki stared in horror. “That's the southernmost part of Densan!”

“Yup!” Taka said.

“Why do you live all the way down there?” Saki asked.

“Papa bought the property a long time ago, Mamma said. She doesn't want to sell the house because it's sentimental.” Taka sighed. “She usually sleeps at the office during big projects, so she's hardly ever home anyway.”

Saki's eyebrows furrowed. “Don't tell me you're home all by yourself all the time.”

Taka didn't answer. 

It was a few hours before they finally got to Ota. Saki asked which stop they were getting off at, and Taka explained that they would be getting off at the stop closest to his house, but not to worry about which one, since Taka would be paying attention.

“There's a bit of a hill too,” Taka admitted. “But the view at the top is amazing.”

A sigh escaped Saki. “I can see why people might not want to visit you.”

“It's pretty rough,” Taka admitted. “That's why I asked you to come on a day you had free.”

Taka stared out the window, looking for their stop, while Saki idly watched the scenery go by. After what seemed like forever, they arrived at their stop, and got off the train. Saki looked around, and something dawned on him.

“Taka, what's this place called?”

Taka cleared his throat nervously. “Denenchofu.”

Saki whirled on Taka. “The Garden City?! That's where all the rich people live!”

“Sure!” Taka said. “Enzan's family has a home around here too, although I hardly see anyone around these days.”

“Come to think of it, you and Enzan seem kind of close,” Saki said.

“Not really,” Taka said as he pulled Saki along. “Me and Enzan met at one of those fancy functions rich people like to throw. I came with Mamma, since she didn't have anyone who could watch me. Enzan was already pretty important at that time, but he and I bumped into each other.” Taka chuckled darkly. “It wasn't my proudest moment. I accidentally drank a flute of champagne, and threw up into a planter. Enzan was pretty nice, all things considered. He offered to get me some water, and sat with me until I was able to find Mamma. She chewed me out pretty hard. After that, I found out he lived nearby, and kind of stopped by every now and then. Nobody ever had time to talk, but me and Enzan started sending each other email after that.”

“So you aren't childhood friends?” Saki asked.

“More like work acquaintances,” Taka said. “But I always made sure to say hello to him at the functions I was forced to attend.”

“Makes sense,” Saki said.

The two walked down the streets, and Saki marveled at how organized everything was. The streets and buildings were neatly laid out, and little parks were scattered around. Even in May, flower petals still drifted by on the breeze, and Saki took a deep breath, enjoying the crisp air.

The road suddenly started sloping upwards, and Saki began climbing. He'd gained a great deal of resolve after being forced to run with Laika, and this hill wasn't nearly as bad as whatever he'd been forced to tackle recently. Taka seemed a bit winded, however, and Saki slowed down for him.

“Sorry,” Taka panted, “I've never been good at this kind of thing.”

“Are you going to be okay?” Saki asked.

“Yeah,” Taka wheezed. “I just...need to get over this hill, and then I'm okay.” He took a few more strained breaths, and then said, “I've never been very active, so I'm super out of shape. I get winded really easily.”

“Don't push yourself,” Saki said.

Taka gave Saki a thumbs up, and kept walking.

As the two came to the top of the hill, Saki gave a sharp gasp. The rest of the city spread out below them, and all the trees and perfect streets seemed like a tiny model. He stared at the view as Taka caught up and bent over, gasping for air.

“You were right,” Saki said. “The view is pretty nice.”

“Worth...the trip...?” Taka asked.

Saki nodded. “Sure is.”

They stayed a little bit longer, until Taka had caught his breath, and then walked down the other side of the hill. Taka led them through a few more streets, and down a small stone walkway. Finally they arrived at a large western-style house. Saki gaped at it in awe.

The house was multi-level, with a red roof and painted a cheery yellow. The yard around the house was filled with trees, and somewhere amongst them Saki spotted a gazebo. Taka tugged his sleeve, and pointed towards the house.

“Around back is the carport,” he said. “And there's a guest house beyond that.”

Saki stood, his mouth agape, for what seemed like an eternity. Finally, he looked at Taka, bewildered.

“This is way too much house,” he said.

Taka nodded. “I agree.” After a brief pause, Taka walked towards the front door of the house. “Let me show you around.”

Saki ran to catch up. “This is a mansion!” he said.

“There are actual mansions around, like the Ijuuin or the Ayanokoji residences,” Taka said. “This one's just a big house.”

While Taka fished out his key, Saki looked at the garden in the front yard. It was filled with rose bushes, although they seemed a little bit overgrown. Even so, the flowers—all of them different colors—were in full bloom, and some of the blossoms were as big as Saki's hand. He picked up one of the petals that littered the stoop, and rubbed it between his fingers. A gentle fragrance wafted up to him, and he smiled a little.

“Here we go,” Taka said, finally fishing his key out of his pocket. He slid it into the lock, and swung the door open. He looked at Saki, and motioned him inside. “After you!”

Entering the house, Saki was greeted to an enormous entryway the size of a gymnasium. At the far end were two curving staircases that led to the second floor landing, and on either side were several heavy wooden doors. One was open, and Saki glanced at what might have been a couch and a low table, more than likely some kind of place to have tea or entertain guests. Beyond the two staircases, on the first floor, were two more doors, both of which were closed. He looked up to the second floor, and higher still, to the glass and wrought iron ceiling over the entryway.

“You can keep your shoes on, if you like,” Taka said. “But I'm sure you'd be more comfortable with slippers.”

“Slippers, yeah,” Saki said, still amazed by the house. He pulled his sneakers off, and set them on the shoe rack near the door before putting on a pair of guest slippers. Taka simply chose to walk around in his socks, and he motioned for Saki to follow him.

“Over there is the kitchen and the dining room,” Taka said, pointing at the doors on the left wall. “And over there is the sitting room, and the entertainment room.” He pointed to the right wall, and to the open door. “The sitting room gets a little use, but it's a great spot to curl up with a manga and read. It gets great sun.”

“Do you even need a sitting room _and_ an entertainment room?” Saki asked.

“Sure!” Taka said. “Mamma sometimes brings clients over, and the sitting room is much nicer. It has a bunch of plants in there, so it's got a good atmosphere.”

Saki looked at the doors on the north wall. “And those?”

“That door leads to the carport,” Taka explained. “And that one is my hobby room. It was probably an extra entertainment room or a storage room once, but I repurposed it.”

Taka then pointed up the stairs. “Up there are the bedrooms, and Mamma's office. It's near her room on the west end, so you don't have to worry about going near it. My room's on this end.” He pointed to the right hallway. “There's also bathrooms all over the place: one attached to the kitchen, one near the entertainment room, and two on the second level.”

Saki put a hand to his head. “It's just too big,” he said.

“Right?!” Taka said. “I keep telling Mamma we don't need this big house, but she won't budge.”

After a moment, Saki asked, “So, where's your room exactly?”

“You want to see my room?” Taka replied.

“Isn't that what you wanted me to see?” Saki asked, embarrassed.

“Not really,” Taka said. “I mostly just use my computer and sleep in there. Everything else is in the hobby room.”

“Oh,” Saki said, his face heating up.

“You can take a look if you like,” Taka said. “It's pretty messy though.”

Taka led Saki up the stairs, and turned right at the top. Saki paused to look at the small pictures on the table directly across from the stairways. He could see a pair of boys, one much older than the other, and Saki guessed it was Taka and his big brother, Shin'ichiro. He turned and jogged to catch up with Taka. They passed several other doors before coming to a stop before the one at the end of the hall. Taka pushed it open, and Saki poked his head inside.

The room was dark, lit only by the light that managed to slip through the cracks in Taka's blinds. There were small piles of clothes on the floor, and his bed was unmade. A desk in the corner held a computer tower and two monitors, and the walls near it were covered in cork boards filled with drawings and notes, as well as posters of anime characters, some of which Saki recognized. The closet had a set of mirrored doors, and they were tightly shut.

“See? Not that exciting,” Taka said.

“You could stand to clean up a little,” Saki said.

“Probably,” Taka said with a laugh. “But I usually don't have company, so...”

Shutting the door, Taka turned and started back down the hallway. He motioned to the door on the other side of the hallway. “That's the bathroom me and Shin used to share. But it's just mine now, so you can use it if you need to.”

“And that door?” Saki asked, instantly regretting his question.

Taka hesitated, looking at the door closest to the stairs. “That's Shin's room,” he said.

Saki frowned. “Not 'was' Shin's room?”

Taka shook his head. “Mamma wouldn't move anything out of there after he passed...it's still exactly as it was seven years ago.”

A shiver passed through Saki.

With a weak smile, Taka motioned for Saki to follow him. Saki looked down the hallway towards the rooms that Taka's mother used, trying to imagine what they might look like. After a moment, he turned and walked down the stairs.

“A-anyway, the hobby room is the one I use, so that's the one we'll be in, mostly,” Taka said, trying to lighten the mood a little bit. “I designed it and had everything installed all by myself.” He seemed very proud of this fact.

“So what even do you mean by a 'hobby room'?” Saki asked.

Instead of answering, Taka threw open the door to the hobby room, and Saki gave a gasp.

It was bigger than he had imagined. Against one wall was a humongous television, near which was a large shelf filled with all kinds of game consoles. He tried to name them all, but some were just too old or obscure.

“How many consoles do you have?” Saki asked, bewildered.

“All of them,” Taka bragged. “Or, well, all the ones I could acquire. Some were too old or too obscure to get, and a few were so beloved by collectors that I couldn't convince them to part with them.”

A floor to ceiling bookshelf near the television held all kinds of games, neatly organized by the console they were for, series, and name. A second shelf next to it held numerous anime dvds, some of which Saki flushed at as he read the names. Two more shelves near the door held all manner of manga, all organized by series and name just like the other shelves. Saki felt his head spin a little.

“You sure have a lot of stuff,” he said.

“I could have more,” Taka admitted. “But I try to limit myself to stuff I like.”

On the other side of the television and console shelf were two arcade cabinets. One was decked out with Pavement Pounder decals, and the other one bore Rainbow Man decals. Saki stared at them.

“Are those...actual arcade cabinets?” he asked.

“Yup!” Taka said, hands on his hips. “I played at the arcade so much that they just gave them to me. I swapped the motherboards out on them, and installed larger hard drives so that they can play upwards of 1600 games.”

“Is that even legal?” Saki asked.

“They're for my own use, so who cares?” Taka replied.

Saki looked at the other side of the door, and spotted multiple, brightly lit glass cabinets, all of them full of figurines and garage kit models. He felt overwhelmed by how many Taka had.

“I might need another case soon,” Taka said. “These ones are pretty crowded now.”

The last corner of the room had a sewing machine, and a closet that Saki could only imagine was full of fabric and other notions. Taka looked at Saki with a coy smile.

“You wanna see my cosplay closet?” he asked.

Saki vehemently shook his head.

The walls of the room were covered with more anime posters, as well as some video game ones, and more than a couple idols that Saki wasn't familiar with. One of them was a girl in a blue dress, singing into a fish shaped microphone. Another was a girl with green ponytails, smiling radiantly as she displayed a bottle of vegetable juice. The third was a group of girls in matching cat-themed outfits.

 _Idols sure have gotten strange these days_ , Saki thought.

“Be honest: what do you think of my hobby room?” Taka asked.

“It's...” Saki struggled to find the right word. “ _Something_.”

Taka laughed, and slapped Saki's back. “Nice! Let's go a few rounds in Pavement Pounder VI, okay?”

Saki was about to say something, but a sharp growl interrupted him. Taka's cheeks turned pink, and he laughed nervously.

“I was up earlier than usual, and I guess I forgot to eat breakfast,” he explained.

Saki sighed. “Fine. Let me see your kitchen.”

Taka shook his head desperately. “No, it's fine, I can—”

But Saki was already out the door, headed for the room Taka had indicated earlier was the kitchen. Taka ran after him, begging Saki to forget the whole thing, but Saki stubbornly ignored him.

The kitchen was bright and clean, with a white tiled floor and large windows that let in the afternoon sun. Saki opened the (frankly huge) refrigerator, and looked inside. He expected to find leftovers, or some kind of food that he could work with, but was instead greeted with practically empty shelves, several cans of soda and a few packs of pudding. He shut the door to the refrigerator, and closed his eyes.

“I was trying to warn you,” Taka said.

Saki walked to every cupboard, opened every door, searching for something that resembled food. He came up with a few prepackaged meals, several cups of instant ramen, and more than a few handfuls of snacks. He dumped them all on the counter, and stared at the pile in disbelief.

“Taka, do you honestly live like this?” Saki asked quietly.

“Sometimes, I go to the convenience store, and yet some yakisoba—oww!”

Saki swiftly smacked Taka in the forehead, and Taka rubbed his head with a frown.

“You can't live on this garbage!” Saki insisted. “You have to eat actual food sometimes!”

“But I can't cook,” Taka said. “And Mamma is too busy to cook for us.”

Saki sighed, and pursed his lips. It was already pretty clear that there was no one else to cook for Taka either. He recalled Taka mentioning there was someone who came in and cleaned sometimes, but they were probably the only staff that came to the house.

“Listen,” Saki said. “I think you need to convince your mother to hire a cook, at the very least.”

Taka sighed deeply. “I hardly get a chance to talk to her, and even if I could, she'd probably just ignore me anyway.”

Saki clenched his fists. “Is there a grocery store nearby?” he asked.

“Yeah...” Taka said. “You're not going out, are you?”

Straightening up, Saki stared at Taka. “I sure am,” he said.

“Oh, you don't have to!” Taka said. “I'm sure they deliver—”

“I'd rather go myself, and pick out my ingredients,” Saki said firmly. “I'm making you a decent meal for once and that's final.”

“You really don't have to,” Taka insisted.

“Maybe I don't, but I _want_ to,” Saki said. “It probably doesn't make any real sense, but this is something I really can't just ignore.”

Taka fell silent, and tugged at his bangs. Saki turned to walk out of the kitchen, but was stopped by Taka's anxious voice.

“There's a market nearby...it's kind of a long walk though. Are you sure...?”

“It's okay,” Saki said. “Just tell me where it is, and I'll be back as soon as I can.”

Saki heard Taka take a deep breath, and then the next thing he knew Taka was at his side, holding his hand.

“I'll go too,” he said quietly.

Saki blinked in surprise, but simply nodded.

They left the house and Taka led them down the roads towards the grocery store. They spent a while picking out food, and Taka tried to sneak some snacks into the basket, arguing that he was paying for everything anyway so he had the right, but Saki put his foot down and said that Taka could eat snacks on his own time, but that today was up to him. By the time they were finished, it had been almost an hour and a half, and they had a long trudge home with heavy food to look forward to.

“You need a bike,” Saki said.

“Can't ride a bike.”

“Then learn.”

Taka complained loudly the whole way about how heavy the bags were, and Saki eventually took them all himself to get Taka to stop. By the time they arrived back at Taka's house, Saki's hands were red and sore from the plastic bags digging into them. Taka seemed apologetic, and went to get Saki an ice pack.

“What will you make?” Taka asked.

“Nikujaga,” Saki said. “It's very simple to make. I bet even you could do it.”

“You say that now,” Taka said bitterly, “But when I cut my hand open you'll regret those words.”

Saki sighed. “Can you at least peel a potato?”

Taka shook his head. Saki heaved a bigger sigh.

“Alright then, follow me, and watch closely.”

The next hour was Saki teaching Taka how to make nikujaga. He made Taka watch the way he peeled and cut potatoes, and the way he sliced the meat thinly. He made Taka help him measure the soy sauce and dashi needed to make the base, and as Saki peeled and cut onions, Taka whined about how they made his eyes sting. As Saki put the drop lid on the pot and let it boil for a bit, he looked at Taka with a smile.

“You haven't cut your hand yet.”

“You didn't let me use the knife, which is honestly pretty smart.” Taka puffed up his chest. “But I still wasn't much help, was I?”

“More than you think you were,” Saki said, grinning. “I bet if you tried, you'd actually be pretty decent.”

Taka chuckled. He leaned on the kitchen island, and watched Saki watching the pot on the stove. When Saki looked at him, Taka looked away, pretending not to have been looking in the first place.

“What's up?” Saki asked.

“I was just thinking that this is nice,” Taka said, “You coming over and cooking for me. I could get used to it.”

“It's not like I can do this very often,” Saki said.

“What if I paid you?” Taka asked, dead serious.

Caught off-guard, Saki simply stared at Taka, unable to think of what to say.

“You could come over every now and then, and cook me a real meal. I don't mind picking you up or dropping you off. And I'll pay for the groceries, of course.” He propped his chin up on his hand. “What do you say?”

“That...” Saki let out his breath with a 'whoosh'. “That might be doable, actually.” He gave Taka a bemused smile. “I have a little more free time these days. And I'm sure if I explained things to Mom and Michi, they'd be okay with it too.”

Taka perked up. “Really? You'll do it?!”

“It's a tentative yes,” Saki said. “I'll decide on if I will or not another day, after I've been able to talk it over with my family.”

Taka leaped into the air, and let out a giddy laugh. He ran to Saki, and tightly hugged him until the older boy begged for Taka to let him go.

“Don't get me wrong,” Saki said. “I just can't stand watching you eat garbage all the time.”

“Whatever makes you happy,” Taka said.

Once the nikujaga was ready, Saki spooned some into a bowl for Taka, and waited with bated breath to see how he would react to it. 

“Thank you for the food,” Taka said, and then he took a bite. He seemed to freeze in place, the spoon still in his mouth. A moment later, he chewed and swallowed loudly, and started shoveling the rest of the food into his mouth.

“It's so good!” Taka said between bites. “It's really good! I've never had nikujaga like this before!”

Saki suppressed a joyful yell, and smiled as he watched Taka polish off his serving, and then ask for two more. Finally, Taka set his bowl down with a satisfied sigh.

“Thank you for the food,” he murmured, rubbing his stomach.

Saki cleaned up the dishes, humming happily. He was glad that the food had been a big hit, and that Taka seemed eager to have more meals made from scratch.

“Now if I can only get you to eat more vegetables,” Saki muttered.

After the dishes had been washed, and the leftovers put away in the fridge, Taka forced Saki to play several rounds of Pavement Pounder with him. At one point, he told Axl to plug into the game, and take control of a character, so Saki did the same with Zer0, and the Navis duked it out for several more rounds while Taka and Saki laughed and cheered. At some point, Saki realized how late it had gotten, and Taka insisted on giving him a ride back home in the car. Saki finally relented.

Despite Saki's anxiety about Axl driving a car, the Navi proved to be an excellent driver, and Saki barely noticed that it wasn't a human driving. Taking the car was certainly faster than the train, and Saki thought to himself that he could get used to Taka giving him rides to places.

As they traveled, Taka eventually leaned his head against Saki's shoulder, and dozed lightly. Saki sat as still as possible so that Taka wouldn't be disturbed, and for a long while it was silent in the car.

“This is nice,” Taka sleepily said at one point. “I wish there could be more days like this one.”

“Me too,” Saki admitted. “It was a nice change of pace.”

“Next time, you can sleep over,” Taka said.

Saki chuckled. “Not yet. I think I need to wait a little longer before I want to attempt a sleepover.”

“'Kay,” Taka said, and yawned loudly. “But there _is_ gonna be a next time.”

“Sure,” Saki said. “I promise.”

By the time they arrived at Saki's apartment complex, Taka was fast asleep, and Saki eased out of the car so as not to wake him. Once Taka was safely curled up in the back seat, Saki closed the door, and thanked Axl for the ride. The Navi thanked him back, and the car quietly drove off into the evening. Saki waited until it was out of sight before he went inside.

“I'm home!” he called.

“Welcome back!” Michi said.

“Wait until I tell you about the day I had!” Saki said, and shut the front door behind him.


	11. Love as a Concept

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Saki continues to make poor life decisions, picking a fight with an adult and flirting with someone he really shouldn't be

“Saki, are you busy tomorrow afternoon?” Keiko asked.

Saki looked up from his diner. “Tomorrow's Sunday, right? I don't think so.” 

Delighted, Keiko clapped her hands together. “Great! I want to take you and Michi out to eat!”

Michi erupted in a cheer of excitement, and Saki couldn't help but smile. The three of them rarely did anything together, much less go out to eat.

“It's this place I discovered recently!” Keiko went on. “I absolutely love the food there, and I think you both will like it too!”

“Sure Mom! I'm always up to try new things!” Saki said.

“Wonderful!” Keiko beamed. “I can't wait!”

“Me either!” Michi said. “I wonder what kind of place it is?”

Keiko put a finger to her lips and winked mischievously. “It's~ a~ secret~!”

***

Saki could barely sleep, but despite this the next morning he was wired and full of energy. Michi seemed equally as fidgety, and neither of them could sit still as they waited for the afternoon to roll around. Finally, after what felt like forever, Keiko announced that she was ready to go. Saki couldn't help but notice that she had gone the extra mile to wear a cute dress and wear makeup. Saki smiled coyly.

“Getting dolled up for us, Mom?” he asked.

She giggled. “You know it!”

They walked to the Metroline, and Keiko carefully walked Michi through how to buy a ticket before they boarded a train headed towards Akihara. Michi stared out the window of the train in rapt excitement, and Saki tried his best to pry the name of the restaurant they were going to out of his mother, who refused to answer.

Eventually, they stopped at the Akihara station and got off the train. Keiko held Michi's hand as they walked, and Saki followed a few steps behind, suddenly feeling a knot of anxiety forming in his gut. The route they were taking seemed awfully familiar. They passed the chip shop and the antique store, and the owner of the flower shop smiled and waved at him as they passed by. Saki waved back, smiling awkwardly. It was when they turned the corner that Saki's suspicions were confirmed—Keiko had taken them to Maha Ichiban.

 _This place has some kind of maddening gravitational pull that I can't escape from_ , Saki thought angrily as they entered the restaurant.

“Welcome!” came Madoi's upbeat voice. She waved at the group. “Go ahead and sit wherever you like.”

Keiko steered them to a booth, and Saki slid into it with an embarrassed expression. He stared down at his menu, trying to hide his disappointment.

“What kind of food do they have?” Michi asked her mother politely.

“It's curry!” Keiko said, helping Michi look over the menu. “They have all kinds of curry here! This one's got chicken, and this one has beef!”

“This one because it has a flag!” Michi said, pointing at the kid's lunch set. 

“It sure does!” Keiko said with a chuckle.

Saki felt a small tug at his sleeve, and looked up to see Keiko looking at him expectantly.

“So?” she asked. “What do you think?”

“It's...” Saki forced himself to smile. “It's really neat!”

“Were you surprised?” Keiko asked.

“Sure was,” Saki said, trying his best to play along. “You got me good, Mom.”

“We always end up going to get ramen,” Keiko said. “So I thought curry might be a nice change of pace.”

 _I can't even be angry about this_ , Saki thought miserably. _Mom tried so hard, and I don't want to ruin it for her_.

Madoi came over to the table, her notepad in hand, and smiled brightly at them. “Can I get you something to drink?” she asked. If she recognized Saki, she made no effort to show it. Saki gave a silent prayer of thanks for the tiny miracle.

“Water's fine for me,” Keiko said.

“Milk, please,” Michi said.

“Got it,” Madoi said, scribbling down their orders. She looked at Saki. “And for you?”

“Hot tea,” Saki said weakly. “Please.”

“Hot tea, got it.” Madoi scribbled a little bit more. “And do you all need a few more minutes to decide?”

“Oh, I'm ready,” Keiko said. “How about you two?”

“I'm ready!” Michi said excitedly.

Keiko looked at Saki, who simply nodded. She looked at Madoi with a large smile. “I'll have the house special, please.”

“Can I get this one, please?” Michi asked, pointing to the kid's set.

“Sure thing, kiddo,” Madoi said. She looked at Saki. “And for the gentleman?”

Saki felt his cheeks heat up. “I'll have the pork cutlet curry, please.”

“Got it. That's one house special, one kid's set, and a pork cutlet curry. Anything else?”

“Umm,” Keiko said, hesitating. Saki saw her cheeks flush a little. “Is...is Hinoken here today?”

Saki's heart stuttered to a stop. Why was his mother asking about Hinoken?

Madoi put a finger to his chin. “Hmm, he might be back from deliveries. I'll check for you.”

“Thank you,” Keiko said, smiling. Madoi retreated to the kitchen, and Saki laced his fingers together, giving his mother a questioning look.

“Who's Hinoken?” Saki asked carefully.

Keiko blushed a little deeper, an innocent smile on her lips. “Oh, he's this lovely gentleman I met some weeks back. He helped me out of a pinch, so I asked to take him out for coffee as a thank you. Before you knew it, we were talking almost every day.” 

Warning bells rang in Saki's brain as he listened to Keiko's story. He had a terrible feeling that Keiko and Hinoken weren't just 'friends'.

Keiko put a hand to her face, and sighed dreamily. “I found out from him that he works here, and fell in love with the food, so I thought I'd bring you two here.”

“Is that so?” Saki said, trying to push his panic down. “So you and this Hinoken are...friends then?”

A giggle escaped Keiko, and she put a hand to her mouth. “Oh...I suppose so.”

 _I knew it!_ Saki's brain screamed. _Mom's dating him!_

“He's such a kind man,” Keiko said. “He always tells me such fascinating stories about the places he's visited before. And he's so polite! He always insists on walking me home. And he also said that he wanted to meet both of you very much.”

Madoi's words echoed through Saki's mind. _“Look, I'll be honest with you. Me and the others here, we're all ex-WWW. We quit once Wily disappeared. But that doesn't mean we're good people or anything.”_

 _The man's a criminal!_ Saki thought frantically. _I can't believe she's been alone with him so many times! Does she even realize how much danger she's in?!_

“Is he nice?” Michi asked.

“Yes, he's a very nice man,” Keiko said.

 _The first time we met, he gave me a look like he wanted to murder me_ , Saki thought.

“Hey Mom,” Saki said, trying to keep the panic out of his voice, “How come I never heard about your...friend...before now?”

“Well,” Keiko said, pressing her fingertips together, “I was just waiting for the right time to tell you both.”

“Is he a special friend?” Michi asked.

Keiko blushed. “Well...”

Madoi interrupted, walking up to the booth with their drinks. As she set them down, she spoke to Keiko.

“Hinoken just got back. I let him know you were here, and that you were hoping to speak to him.” She gave Keiko a wink, and Saki choked down a scream.

Keiko looked as though she had been told that she was going to receive a million zenny. Saki took a drink of his tea to hide his frustration over the matter.

As Madoi tried to enter the kitchen, Hinoken tried to leave, and the two awkwardly stepped out of each other's way. Saki saw Madoi give him a quick slap on the back, and Hinoken seemed momentarily flustered. Saki set down his teacup, squeezing it tightly as he attempted to reign in his temper. He couldn't let his mother know that he knew about Hinoken or his criminal record because it would prove that he'd been to Maha before, but having to play dumb was excruciating.

Hinoken sidled up to the booth, and cleared his throat loudly. Keiko leaned forward to smile at him, and Hinoken momentarily looked away. Saki guessed it was out of embarrassment.

“Hello, Hinoken,” Keiko said sweetly. “I brought the kids this time. You mentioned you wanted to meet them.”

“I did,” Hinoken said, still looking a little awkward. He seemed to be avoiding eye contact with Saki, who felt like he was boring holes into Hinoken with his glare.

“Hello,” Michi said, looking up at Hinoken, “I'm Michiru.”

Hinoken knelt down, and looked Michi in the eyes. “So you're Michi-chan then,” he said. “It's nice to finally meet you.” He offered his broad hand to Michi, who shook it almost solemnly. “Keiko-san was mentioning that you were polite, but you don't have to be nervous. I don't bite.”

“Mamma said I have to be polite to my elders,” Michi said.

Hinoken laughed boisterously. “You sure are!” He patted Michi's head, which set Saki's blood boiling. “You're a good girl who always listens to your mother, aren't you?”

Michi nodded.

Hinoken nodded back. “That's good. But don't forget to have a little fun too. You're only a kid once.”

“Michi has lots of friends at school,” Keiko explained. “They all have lots of fun together, isn't that right, Michi?”

Michi nodded. “We play Steel Samurai and Pink Princess, and sometimes I get to be the hero!”

“Well that sounds fun!” Hinoken said. “I usually end up playing the bad guy myself.”

 _That's because you are the villain!_ Saki wanted to scream, but managed to keep his mouth shut.

Hinoken stood back up, and looked at Saki finally. As soon as they locked eyes, Saki felt hostility from Hinoken, and glared back with equal intensity.

“This is Saki,” Keiko said. “Saki, this is Hinoken.”

“Charmed,” Saki said through gritted teeth.

“Likewise,” Hinoken growled.

As if sensing the tension, Keiko leaned forward, her face filled with concern. “Saki, please try to be understanding this time,” she whispered. “I don't want you and Hinoken to fight. Think about how Michi would react.”

Ignoring his mother, Saki addressed Hinoken in a barely calm tone of voice. “So, Hinoken, how did you and my mom meet?”

Before Hinoken could say anything, Keiko interrupted, waving her hands frantically. “Ahh! W-we met while I was working! He helped me find my keys! I dropped them, and he helped me find them again!” She laughed nervously.

Saki sensed that the story was false, but for his mother's sake, he didn't push it further.

“Your mother's a wonderful lady,” Hinoken said, an edge to his words. “You must be so thankful for her.”

“She's the best,” Saki replied, his anger seeping into his tone. “I'd really be devastated if something were to happen to her.”

Out of the corner of his eye, Saki saw Madoi hiding behind the counter, watching the exchange with visible fear.

“Oh, I promise I'll be a perfect gentleman,” Hinoken said sharply. “Wouldn't want to worry you or anything.”

“That's good,” Saki said, unable to hold back his rage any longer. “I wouldn't want to have to call the police on you.”

“Saki!” Keiko admonished. She turned to Hinoken. “I'm so sorry. He's usually much better behaved. He's just a little overprotective.”

“He's got spirit, I'll give him that,” Hinoken said. “But at the end of the day, he's still just a barking dog.”

Saki got to his feet. “What was that?”

“Saki, don't,” Keiko begged. Michi threw herself against Keiko, who hugged her tightly.

“I said that you're a barking dog: collared and trained, unable to attack. Nothing to be scared of.” There was a dangerous light in Hinoken's eyes, and Saki nearly slugged the man right there and then.

“Wanna see how much bite I actually have?” Saki growled.

“Saki, please! This is a restaurant,” Keiko pleaded. “And you're both scaring Michi!”

Some of Saki's anger dissipated when he saw Michi huddling against Keiko fearfully, but he was still unreasonably upset. Wanting to put some distance between him and Hinoken, he turned and walked out of the restaurant, muttering, “I'm going to cool off.”

He exited the building, and then slumped against the wall, still irritated. He wished his mother could see that Hinoken was a criminal and could not be trusted! The thought of a criminal being near his mother and sister infuriated him so badly that he felt his temper snapping again. He slammed his fist against the stone wall, trying to let the pent-up emotion out, but only succeeded in hurting his hand.

“Saki,” Zer0 spoke up, materializing on Saki's shoulder, “I can feel your hostility. Will you not talk to me about it?”

“Hinoken's a criminal,” Saki hissed, trying to keep his voice down to avoid anyone inside the restaurant from hearing him. “I can't believe he's fooling my mom into thinking he's a good person! I can't stand the idea of him being alone with my family! I mean, what if he does something...?”

“There is no evidence to support that he would hurt either your mother or your sister,” Zer0 said.

“Madoi admitted that everyone here is a criminal herself! She even said they weren't very good people! And I've seen the way Hinoken glares at me when I'm here! Everything about him screams 'thug'!”

“Saki,” Zer0 said, his voice more gentle than before. “I can understand your concerns. They are founded, but I also believe there is merit in allowing someone to prove themselves trustworthy. Humans are capable of great change. Perhaps Hinoken has changed.”

“People don't change overnight,” Saki said bitterly. “The only thing I can think of is that he's conning Mom.”

“What merit would there be in conning Keiko-san?” Zer0 asked. 

“I don't know!” Saki growled. “Maybe he wants to blackmail her. How should I know?”

“Perhaps your desire to protect your mother has blinded you to the possibility that this man is sincere,” Zer0 said. “Indeed, I rarely see you this incensed. You are usually much calmer, and much more able to think rationally.”

Saki took a deep breath. Zer0 was right; he wasn't thinking very rationally at the moment. He thought about how scared Michi had been of his temper, and exhaled loudly. He breathed deeply again, and exhaled loudly once more. After the third time, Saki felt a lot calmer.

Before Saki could try entering the restaurant again, Hinoken stepped outside. The two made eye contact, and Saki's anger flared up again despite his best efforts.

“You want to start a fight with me, little puppy?” Hinoken asked, stuffing his hands into his pockets.

“You're lucky I didn't throw a punch inside,” Saki spat.

A thoughtful expression settled onto Hinoken's features. After a moment, he jerked his head towards the alley next to the shop.

“Back there,” he said.

Saki frowned. Were they actually going to have a fight? He clenched his fists as he followed the man. Even if Saki didn't stand a chance, he would still go down swinging.

Hinoken led Saki into the alley, and stopped somewhere near the back door of the shop. His stance was relaxed, his feet shoulder-width apart, and his head slightly tilted, as if looking down his nose at Saki. Saki glared back, assuming his own stance.

“If you want a fight so bad, I'll give it to you,” Hinoken said, and Saki tensed, raising his fists. Hinoken pulled his hands out of his pockets, but he was clutching his PET, which he pointed at Saki. “Me and Fireman will fight you, here and now.”

Saki stared at Hinoken in confusion. After a long moment, he lowered his fists, and pulled out his own PET.

“I thought we were going to have a fist fight,” Saki admitted.

“I wouldn't hit Keiko-san's son,” Hinoken said, as if he was insulted.

“But if she wasn't my mom, you totally would,” Saki said.

“You wouldn't have been the first kid I'd hit,” Hinoken admitted.

“Disgusting,” Saki hissed through his teeth. “I knew I couldn't trust a man like you around my Mom.”

“You're free to feel however you like,” Hinoken said, “But I only respect people I can have a passionate battle with. If you want me to respect you, then prove to us that you're able to stand the heat.”

“Me and Zer0 never back down from a challenge,” Saki said. “You're on.”

Hinoken and Saki logged their Navis into the restaurant computer, and the two sized each other up. Fireman was taller than Zero, and his hands and helmet flickered with flame. Zer0 readied his sword.

“You don't hold a candle to us in terms of power,” Hinoken said. “If you think you can attack us with that sword, you're sadly mistaken. We'll never let you get close.”

“Get ready, Zer0!” Saki said, pulling up his chip folder on the holographic screen.

Raising his arm, Fireman unleashed a fireball at Zer0, who managed to dodge. A quick succession of fiery projectiles rained down on Zer0, who managed to slip between them. Zer0 quickly switched the way he held his sword, and prepared for a strong strike.

“That's it,” Saki whispered.

Before Zer0 could swing, however, a blaze roared to life around Fireman, and Saki had to quickly pull Zer0 back before he took massive damage. As Zer0 retreated, he was baraged with fireballs once more. Saki gritted his teeth angrily.

“What's wrong?” Hinoken asked, his mouth twisting into a nasty grin. “Where's that fire you had earlier? Are you content to retreat from our flames?”

“Tch!” Saki frantically used a shield chip to protect Zer0 from the worst of the attacks. “His defenses are pretty tight. I can't find an opening.”

“He does seem to be fully in control of close-range combat,” Zer0 said. “But perhaps I can try to dampen his flames somehow.”

Before the shield was used up, Zer0 darted back towards Fireman, swinging his sword in broad strokes to push the flames back. However, this only lasted a moment, and they closed back in again before Zer0 could make his move. Fireman slammed his arm into Zer0, and sent the smaller Navi flying.

“Zer0!” Saki yelled, quickly using a recovery chip.

“Forgive me,” Zer0 wheezed as he got to his feet. “I underestimated his power.”

“What if we tried using bombs?” Saki asked. “It might be safer to keep our distance.”

“A wise strategy,” Zer0 agreed. Saki sent him a mini boomer chip, and Zer0 threw the bomb at Fireman, hoping to use the resulting smoke to switch to a better position.

However, Fireman simply blasted the bomb out of the air. Zer0 rolled out of the way of another barrage of fireballs, and Saki sent Zer0 another mini boomer chip. Zer0 tossed the bomb into an oncoming blast, and used the resulting smoke to retreat.

“You're fast!” Hinoken said. “But fire doesn't stop. It eventually consumes everything.” There was a wild look in Hinoken's eyes. “It doesn't discriminate. Everything eventually burns.”

“A man like you would simply use my mom and throw her away when you were done!” Saki yelled angrily. “I would never allow someone like you near her!”

Zer0, responding to Saki's anger, darted towards Fireman again. This time, however, he launched himself into the air. “Kuuenzan!” he cried, and used his momentum to slam into Fireman, scattering some of his flames. Hinoken seemed rather surprised, and Saki pressed his advantage. Zer0 landed, and immediately darted back in to deliver another hit. The fire roared back to life, and Zer0's health took a hit as the flames seared his arms. With a cry, he retreated. Saki felt his own arms sting painfully, but he gritted his teeth and pushed through the pain.

“We were onto something there,” Saki said.

“I see you managed to steal one of Dingo's techniques,” Hinoken said. “and you call me the criminal. I applaud your effort, but it won't do you much good.”

“We're far from done!” Saki declared.

“Fireman, finish him,” Hinoken ordered.

Fireman unleashed another wave of fireballs, and Zer0 deflected them back towards Fireman with his sword, and Saki took note of how they affected Fireman.

 _He isn't immune to fire attacks_ , Saki noted, _and long range is definitely the way to go. It's too bad that they don't do enough to be useful_. He cast his eyes over his chip folder, trying to see if he had something he could use.

“I see you playing defensively,” Hinoken said. “As if we'd allow that!”

Fireman slammed his arm onto the ground, and a wall of fire exploded out of the ground, racing towards Zer0. The Navi's eyes widened, and he rolled out of the way, barely escaping the attack unscathed.

“What the hell was that?!” Saki yelped. “He didn't use that one earlier!”

“It would seem that he is capable of even greater attacks,” Zer0 said. I am struggling to find a break in his guard.”

Again, Saki looked at his chips. He spotted a few chips, but none that would help extinguish the fire. He felt desperation, and looked at Zer0 apologetically.

“I don't know if I have anything that could help,” he said.

Rather than feeling depressed, Zer0 seemed thoughtful. “I see. Then I will simply have to come up with something.” He took a stance, and stared at Fireman, who was preparing another wall of fire.

“All things can be split,” Zer0 murmured. “I simply must hit it in the right spot.”

Fireman's arm slammed into the ground, and another wall of fire exploded out of the ground. Zer0 leaped back, and then did an upward swing on his sword. A blast of air raced forward, slicing into the fire, but did not make it very far before dissipating.

 _Is he trying to cut through the fire?_ Saki wondered.

“I heard your old man was a firefighter,” Hinoken said.

“He was,” Saki said. “What of it?”

“I never understood firefighters myself,” Hinoken said. “Trying so desperately to contain something that cannot be contained. Throwing themselves on each fire in the hopes of stopping it. It's only natural that the fire would be the victor in most of those instances.”

“Someone like you who's callous about people dying wouldn't understand,” Saki spat. “Firefighters struggle to contain fires in order to save lives. They put their own lives on the line for that!”

“They only prolong the inevitable,” Hinoken said. “A fire won't care that there are people in it's way. It seeks only to feed its insatiable hunger.” He looked back to the fight. “Fireman's flames are too strong for your measly attacks to cut through. Even the howling wind has to bow to fire.”

Again, Fireman sent out the wall of fire, and again Zer0 tried to cut through it. Saki heard Hinoken laugh, and rage shot through him.

“Give it up,” Hinoken said.

“Zer0 can do it,” Saki said. “A fire isn't unbeatable.”

“I'm sure your old man beat lots of fires,” Hinoken said.

Saki clenched his teeth so hard that his jaw ached. He felt his face heat up, and all he wanted to do was scream. So he did.

“My dad died fighting a fire! He died because he was a fool, and ran back in, looking for people to save. I always hated him for being so stupid.” Saki clenched his fist so hard his nails bit into his palm. “But even if he was an idiot, my dad was still a hero. He didn't stop fighting to save people. He never gave up hope! He never stopped looking until every person was safe. He never backed down until every fire he fought was extinguished.” Saki pounded his chest with his fist. “And I'll never stop either! Not until people like you are punished for your actions! Not until the world doesn't need heroes anymore!”

Hinoken watched Saki's impassioned speech. He looked at the boy with a serious expression.

“Show me the strength of your resolve, then,” he said.

“Come on, Zer0!” Saki said. “Let's do this!”

“Understood!” Zer0 replied.

Fireman slammed his hand into the ground again, and the wall of fire came blasting out of the ground, but Zer0 was ready. He and Saki gave a synchronized cry of passion, and Zer0 swung his sword upward.

“Shoenzan!” Zer0 cried as a blast of scarlet flames burst from his sword, and slammed into the wall of fire, parting it easily. Before Fireman was able to recover, the scarlet blast of fire swallowed him, and he gave a cry of pain before disappearing from the battlefield.

Hinoken gave a “hmph!” as he logged Fireman out. Saki panted as the adrenaline wore off. Zer0 planted his sword into the ground and leaned against it heavily, clearly exhausted.

“Not bad,” Hinoken said. “Our flames were no match for your fiery resolve. We lost.” 

Saki put his hands on his knees and tried to catch his breath. He felt as though he'd run a marathon for some reason.

Hinoken approached Saki, and patted him in the back. Surprised, Saki looked up at him, and saw a strange softness on Hinoken's features.

“She's in good hands,” he said. “I admit my defeat. If you want me to leave your mother alone, I will.”

Confused, Saki straightened back up. “What are you talking about...?”

“I wasn't lying to your sister when I said I'm a much better villain,” Hinoken explained. “Your mother kept going on and on, calling me her hero, and insisting on being kind to me. I didn't know how to handle it. I'm not used to that kind of attention. Before I knew it, she had swept me away, and I could only come along for the ride.” He scratched his head. “She's a sweet lady. She deserves someone better than me.”

“So you riled me up on purpose then?” Saki asked. 

“I wanted to see if you had what it took to drive me off,” Hinoken said. “A villain like me deserves a fierce battle at least. And that way, you could proudly retake the role of hero.”

“Are you an idiot?” Saki spat. “You threw that match—”

“I didn't throw anything!” Hinoken roared. He calmed down before speaking again. “We fought you at full strength. You beat us fair and square.” He squinted at Saki. “Plus, I got to see the formation of that last attack. It was truly something to see.”

“I don't understand...” Saki muttered. “I thought you had some kind of underhanded plans for my mom...”

At this, Hinoken burst out in howling laughter. “Underhanded plans?! For Keiko-san?!” He pounded his leg as he tried desperately to stop laughing.

Saki's face heated up, and he frowned. “What's so funny?!”

Wiping a few tears away, Hinoken shook his head. “I couldn't ever bring myself to hurt Keiko-san. She's too good of a woman for that. I'd sooner eat my boot than lay a hand on her.”

Saki stared into Hinoken's face, confused. “So, then, if you weren't trying to hurt her or manipulate her, what...?”

“I told you,” Hinoken said. “I got swept up in her momentum. She carried me away before I had a chance to stop it.”

“So then why did you get me to beat you?” Saki asked.

“So that I could have a way out,” Hinoken said. “You get to proudly announce that you foiled my villainous plans, and I get to make a graceful exit.” He patted Saki's shoulder. “One day, she'll find a better man, I just know it. One that you'll approve of.” 

Saki felt tears gather in his eyes, and he clenched his jaw in frustration. Why did this feel so wrong? And why was Hinoken so content to walk away?

“Did she really mean nothing to you?” Saki asked, barely above a whisper. “Did you really feel so little for her that you'd be satisfied with just walking away?”

Hinoken paused. There was a strange look in his eyes.

“Don't misunderstand. I care very deeply for her. This is very difficult for me to do. I haven't felt this way about anyone before.” A soft sigh escaped him. “But I also know that she deserves better. I can't have my past catching up to her.”

Anger swelled in Saki's gut again, and he punched Hinoken hard in the side. “Idiot!” he screamed. “If you're a man, then take responsibility!”

Hinoken flinched from the hit, and looked at Saki, confused.

“Don't be such a coward!” Saki continued, still screaming. “If you love my mom, then face it head on!” He punched Hinoken again. “Who cares what happens?! If you really love her, then you'll face it together!”

Hinoken's eyes soften. He gently pushed Saki away from him, and held the boy's wrists tightly to keep him from attacking.

“Are you sure?” Hinoken asked.

“If you run away, you're just like all the others,” Saki said, his voice shaking.

Hinoken heaved a sigh through his nose, and let Saki go. Saki's arms dropped to his sides.

“If I pursue her,” Hinoken said, “I won't stop for anything.”

“And if you go too far, I'll be right there to kick your ass,” Saki replied.

Hinoken gave a short laugh. “A wimp like you? I hardly felt those punches!”

“I'll aim for your face next time!” Saki snapped.

“You can sure try,” Hinoken said, ruffling Saki's hair and laughing. Saki swatted away Hinoken's hands, but found himself laughing too.

“Let's go back inside,” Hinoken said at last. “Madoi will kill you if you let your food get cold.”

“Fine,” Saki said, stuffing his hands into his pockets. “Plus, I'm sure Mom will be glad to see us getting along.”

“Well, mostly,” Hinoken said. “I'm still not going to be easy on a yappy puppy like you.”

“Do you want me to punch you again?” Saki asked.

***

Saki curled up on the couch in the break room. He would have been lying to himself if he said he was fine about his mom dating Hinoken. Even though the fight had been a few days before, the frustration still lingered.

“You okay, Saki?” came a familiar voice. Saki lifted his head, and saw Netto looking down at him with concern.

“Oh, Netto,” Saki said, his mood lifting. “I'm okay. I'm just moping about something stupid.”

“Talk to me about it,” Netto said, shoving Saki aside enough that he could sit on the couch next to him. In response, Saki sat up properly, and leaned against Netto's shoulder, which the older boy did not protest to.

“My mom started dating Hinoken,” Saki said gloomily.

“Wait, really?!” Netto seemed shocked. “You don't mean the Hinoken that works at Maha Ichiban, right?”

“Yeah, that's the one,” Saki said with a sigh.

“Small world,” Netto muttered.

“It's really frustrating,” Saki lamented. “He's a terrible person, but my mom's crazy about him. I want her to be happy, but I can't stand him being anywhere near her. I keep wanting to break his hand every time he touches her arm.”

“I guess it's normal to be upset that your mom is dating someone new,” Netto said.

“He's not just some guy, he's a criminal,” Saki reminded Netto.

“I mean, he hasn't been one for a long time,” Netto said. “As far as I know, anyway.”

“It wouldn't really matter if he'd turned over a new leaf or not,” Saki complained. “I can't stand seeing guys hanging around my mom. Most of them are just looking for some self-satisfaction, and then they're off again. Very few of them even care to meet me and Michi. The minute I apply any kind of pressure, they turn tail and run.”

Netto had a thoughtful expression. “Sounds like you're the jealous type.”

“I am not!” Saki snapped. “I just want my mom to be happy!”

“Sure, sure,” Netto said good-naturedly. “But what about Hinoken? You applied pressure to him, right?”

“Yeah, we had a fight,” Saki said. “I managed to beat him...somehow. Then I beat him up.”

“And he's still trying, right?” Netto said. “That's better than the others, right?”

“He tried to run, gave me some stupid excuse about 'not deserving her' and how his past would catch up with her. I almost wanted to kick his ass right there and then.”

“But you didn't?” Netto asked.

Saki sighed. “He looked so...miserable. Like he was forcing himself to leave for my sake or some shit. So I beat him up and told him to stop being a coward.”

“Good for you for giving him encouragement!” Netto said.

“Yeah, except I hate him being anywhere near my mom! I should have just let him run away with his tail between his legs!”

Netto chuckled. “Hinoken might be a lot of things, but he's got honor. Chances are if he says he won't do something, then he won't do it.” He sighed. “Although he used to talk a good game in the past. Really knew how to get into your head, and make you doubt yourself.”

“If I even so much as _think_ he's messing with my mom, I'm gonna kick his stupid ass to the curb,” Saki growled.

Netto patted Saki's head with his good hand, and smiled. “You know what you need?”

Saki looked at Netto. “What?”

“Lunch,” Netto said matter-of-factually. “You just need some food to help you calm down.”

Saki sighed, and then laughed. It was just like Netto to suggest food as the solution to a problem. It was part of what made him so charming.

“Are you treating?” Saki asked coyly as he snuggled closer to Netto.

“Sure, why not?” Netto said. “I'll even pay for Taka too!”

“What? Taka too...?” Saki asked, suddenly realizing that Netto probably wasn't asking him out on a date at all, but rather taking all three of them out to escape his own responsibilities. 

“So are we all on for lunch?” Taka asked, popping up from behind the couch. Saki jolted, feeling like he had jumped out of his own skin.

“We sure are!” Netto said, giving Taka a thumbs up. Saki shot Taka a glare that could have shattered stone. Taka simply gave him a sympathetic look in response.

“I promise it's not curry this time,” Netto said, holding up his hand. “I was thinking we should check out this sushi place I heard about in Shibuya. Apparently you can get a meal for less than 1,000 zenny.”

“That cheap?!” Taka gasped.

“At a sushi place?!” Saki asked, equally impressed.

“That's what I've heard, anyway,” Netto said. “And it's near the station, so we don't even have to walk that far to get to it!”

“I'm all in for cheap sushi,” Taka said, his fists clenched. “I'll clear every plate off that conveyor belt!”

“I haven't had sushi in a really long time,” Saki said, trying not to drool. “What should I get? Tuna? Salmon? Ooh, maybe sea urchin!”

“There's just one condition,” Netto said, suddenly serious. “You absolutely cannot tell Enzan that we're going. He'll get really upset, and whine at me again.”

“Did he whine at you the last time the three of us went out for food?” Taka asked.

“Sure did,” Netto said. “A solid half hour of him complaining that I haven't been letting him go with us, and that he prefers it when it's just the two of us, and that I'm playing favorites.” Netto sighed.

“If he had his way, we'd probably end up in a high-end sushi joint too,” Saki muttered.

“It sounds appealing, but I don't want to think about the bill,” Taka moaned.

“Yeah, me neither,” Saki said with a shudder.

“Anyway, that's the condition,” Netto said. “If you can agree not to tell Enzan, then I'll take you to lunch.”

“Agreed,” both boys said in unison.

After sneaking out of the building, they made a mad dash for the Metroline, and were quickly on their way to Shibuya.

“I'm so hyped!” Taka said. “I adore going to Shibuya! All the best clothing stores are down there! I can check out the latest fashion trends, and get all the cute new clothes while I'm at it!”

“If this place is as popular as I think it is, we might be waiting for a while,” Netto said. “We miht be able to do some window shopping.”

“I suppose,” Saki said, clearly not into the idea. He wasn't big on fashion trends, and most of his clothes were mended or second hand as it was. But he didn't want to spoil the mood, and he wanted to try to spend some quiet time with Netto, so distracting Taka with clothes seemed like a good idea.

“I'm not too good with fashion trends,” Netto admitted. “I just wear whatever's comfortable. But Enzan probably knows a bunch!”

“He does wear fashionable and relaxed suit pieces every day,” Taka said. “All of them tailored, I might add.”

“How can you tell?” Saki asked.

“Most well-made suits are tailored. Off the rack ones never fit properly, so you have to hem them or bring the jackets and vests in. Someone with pride in their clothes always has the suit tailor-made to them from the beginning.”

“Sounds like a lot of trouble,” Saki admitted.

“But the result is always worth it,” Taka said.

“Enzan's suits sure look great!” Netto agreed.

Saki, sensing his chance, chimed in. “I bet you'd look great in a suit, Netto!”

“Hmm, you think?” Netto asked, tilting his head thoughtfully.

“I'm pretty sure you'll look good in anything, though,” Saki said.

Taka elbowed him in the side. “Laying it on a little thick, probably,” he hissed.

“I'm just being honest!” Saki hissed back.

“I'll take your word for it!” Netto said. “Suits aren't really my thing, after all!”

By the time they arrived at Shibuya Station, the three boys were throwing around ideas for things Netto could wear that weren't his usual hooded shirt and three-quarter pants. Taka made the wild suggestion to try street fashion, but Netto said that it might be too adventurous even for him.

“Anyway,” Netto said, “The place we're going to is a few blocks that way.” Then he paused, and his expression brightened as he said, “Wanna go pet Hachiko?”

“That's just a superstition,” Saki said with a laugh.

“What, that petting the statue of Hachiko is good luck?” Taka asked.

“But it doesn't hurt to try!” Netto said. “I mean, petting the good boy is just the right thing to do!” After a pause, he added, “All dogs are good,” in a quiet voice.

“Do you like dogs, Netto?” Saki asked.

“Yes!” Netto said.

“The statue's always crowded though,” Taka said. “Even getting close to give it a pet would be pretty hard.”

“True,” Netto said with a sigh. “And it'll take a bit to walk over to the restaurant too, so the longer we stay here, the less time we have to eat.”

“We'll just have to eat first and explore later,” Saki said.

Taka sighed dejectedly. “Ahh, I want to go shopping so bad! The 109, Modi, Laforet...so many cute clothes are calling out to me!The sooner we eat, the sooner I can shop!”

“We really shouldn't stay all day,” Netto warned Taka. “We'll get yelled at again for skipping.”

Taka growled. “I should put a curse on Laika for making it so hard for me to go clothing shopping!”

“I think you can live without going shopping,” Saki said. “You can come back some other time.”

“Meanies!” Taka yelled, beating on Saki's arm. “You'll never understand!”

“Ow, that actually hurts!” Saki yelped.

The three of them started walking towards the restaurant, and Taka complained loudly about not being able to shop. However, as they continued walking, Saki could sense Taka pulling back farther and farther, as if giving them space.

 _Is he trying to make an opening for me?_ Saki wondered. 

Saki took the opportunity to press close to Netto as they were walking. Their hands brushed, and Saki felt his face heat up.

 _Easy does it_ , Saki told himself. _Don't try to force things. Just play it cool, and wait for him to notice you_.

Netto turned to look at Saki, and the boy felt his heart speed up. With a smile, Netto said, “Hey Saki, have you been to Shibuya before?”

“N-not really,” Saki admitted. “Maybe once, when I was really young.”

“Yeah, I don't come down here very often either,” Netto said with a laugh. “It's funny, since it's not that far from Akihara and all.”

“That makes it a special trip for both of us,” Saki said.

Netto tilted his head. “Yeah, I suppose it does!”

Saki's ears heated up, and he felt himself smiling like a fool. It was almost like they were on a date...

“I wonder if Enzan's been here before,” Netto said suddenly. “I feel like he might have.”

The euphoria started to fade at the mention of Enzan. “Huh? Oh, maybe...”

“I guess I'll bug him to take me to that sushi place,” Netto said with a laugh. “He can pay next time!”

“Haha, yeah,” Saki said. He felt slightly irritated that Enzan had come up, but tried to brush it off.

“So you and Enzan are pretty close friends, huh?”

Netto hummed thoughtfully. “I guess. We're a lot more, uhhh, _complicated_ than that. Rivals?” He seemed to mull it over. “That might not be quite it though.”

“What about a girlfriend?” Saki asked. “Are you seeing anyone?”

“Nah.” Netto shook his head. “I don't have a girlfriend.”

Saki's heart soared. He definitely had a chance then!

“Oh, well, in that case, I was wondering if maybe...” Saki started to speak, but fell silent as Netto stopped dead in his tracks, and stared at someone in front of them with wide eyes, almost as if he'd seen a ghost. Saki turned to look at the person in question, and realized it was a woman around Netto's age. She stared back at Netto with equal shock, and for a long time, no one said anything.

“M-Meiru,” Netto stammered out.

“Netto.” Meiru looked away for a moment. “I wasn't expecting to see you...”

“Neither was I,” Netto said, shifting nervously.

Taka pressed up against Saki, and whispered. “Do you know her?”

“No,” Saki whispered back, “But they sure seem to know each other.”

Saki stared at Meiru. She was quite beautiful, with the same shade of shocking red hair that Taka had and warm brown eyes. Her delicate hands twisted the hem of her jacket as she stood there, nervously waiting for Netto to say something.

Netto rubbed the back of his neck. “So...I heard you went to high school in Amerope.”

“I did,” Meiru admitted. “I came back for a visit.”

After a long pause, Netto cleared his throat. “So, anyway, these are the new kids in my dad's program.” He gestured to Saki. “This is Saki Tanaka, and this—” Netto tugged Taka out from behind Saki. “This is Taka Wakahisa.”

“It's a pleasure to meet you,” Meiru said politely. “My name is Meiru Sakurai.” She paused. “I'm...Netto's childhood friend.”

“Ouch,” Taka muttered under his breath. “The childhood friend route is always doomed.”

Saki jabbed Taka in the ribs with his elbow.

“So what are you all doing in Shibuya?” Meiru asked.

“Having lunch,” Netto said, but he sounded a little distracted. “We were, ahh, on our way to the park to take a walk, but...”

“I was on my way to a recital,” Meiru explained. “But I have a few minutes to talk, if you'd like.”

Netto looked at Saki and Taka nervously. Saki nodded reassuringly. Netto looked back at Meiru, and smiled.

“Sure,” he said, “Let's talk.”

They walked away from Taka and Saki, but the boys crept a little closer to try and overhear their conversation. Hiding behind the corner of a building, they leaned in as close as they dared, straining to hear the conversation over the noise of the busy streets.

“How are you and Enzan?” Meiru asked.

“We're...” Netto paused. “Fine.”

“Just 'fine'?” Meiru asked. “I would have thought it would be a little better than 'fine'.”

“We're both really busy,” Netto said. “And I've got a lot on my plate right now. Enzan too. He's working on a new PET model, and it's eating up all his time.”

Meiru sighed heavily. “Do you remember what I said to you when I broke up with you?”

Netto had a bitter expression. “That you didn't want to be in a relationship with someone who's heart wasn't really in it?”

“Yes, that, but also that if you didn't make a move soon, you'd end up regretting it,” Meiru replied. “It's been three years since then, and you're still being half hearted about everything, I see.”

“I'm not being half hearted,” Netto replied crossly. 

“Did you move in yet?” Meiru asked.

“I...have a key,” Netto said sheepishly.

Meiru heaved another deep sigh. “You're as dense as ever.”

“Is she trying to get back together with him?” Saki whispered frantically.

“Kind of sounds like it,” Taka whispered back.

Saki felt himself freaking out. If he was forced to compete with someone like Meiru, he knew that he would probably lose. Meiru was beautiful, and had known Netto his whole life. And it sounded like she wouldn't allow herself to get dragged around at Netto's pace either. She was the perfect woman for him.

“Are you coming back to Densan then?” Netto asked.

“No, probably not,” Meiru said sadly. “I'm planning to go to a school in Amerope. I want to study composition, and get my degree in music. One day, I hope to be able to compose and play music professionally.” She smiled brightly. “I really wanted to thank you for pushing me back into piano after I started to lose heart in middle school. It really helped me figure out my priorities.”

“That's great!” Netto said, relieved. “I was worried you might have given up on music entirely.”

She shook her head. “In the end, I realized just how much I loved to play piano, and decided to focus on that going forward.”

“So she's not going to be living here!” Taka whispered encouragingly. “She's not a rival after all!”

“Long distance is still a thing,” Saki whispered back.

Netto took Meiru's hand in his, and gave it a squeeze. “I really hope you succeed,” he told her.

With a soft smile, Meiru replied, “I hope you succeed too.”

“When you play your first big concert, I want to see it!” Netto said. “Send me tickets!”

Meiru stuck her tongue out at Netto. “Buy them yourself!”

Netto laughed. “Fine! I'll make Enzan buy them!”

Meiru laughed, and gave Netto a playful shove. She glanced at the time displayed on an electronic signboard nearby, and clicked her tongue in disappointment.

“I have to go,” she said. “Sorry I didn't have time to meet the others properly.”

“You'll have to come see them some other time!” Netto said. “Maybe in the summer.”

“Maybe,” Meiru said. “I'll keep my schedule open.”

“Make sure you say hi to Dekao and Chisao too!” Netto said as Meiru started to walk off.

“I already did!” Meiru called back. “But thank you for reminding me!”

“We should talk more!” Netto yelled.

“We should,” Meiru yelled back.

Netto waved as Meiru disappeared into the crowds. His face fell, and he heaved a deep sigh.

“You okay, Netto?” Saki asked as he approached.

“Yeah,” Netto said. He gave Saki a sad smile. “I guess you guys overheard everything.”

“Most of it,” Taka admitted.

Netto hung his head in shame. He ran a hand through his head, and sighed.

“Meiru broke up with me, on the last day of middle school,” Netto said. “She said it was because she knew my heart wasn't fully into the relationship. She also said that she knew I had feelings for...someone else.”

Saki gave Netto a sympathetic smile.

“She was right, you know. But I mean...it wasn't like I didn't love her at all. I did. I loved her a lot. But I also loved someone else. I was just...not able to really decide, so she decided for me.”

“That's awful,” Taka said sadly.

Netto laughed. “Nah, Meiru was doing what was best for her. I'm kind of glad she put herself first in that situation. If she'd kept hanging around, hoping things would get better one day, she might have been even more heartbroken.”

“You're _glad_ she broke up with you?” Saki frowned.

“Sure,” Netto said. “Love is a really complicated thing, and it's important to be honest with yourself and move on if it's not working out.”

“I guess I can understand that,” Saki said.

“So this 'other person' you had feelings for,” Taka said. “Did you ever confess?”

“Uhh...” Netto seemed to think it over. “I think so? I mean, I'm not really sure.”

“How can you be unsure if you confessed your feelings?” Saki asked.

“The thing is, I think I did, but then again, we both seemed to be dancing around the subject all the time, so by the time either of us actually said something, we were already seeing each other.”

Saki's heart sank. “So you _are_ seeing someone.”

“It's complicated,” Netto said. “I mean, not _officially_.”

“So you're not _officially_ dating,” Taka said.

“No,” Netto said. 

Taka looked at Saki with an excited expression. Saki didn't feel quite so excited, however. Netto had said that he wasn't 'officially' dating, but it meant that he was seeing someone. There was a chance of Saki accidentally getting someone angry by trying to flirt with Netto, and he didn't want to have to deal with that kind of outcome. But still...

“So if someone asked you out on a date,” Saki said, “Would you go?”

Netto seemed to consider it. “Maybe if they were paying,” he joked.

Saki sighed. Taka, however, kept pushing.

“So who are you _unofficially_ dating,” he asked.

Rather than answer, Netto walked past Taka and Saki and back towards the station. When Taka ran to catch up, demanding Netto tell him who it was, Netto simply started laughing, and jogged on ahead. Each attempt by Taka was met with laughter, and Taka eventually stopped in the middle of the sidewalk, and screamed in frustration, “NETTO HIKARI, WHO ARE YOU DATING?!”

Netto simply kept laughing, and ran on ahead to the restaurant.


	12. Playing With Fire

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The consequences of Saki losing control during a test finally catch up to everybody

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> _I apologize for this chapter being so late! It's also a little on the short side (comparatively). I was having trouble writing this chapter in particular. I think I've gotten over my block, but I'm also trying out a new method of writing, so that might also cause some problems. Hopefully, I've ironed out all the wrinkles and it'll be clear sailing from here on out. Hopefully._

Enzan tapped his foot impatiently. A meeting was due to start in a few minutes, and there still hadn't been any word back from Netto. He checked his PET again, hoping for an email, but there still wasn't one. With a deep sigh, he let his arm drop back to his side, and let his head fall against the wall behind him.

“Still nothing?” Meijin asked as he approached. He handed Enzan a small can of coffee, which Enzan gratefully took.

“No,” Enzan said, cracking the can open and taking a large sip. “I can't count how many emails I've sent him, but he hasn't read a single one.” He frowned. “I'm positive we told him multiple times that this meeting was happening. Where on Earth could he be...?”

“Netto's been rather out of sorts since the accident,” Meijin said. “He hovers around the office, even though we told him to stay home and rest. He's no good to the team with a broken arm, after all.”

“He also keeps slacking off, and dragging the new recruits with him,” Enzan complained. “Laika won't stop yelling at me for it either. And no matter how much I want to chew Netto out, he's been very good at avoiding me as of late.”

“I didn't know he'd been avoiding you,” Meijin said. “That's troubling.”

Enzan let out another deep sigh, and drained the last of the coffee in his can. With a sour expression, Enzan angrily tossed the empty can into a nearby recycling bin.

“It's very important that he's at this meeting. If he doesn't make it, I'm going to have to work twice as hard to smooth things over.”

“I'm here too,” Meijin said. “Even if it doesn't mean much.”

“It means a lot, I promise,” Enzan said with a tiny smile. He seemed to be regaining his composure after his small outburst.

“Do you want to try contacting him again, or...?” 

Enzan sighed. “I doubt it would do any good, but perhaps we should—”

Just then, they were approached by a petite woman in a suit, and the two immediately stiffened.

“The Board will see you now,” the woman said with a polite bow.

“Here we go,” Meijin muttered.

The two followed the woman to a room at the end of the hall, and opened the door for them. As they stepped into the room, the woman bowed again before leaving the room, closing the door behind her. Enzan stood, his hands folded behind him, and stared at the five men seated at the table before him. They were the Board of Directors in charge of the Ministry of Science, and this wasn't the first time that Enzan had met them. Beside Enzan, Meijin radiated an aura of nervousness.

“Ijuuin-san, Meijin-san, thank you for coming today,” said one of the board members. There was a small pause, and then he asked, “Where is Hikari-san?”

“He...had an emergency come up,” Enzan lied, trying to keep a neutral expression. “Unfortunately, he cannot join us.”

“A shame,” said the board member. He flipped through a small file on the table. “Well then, I suppose we'll have to continue without him.”

“Do you know why you're here today, Ijuuin-san?” another board member asked.

“Yes,” Enzan said. “This meeting is concerning the incident that occurred last month, involving Netto Hikari and one of the new members in the program, Saki Tanaka.”

“Correct,” the second board member said. “We've read the file, and we understand how it happened, but we want to ask why it was allowed to happen in the first place?”

Enzan swallowed.

“I admit, the supervision for the test was very lacking,” Meijin said, his voice shaking ever so slightly. “I should have been present in Doctor Hikari's place.”

“And why weren't you?” the second board member asked.

“Well,” Meijin said, hesitating for an instant. “Netto failed to inform me of the test. I'm under the impression he decided on it at the last second.”

“It was a very snap decision on his part,” Enzan said. “However, I am just as much at fault for not being inside the barrier at the time of the test. Had I been, I could have intervened.”

“So you are saying the lack of proper supervision lies with you, Ijuuin-san?” the first board member asked.

“Yes,” Enzan said. 

“Meijin-san, what was the test for, exactly?” the second board member asked.

“It was a test for Netto's experimental Portable Dimensional Generator. It's still in the early development stages. He wanted to see if the field would remain stable during use.”

“And why were the children there?” the second board member asked.

“They volunteered to assist in the test,” Enzan explained. “They had only recently been cleared to use the Synchro Chips, and were eager to gain more experience.”

The second board member leaned forward, his hands clasped. “Do you think that this test was particularly safe?” he asked.

Enzan swallowed again. “No, I don't believe it was.”

“And yet you allowed it to take place?”

After a pause, Enzan said, “Yes.”

“I see,” the second board member said, leaning back into his chair.

The first board member cleared his throat, and adjusted his glasses. “Can you both give me an accurate description of Netto Hikari's character? Does he seem like the type to throw caution to the wind and engage in unsafe tests such as this one on a regular basis?”

Enzan shifted slightly on his feet. Meijin cleared his own throat nervously.

“I believe Netto to be someone who errs on the side of caution,” Meijin said. “This test was rather out of character for him. He usually makes sure he goes through all the correct channels.”

“Agreed,” Enzan said. “Netto is a level-headed researcher, and he's always careful to follow protocol, especially when assisting Doctor Hikari with his own research.”

“So then why did he ignore protocol this time?” the first board member asked.

“I believe it was because this device was not an official project,” Meijin explained. “Rather, it was a side project he had been doing in his spare time.”

“So it was an illegal use of funds?” the first board member asked, his eyebrows arching.

“On the contrary, Netto was preparing to submit it to Doctor Hikari for his approval. Once he had, it would have become part of Doctor Hikari's research, but there needed to be a working prototype first,” Enzan explained. “All parts, other than the dimensional core, were ones that Netto obtained himself with his own funds.”

“Did Doctor Hikari request the prototype?” the first board member asked.

“No,” Meijin said, “But it had been mentioned, and Doctor Hikari expressed his interest.”

“Netto was planning on making the Portable Dimensional Generator part of his final project for college,” Enzan added. “He's still a few years away from graduating, but having an early start on it would have been ideal.”

“Can you tell me what he's studying in college?” the first board member asked.

“Engineering,” Enzan said, “With a minor in programming.”

“I see,” the first board member said.

“So is it safe to assume that Netto Hikari was working on a prototype in his spare time, and used company time and resources to test it?” the second board member asked.

“Yes,” Meijin said.

“I would like to ask you a few questions concerning the other person involved in this incident: Saki Tanaka,” said a third board member.

“Of course,” Enzan said.

“Would you consider Saki Tanaka to be an unstable type of person?”

Enzan took a deep breath before answering. “Tanaka-kun is...a very emotional sort of person, but has a solid concept of right and wrong. He has taken full responsibility for his actions, and has endeavored to ensure that this incident never happens again.”

“But is he unstable, Ijuuin-san?” the third board member asked.

“He is...emotional volatile,” Enzan admitted. “He has a bit of a temper on him. But as I have said, he is working to correct that—”

“So he is unstable then,” the third board member said, cutting Enzan off. 

“He's also sixteen,” Enzan argued. “Most teenagers are hardly emotionally stable.”

“But it _is_ a fact that his emotional instability led to him attacking Netto Hikari,” the third board member said.

Enzan clenched his jaw for a moment. “What Tanaka-kun experienced was a panic attack triggered by something Netto had said. As innocent as the statement had been, it triggered painful memories in Tanaka-kun, resulting in his emotions becoming unstable.”

“Once he was in this state, his Navi, Zer0, suddenly switched into a faulty defense subroutine,” Meijin added. “It was a terrible cascade of events, but the faulty program has been fixed, and Saki is currently working on controlling his emotions better.”

The third board member fixed his gaze on Enzan and Meijin. “Is he a liability?”

“No,” Enzan said firmly. “Saki Tanaka is _not_ a liability.”

“How likely is this incident to reoccur?” the third board member asked.

“Unlikely,” Meijin said. “We have taken every measure to ensure that it does not happen again.”

“I see, thank you,” the third board member said.

“I think we've heard everything we need to,” the first board member said. “We'll convene to decide how this will effect the Cross Fusion program. You may wait outside until we call you back in.”

Enzan and Meijin gave polite bows, and left the room. As soon as the door has closed behind them, Meijin let out his breath, and leaned over, bracing his hands against his knees.

“I thought I was going to puke,” he admitted.

“I can't say I was entirely calm during that meeting either,” Enzan said. He looked at his hand, which was trembling.

Once Meijin had recovered a bit, the two of them walked down the hallway to the waiting area.

“They might fire Netto,” Meijin said darkly. “He did breach protocol pretty hard.”

“Having to lie through my teeth about him hurt,” Enzan said in a low voice. “He's the absolute worst for following protocol.”

“But the way they really went after Saki...” Meijin shook his head. 

“They wanted a scapegoat,” Enzan muttered. “And Tanaka-kun was the easiest target.”

“The fact that neither of them were here to defend themselves is particularly concerning,” Meijin said. “Not that they would have let Saki in anyway.”

“The Cross Fusion program is already walking a thin line,” Enzan said, running a hand through his hair. “This was exactly what we didn't need. It'll be a miracle to convince them not to shut us down.”

The two waited for the verdict in tense silence. By the time the woman from before came to fetch them, Enzan's leg was jittering too hard for him to still with his hand. They walked back to the Board Room with grim expressions.

Once they had entered the room, and the door had closed behind them, Enzan and Meijin faced the five board members as they waited for judgment to be cast. After a painfully long silence, the first board member spoke up.

“We have discussed this matter quite thoroughly,” he said. “And the conclusion we have reached is to allow the program to continue.”

Enzan and Meijin both let out a sigh of relief.

“However,” the first board member said, “There will be some strict regulations in place. From this point onward, if the Synchro Chips are to be used, their use will need to be authorized by Doctor Hikari, and he will need to sign them out and again when they are returned. This goes for _all_ members of the Cross Fusion program, Ijuuin-san and Hikari-san included. The chips are not permitted to leave the laboratory for any reason. As well, Hikari-san is no longer allowed to supervise any kind of test alone. There must always be a senior scientist with him at all times—either Meijin-san or Doctor Hikari. Failure to comply with this rule will result in _immediate_ termination. And finally, we are ordering that Saki Tanaka be placed in therapy starting today. You've stated that he isn't a liability, but we don't want to take a chance. If he does not agree to go to counseling, then he is to be relieved of his position.” The board member leaned back in his chair. “This will be the last warning. If anything else occurs, the program will be shut down indefinitely. It has become _abundantly_ clear that this program is dangerous, and often disregards safety. We cannot allow it to become a liability for us.”

“Understood,” Meijin said. “I promise you that we will not allow anything else to happen in the future.”

“See to it that you don't,” the first board member said sharply. He waved his hand. “You may leave.”

Enzan and Meijin quickly exited the room, and walked down the hall towards the building entrance.

“I'm not a religious man, but I want to say a prayer of thanks to every god I can think of for this small miracle,” Meijin muttered.

“Agreed,” Enzan said. “That was a miracle for sure.”

“So, what do you think?” Meijin asked.

“I'll go along with the restrictions. They don't really affect me much, although it will be a bit of a hassle to get permission to take one with me on long assignments for the Net Police.” Enzan massaged the bridge of his nose. “The one I'm the most concerned about is Netto. He isn't going to take those restrictions on him very well.”

“I don't want to be the one to tell him,” Meijin said.

“I'll probably have to do it,” Enzan grumbled. “I'm more than likely the one who'll have to break the news to Tanaka-kun as well.”

“Good luck with that,” Meijin said.

***

When Netto, Taka and Saki all arrived back at the office after their lunch in Shibuya, Enzan quickly moved to trap them in the break room. He reached the door frame just in time to hear Netto gushing about their meal.

“Ahh~! The yellowtail was so good! The tuna was really fresh too!”

“It was really good!” Saki agreed.

“Reasonably priced, high quality conveyor belt sushi is really hard to find,” Taka said. “Going to have to remember that place!”

“I'll make sure I take Enzan there soon,” Netto said. “He'd probably love it!”

Enzan flinched, his face falling. Then, he took a breath, and stepped into the door frame, his arms crossed.

“Ahh, speaking of Enzan,” Netto said, a bright smile on his face. “Enzan, wait until I tell you about this place I found—”

“So you were off eating sushi while I was in a meeting with the Board of Directors?” Enzan asked, his voice low and sharp. “Struggling to convince them to let us continue operating, to not cut our funding, to not fire you or Tanaka-kun, all while you were eating yellowtail?”

Netto's face went white. “Was...was that today?”

There was a fire in Enzan's blue eyes. “Of course it was today, Netto. I'd only reminded you a few dozen times over the last month.”

“It...must have slipped my mind,” Netto said, his eyes darting away from Enzan. “I've been kind of forgetful lately.”

“Is your PET on silent too? I emailed you _several_ times today.” Enzan seemed to grow visibly angrier with every passing second.

“Ahh...” Netto looked at his PET, and pursed his lips together. “That's odd. Rockman never told me that I'd gotten these.”

“I tried, Netto-kun, but you weren't answering me,” Rockman said angrily. “And then you put the PET on silent mode, so of course I wasn't able to give you any more alerts. I gave up by the time you were on the train.”

“Ehehehe...” Netto scratched at his head, looking more than a little sheepish.

“This isn't a joke, Netto!” Enzan barked. “You're lucky that me and Meijin-san were able to convince them to give us another shot!”

Saki nervously put up his hand. “What's this about a meeting? This is the first I've heard of it.”

“It was a meeting with the Board of Directors for the Ministry of Science to discuss the incident last month, and what the repercussions for that would be,” Enzan explained. “You were not asked to attend, so there was no need to inform you about it.”

Saki's face also went white. Taka was strangely quiet, and refused to make eye contact with anyone.

“So, how did it go?” Netto asked, trying to sound upbeat, but his expression was still one of worry.

“They didn't cut our funding, and they're allowing us to continue,” Enzan said. Netto's expression brightened. “However,” Enzan continued, “There are some stipulations.”

“That doesn't sound good,” Netto said.

“It's not,” Enzan said. “For one thing, this was our last warning. If we mess up again, that will be the end. There won't be a chance to plead our case.”

Netto swallowed hard.

“Secondly, we all have to turn in our chips to Doctor Hikari, and he'll have to sign them out for us,” Enzan continued. “They aren't allowed to leave the laboratory. We can't carry them with us in the field anymore.”

“What?!” Netto gasped, rising to his feet. “Why?! What about the senior members! Wh-what if there's a reason to use them—?!”

“No exceptions,” Enzan said.

Netto collapsed back onto the couch, his expression vacant.

“Thirdly, you are not allowed to run tests by yourself anymore. Either Doctor Hikari or Meijin-san will have to be with you at all times.”

Netto put his face in his hand.

“Netto,” Enzan said, “Me and Meijin-san lied through our teeth to save your job. You're lucky that this is what they decided on.”

Netto didn't say anything at first. Then, a small, almost hysterical laugh escaped him.

“I sure screwed up this time,” he murmured. “And now everyone's gotta suffer too.”

“You should have thought of that before you decided to buck protocol and hold that test without Meijin-san's supervision,” Enzan said sharply.

Netto fell quiet at Enzan's words.

“There was one more demand,” Enzan said, looking at Saki. “The Board wants you to take therapy, effective immediately.”

“What?!” Saki asked, his eyes widening.

“Meijin-san and I are still talking it over with Doctor Hikari, but so far it seems like you'll be going once a week,” Enzan explained. “The Board was very concerned that your mental state was 'too volatile'.”

“'Volatile' my ass!” Saki spat. “It was _one time!_ ”

“One time too many,” Enzan replied.

Saki crossed his arms and huffed.

With a sigh, Enzan leaned against the door frame. “That ends my report.”

Netto did not lift his face from his hand. He gently rocked back and forth as breathy sighs escaped him.

“I really screwed up,” he whispered.

“I also wanted to talk to you about your behavior recently, Netto,” Enzan said, his tone a little softer than before. “Both Meijin-san and I have noticed that you're here when you don't have to be, and that you seem to be dragging Tanaka-kun and Wakahisa-kun around with you, interrupting Laika's schedule as well. He's been very verbal about it, in fact.”

“Uh oh,” Saki muttered.

“Do you want to explain yourself?” Enzan asked.

Netto didn't reply, or make any indication that he had even heard Enzan at all. Enzan waited, eyes fixed on Netto. Eventually, Netto lifted his face, the usual light in his eyes gone. He seemed almost drained, exhausted beyond measure.

“I didn't know how much I used my left arm for stuff until recently,” Netto said, his voice tired and flat. “I keep reaching to type, and realizing that it's there, or try to grab something and suddenly remember that I can't. I can't even do my school work properly. I've resorted to dictating to Rockman so that he can type it out for me.” He gave a weak laugh. “I know I'm supposed to stay home and rest, but I just find myself drifting down here anyway. I'm so useless right now, it's kind of funny. Even if I _was_ able to Cross Fuse...”

An uncomfortable silence fell over the room. Both Taka and Saki looked at Netto with expressions of shock and pity. Enzan managed to catch Netto's gaze, and nodded.

Netto heaved a sigh that seemed to come all the way from his feet. “I suppose I should probably come clean about that too. Yeah, I'm a sham. I can't even Cross Fuse right now. Haven't been able to for seven years.”

“I had no idea,” Saki murmured.

“I'm sorry, Netto,” Taka said sadly.

“Netto was the first one to Cross Fuse successfully,” Enzan said. “He might not have been the best at it, but he certainly worked the hardest. He was very proud of his accomplishments.”

“For all my bragging, I sure made a fool of myself,” Netto grumbled. “Me and Rockman are so scared to try Cross Fusing nowadays that we can't even make it work.”

“Scared of Cross Fusing?” Taka asked.

Netto hesitated. “We...hurt a lot of people seven years ago. It wasn't on purpose, but it happened, and it haunts us.” Netto put his face in his hand again. “I don't want to accidentally hurt more people. I don't want Rockman to be hurt either, just because I made a mistake.”

Taka's hands gripped his knees tightly. He continued to stare at the floor.

“But mistakes happen!” Saki said. “You can't run away just because of that!”

“I know it's stupid!” Netto yelled. “I know that! But I can't stop feeling the way I do...” He shook his head. “It's so bad that I actually started having second thoughts about you guys being here. Something Laika said really stuck with me. That you guys might die. I started panicking...I didn't want that to happen. So I...I started trying to drag you away from lessons and stuff. I wanted to delay you guys having to go into the field for as long as possible. I wanted you guys to have fun, and enjoy being kids. Plus, going places with you helped me to take my mind off my arm.”

“That's not going to stop them from eventually going into the field,” Enzan said. 

“Of course I know that!” Netto said. “I never said it was a rational line of thinking.”

“Netto,” Enzan said, “Have you talked about any of this with your therapist?”

“Yeah...” Netto said, running his hand through his hair. “We're trying EMDR therapy, but there's a lot to get through. Plus, this whole place is kind of...” he waved his hand helplessly. “Triggering.”

“Because it reminds you of the incident?” Enzan asked.

Netto glanced to Saki, and then to Taka. “Yeah,” he said finally.

“That's even more reason to stay home for a while,” Enzan said. “Getting out of this environment will definitely help.”

“But I can't sit still when there are things I could be helping with,” Netto said through his teeth. “Augh, see now we're back at the beginning again!”

Enzan sighed, and rubbed his temples. “I'm under a lot of stress too,” he said. “This whole thing makes me really frustrated. I keep going back over things like, 'why didn't I notice that Tanaka-kun wasn't ready?' 'Why didn't I stay inside the barrier?' The more I think about it, the more angry it makes me.”

“Saki's first test was really promising,” Netto said. “Dad was super excited to get some more data. I might have jumped the gun a little bit.”

“It was up to Tanaka-kun to tell us about his mental state,” Enzan said. “Especially since you'd told me that he'd had panic attacks prior to the incident.”

“Okay, so I messed up,” Saki said, “But therapy seems like a bit much.”

“We're all in therapy, Saki,” Taka said, still not making eye contact with anyone. “It's not an awful thing.”

“But being in therapy means that I can't even handle my own emotions without help,” he insisted. “It means I'm a failure.”

“Therapy is merely a tool to teach you how to manage those feelings,” Enzan said sharply. “There's nothing weak about it. And it's certainly better than not acknowledging you have a problem, and then carrying on until you collapse instead of doing something about it.”

Saki hesitated. “Dad said that therapists are con artists.”

“Your father obviously subscribed to the outdated thought that weakness should not be shown, which is not only harmful but also incredibly wrong,” Enzan said. “Don't worry, my father is the same. I tend to ignore that kind of advice these days.”

Saki still seemed uncertain. “Do you really think that a therapist will help?”

“It's certainly better than dwelling in your own negative thoughts,” Enzan said. “Just give it a chance. Besides, you'll have to go whether you like it or not, so it would be better to stop resisting.”

A stifling silence settled over the room once more, and Enzan cleared his throat. 

“Well, that was unpleasant. Especially after you'd just come back from such a delightful experience.” He sighed. “By the way, I'm a little hurt that you wouldn't try inviting me to go with you. Were you worried that I might rat you out for ditching?”

“Maybe a little,” Netto said.

“I don't condone that kind of behavior, but even I want to get out of the office from time to time,” Enzan said, a faint blush creeping across his cheeks. “But I guess you don't want someone like me hanging around and spoiling the mood.”

“But it's more fun when it's just the two of us,” Netto said. “That's partly why I go with the others: I'm scoping the place out to see if it'll meet your expectations.”

Enzan's blush got a little deeper, and he looked away. “O-oh, I see.”

“I bet Ijuuin-san is the type to complain about the food,” Saki said.

“He's probably spoiled by high-end restaurants,” Taka added teasingly.

Enzan shot Taka a sharp glare. “I'm capable of eating peasant food too, you know.”

Saki burst out in laughter. “He even admits we're all just 'peasants' to him!”

“It was a joke,” Enzan said quietly, looking embarrassed.

“Yeah, he was joking,” Taka said quickly. “It's an in-joke with us. We're always going on about how stuffy parties are, and how we'd rather be 'slumming it with the peasants'.”

“I wasn't even aware that Enzan could make jokes,” Saki said, staring at Enzan in amazement.

“Yeah, Enzan's got a killer sense of humor,” Netto said, grinning. “Like, when he decided that going undercover meant pulling out all the stops. My favorite disguise was the one with the afro w—”

“I'm not that funny, honestly,” Enzan said, slapping a hand over Netto's mouth. “Everyone's just over exaggerating.”

A soft snort came from Netto's PET.

***

Saki tightened the waist tie of his gi, and took a deep breath. Enzan angrily informing him that he would have to go to therapy was still fresh in his mind, and he wondered if Enzan was likely to be upset still. It would show in his sword work. Saki looked down at the wooden sword on the bench in front of him, and hesitated. The thought of him being emotionally unstable had haunted him all night, and he questioned if learning swordsmanship was truly the right path for him to walk.

 _I don't want Zer0 to be doing all the work_ , he told himself. _If I learn the sword, then we can work together. But if I was to lose control again..._

He shook his head, and slapped his cheeks against his face. He couldn't let himself go down that train of thought. To learn the sword took discipline and focus. A discordant heart could not use a sword to its fullest potential. He would just have to never allow himself to lose control of himself ever again, and would endeavor to become stronger, not just physically but also emotionally.

 _Therapy is simply another tool to achieving that goal_ , he reminded himself confidently.

Saki picked up his sword, and walked to the door of the changing room. He wouldn't let all of the opportunities Enzan had given him go to waste. He would prove to Enzan that him teaching Saki the art of the sword was not a wasted effort, and that he truly wanted to improve himself in every way. He would go and meet Enzan head-on with his full strength.

The dojo was empty, as it always around this time. Enzan had arranged with his own sensei this time of the day to teach Saki, and as such Saki was expected to follow the same rules that Enzan had been asked to. He sat on the floor near the center of the room, lowering himself to the tatami before placing his sword down next to him. He folded his hands on his lap, and sat up straight, waiting patiently.

The door to the garden was open, letting in the fresh spring air. A few birds chirped in the distance, and a soft breeze blew in the scent of flowers. A soft rustling of leaves could be heard, and the sharp “tok!' of the deer scare cut through the silence every now and then, but for a long while, nothing else happened. Saki continued to wait patiently.

Finally, Enzan entered the dojo. He was already wearing his gi, and Saki assumed he had changed before coming. Enzan put his things down, and retrieved his sword from its bag before approaching Saki.

In response, Saki bowed deeply, his forehead touching the backs of his hands on the floor in front of him.

“I am grateful for your lessons this day,” he said.

Enzan also bowed deeply to Saki. “I am honored to teach you this day.”

They both straightened up, and Saki could see the fatigue on Enzan's face. It was clear that Enzan was still running himself ragged trying to balance his career with his other obligations, and for a moment, Saki felt a deep sympathy for the older boy.

“On your feet,” Enzan said, cutting through Saki's thoughts. “We're starting.”

Obediently, Saki picked up his sword and got to his feet. The two then proceeded to run through their warm-ups. Enzan watched Saki's form carefully, but found no reason to correct it for once. After the warm-ups were done, Enzan made Saki practice his different stances and moves, gently repositioning his arm or leg if he was off. After a few tries, Saki found his rhythm, and Enzan was no longer correcting him.

“Have you been practicing at home?” Enzan asked.

“Yes,” Saki said. “For an hour every day.”

Enzan seemed impressed by this. He watched Saki for a little while longer, and then told him to stop. Saki let his arms drop in relief, and swiped at his brow with the back of his hand.

“You've got a good handle on the basics,” Enzan told Saki. “You've come a long way from the first time you held a sword.”

“I had a good teacher,” Saki said, swallowing his embarrassment.

Enzan's eyes darted to the side, and he rubbed the back of his neck. “I see.” He cleared his throat before continuing. “You seem a lot more confident in your swings today.”

“I've had a lot of time to think about...the things you were saying,” Saki said. “I realize now that I am sort of reckless with my emotions: I allow little things to set me off, and I give pieces of myself away too readily. While it's not a bad thing to display my emotions outwardly, I also have to learn to find a time and place for them.” He took a deep breath, and exhaled loudly. “I want to have a calm heart, one that won't waver in the face of adversity.”

Enzan chuckled. “Poetic. And yet, I can't help but agree with your sentiment.” He planted his sword on the floor, and folded his hands on the end of the hilt. “Even I don't have a calm heart. I'm also fighting constantly with my own emotions, especially in battle. I'm very lucky to have a Navi like Blues, who is filled with conviction. With such a reliable partner, I never have to fear.” He frowned. “But it only reminds me of how weak I truly am, and that no matter how much I train my sword arm, my heart will never be any stronger.”

Saki blinked in surprise. “But...you never strike me as someone who isn't in control of his emotions.”

“I have spent a lot of my life learning how to mask my emotions,” Enzan said. “But I have never had the time to address them.”

Saki looked down at the sword in his hand, and then back up at Enzan. “Is that why you agreed to train me?”

Enzan looked at Saki with a curious expression. “Perhaps. Even I still don't know why I offered to teach you.” He looked outside at the garden. “Maybe I simply wanted a convenient target for my anger and frustration.”

Saki snorted. Enzan looked back at him, and a small smile tugged at his mouth.

“That's enough chatting,” Enzan said, picking up his sword once more. “It's time to show me the results of your practicing.”

Saki took his starting stance, and stared into Enzan's face as he tried to clear his mind of everything else. Enzan's expression briefly flashed to anger, but it disappeared almost as quickly as it had appeared. Saki almost wondered if he had imagined it. Enzan took his own stance, and the two stared each other down, both waiting for the other to make a move. Saki was hyper aware of his breathing and heartbeat. The birds chirping outside were the only noise in the silent dojo.

Finally, on the sharp “tok!” of the deer scare, Enzan lunged forward. Saki barely had time to deflect Enzan's sword with his own, and stepped to the side to take a more defensive stance. Enzan put his foot down and turned almost instantly after the swing, the swords sharply connecting. Saki could see the anger in Enzan's eyes, burning like fire.

 _There it is_ , Saki thought. _He's still upset at everything that's happened lately. But I was expecting this. He can come at me all he likes, but I refuse to lose today_.

With a shove, Saki was able to push Enzan back. He swung, but Enzan managed to block it. Enzan took another couple of steps back, readjusting himself. Saki took a moment to readjust his own stance as well.

 _He's angry_ , Saki rationalized. _He'll make a mistake at some point. I'll just have to be patient, and wait for it_.

Enzan lunged again, and Saki blocked. This time, however, Enzan threw his whole weight into his swing, and Saki grunted with exertion as he tried to push back. He managed to shift Enzan's weight to the side, and slipped away as Enzan lost his footing. Even though Saki tried to attack in the moment, Enzan was still able to block him, if only just barely.

 _Patience_ , Saki told himself.

Enzan recovered, and thrust towards Saki, who sidestepped. Enzan swung towards Saki, and Saki deflected the blow deftly. Enzan continued to attack, not allowing Saki to have a moment to recover. They locked swords again, and Enzan knocked Saki's sword upward. Managing to hold onto it somehow, Saki smashed his sword back down, and knocked Enzan's sword away before he could land a hit. Enzan, somehow managing to hold onto his sword as well, seemed startled, but a moment later he had regained his composure.

 _Patience_ , Saki repeated to himself.

Enzan continued to attack aggressively, and Saki continued to block and deflect Enzan's attacks. The more Saki held his ground, the sloppier Enzan's swings became as the anger and frustration seemed to build up. Finally, Enzan went in for a downward slash, and Saki saw his opening. He swung up to counter Enzan's blow, knocking his hands back and away from him, and Saki quickly followed with a thrust directed at Enzan's throat, but stopped short of actually hitting him.

For a moment, no one spoke or moved. Their heavy breathing was the only sound in the quiet dojo. Then, slowly, Enzan let his arms drop to his sides, and stepped back.

“I concede,” he said.

Saki let his own arms drop, and suddenly felt his limbs go weak. The rush of adrenaline wore off, and he felt completely exhausted.

Clapping startled both boys, and they looked up to see Enzan's sensei, an old gentleman with a slight hunch, applauding their efforts.

“A delightful match,” he said, his voice strong and warm. “Truly a well-fought battle.”

Enzan and Saki both bowed respectfully. “Thank you, sensei,” Enzan said.

“Come, sit with me,” the sensei said, waving towards the garden. “Rest.”

The three of them walked to the door, and sat on the wooden walkway that ran the length of the building. Saki looked at the carefully tended garden, and then back to Enzan's sensei, who seemed to be staring at something far off in the distance.

“Do you know why you lost the match?” the sensei asked Enzan.

“Yes,” Enzan said, shame creeping into his voice. “I was angry, and it clouded my judgment.”

The old man made a noise of agreement, and stroked his long beard thoughtfully. “You have always struggled with your anger ever since I met you.”

Enzan didn't reply.

“But despite this, there was always joy in your swings. I could feel how much you loved to learn swordsmanship.”

Enzan hesitated. “It was...the only thing I chose for myself. Until then, my father dictated every facet of my life.” Enzan's hands clenched into fists in his lap. 

“Hmm.” The sensei nodded solemnly. A bird chirped in the distance, and he raised his head to look towards the sky for a minute before continuing to speak.

“The freedom to cut your own path, I see now.”

Saki felt as though he understood Enzan a little better, and glanced at Enzan, who was still staring at his clenched fists.

“And you, young man,” the sensei said, facing Saki. “Why do you want to learn the sword?”

Saki jumped a little. “Oh, uhh...” He cleared his throat. “I suppose it was because I wanted to get stronger. Both physically and mentally. And...to support my partner in battle.”

The sensei nodded. “Admirable ambitions. And so very similar to Enzan-kun as well.” He chuckled. “It surprised me when Enzan-kun requested to have a student, but I can see why now.”

Saki felt his cheeks heat up, and noticed that Enzan was also blushing.

“I've always felt that Enzan-kun's true calling was swordsmanship,” the sensei said with a laugh. “But no matter how much I beg him to dedicate his life to it, he refuses.”

“I have told you before that I have too many responsibilities to simply drop,” Enzan said firmly. “Swordsmanship is merely something I do to retain focus.”

The sensei chuckled again, but did not try to argue, even though his expression said that he did not believe Enzan for a moment.

“Umm...” Saki said, hesitant to break the silence that had fallen after Enzan's statement. Both of the others turned to look at him, and he swallowed nervously.

“I want to express my gratitude to Ijuuin-san for taking the time and effort to train me. I know that his schedule is quite full, but he still dedicates his time to my lessons. I am...deeply touched by his generosity.” He smiled. “And to you as well, sensei, for allowing us to use your dojo. I am grateful for the opportunities you have both given me.” He bowed his head deeply.

“I didn't do it to be kind,” Enzan said. “I did it because I thought that you would need it.”

“Do not take his words so literally, young man,” the sensei said with a coy smile. “Enzan-kun really means that he saw much of himself in you, and wanted to cultivate your talents.”

“Sensei!” Enzan yelped, “Don't put words in my mouth!”

The sensei laughed at this, and Saki couldn't help but smile too.

“Whatever the reason,” Saki said, “I'm grateful.”

Zer0 materialized next to Saki, and Saki was momentarily surprised.

“Master,” Zer0 said, “Allow me to also express my gratitude to you.”

“Oho?” the sensei said, looking at Zer0 curiously. “What's this now?”

“Saki is my partner, and I can sense his determination to grow stronger in battle,” Zer0 said. “Since he has started training, I can feel that he is more confident, and as such, his moves are much more confident. He compliments my own style very well, and that is thanks to your guidance. The skills you have passed to Ijuuin-san have now been passed to Saki, and will continue to lead him down a path of self improvement. For this, I am grateful, as I was regrettably not able to do this myself.” And with this, Zer0 gave a deep bow.

“What a polite little one you are!” the sensei said with delight. “A most curious Navi, to be sure.”

“Zer0 is...special,” Saki said. “But he has a very good heart.”

Zer0 seemed to swell with pride at this compliment.

“A wonderful pair,” the sensei said. “I was right to let Enzan-kun train you. I can tell that you will do great things in the future.”

“He's shown some improvement,” Enzan admitted. “But he has a long way to go.”

“And there is no need to rush,” the sensei said. “All in good time.” He looked at Saki kindly. “You are always welcome to come here, young man. I am eager to see how you improve yourself.”

“I don't want to impose,” Saki said.

“You won't be,” the sensei promised. “And besides, if you come more often, it might encourage Enzan-kun to come as well!”

“Not happening,” Enzan said.

***

“May we speak?” Blues asked Zer0.

Zer0, surprised, said, “Of course.”

Blues nodded. “I heard your words to the Master, and was impressed. You have a deep desire to continue improving, and I have seen the fruits of your labor in our sparring sessions.”

“I am honored by your words,” Zer0 said.

“As I'm certain you are aware, Enzan-sama and myself have different styles of fighting. Enzan-sama favors a much more aggressive style, whereas I tend to lean towards a more defensive style. We compliment each other, as we make up for each other's weaknesses. This is our secret to a strong style.”

“Yes, that is what I strive for,” Zer0 said. “Saki also favors a much more defensive style, but I sense that he wishes to learn a much more aggressive one. As such, I strive to learn both as well.”

“You have a strong grasp of attack,” Blues said. “I would like to help you learn defense.”

“I would be honored to learn from you,” Zer0 said.

“Very good.” Blues nodded. “When next we meet, I shall begin teaching you my defensive style. Come prepared.”

***

“It sounds like I'm making progress with Ijuuin-san,” Saki told Taka over the phone later that night. “Even his sensei spoke highly of me. It was kind of embarrassing.”

“I think it's great!” Taka said. “After all, getting complimented by a Master means you're actually good! I think you're too hard on yourself.”

“Honestly, Ijuuin-san is the one who's too hard on himself,” Saki said. “He's holding in all of his frustration over the incident as well as that last meeting he went to. It's like he's blaming himself.”

“He probably is,” Taka said. “Maybe it's something you wouldn't really understand, but Enzan and I are kind of expected to be perfect all of the time. It really takes a toll on you. Enzan's at a point where if he makes even one little mistake, he feels like he's a complete failure. When you run a huge company with thousands of employees, mistakes can also cost lives. It's a lot of pressure.”

“Yeah, it sure seems that way,” Saki admitted.

“Anyway, about that thing we're looking into. I haven't dug up anything new for a while, which either means that things have stopped, or that the people responsible are getting trickier.” Crunching sounds came from Taka's end of the conversation, and Saki gave the receiver of his PET a look of disgust.

“Don't eat while you're talking,” he scolded.

“But I'm hungry!” Taka insisted. “Whatever. The point is that I'm starting to run out of leads. We might have to start poking around some shady places soon.”

“No way,” Saki said firmly. “This is something we _have_ to leave to the adults.”

“If I'm having trouble finding leads, chances are the police are too,” Taka said. “And if we find something, I bet it would really help their investigation.”

“That's not our job,” Saki said. “I'm not going to let you do something dangerous.”

Taka gave an exasperated sigh. “Okay, fine. I won't do anything dangerous. Promise.”

Saki rubbed the bridge of his nose with his fingers. He was positive that Taka was lying, but he decided to drop it for the time being.

“What about you and Netto?” Taka asked suddenly. “What are you going to do about it?”

“Huh?” Saki asked.

“It sounds like he's already dating someone,” Taka said.

“But he also said that it's not _official_ ,” Saki countered.

“Whatever. He's clearly not available,” Taka said. “Are you going to let it go?”

Saki hesitated. It would be kind of terrible to pursue Netto if he really was dating someone, but Saki also felt like he couldn't just dismiss his own feelings. He needed to find some kind of closure first.

“I'm going to ask him out,” he said confidently.

Taka was silent for a long time. Finally, he made some kind of strangled noise, and then yelled, “WHAT?!”

“I'm going to take him on a date!” Saki repeated. “So I can figure out if he really likes me or not! I can't just let it go if I don't know for sure.”

“That's crazy!” Taka said. “I mean, he'll probably say no anyway.”

“But what if he _doesn't?_ ” Saki argued.

“Then you might get your ass kicked by his significant other!” Taka fired back. “Dating someone behind their partner's back is a huge no-no.”

“I'll take responsibility when the time comes,” Saki said. “But I just have to get this out of my system.”

Taka sighed. “You're so selfish,” he said after a pause.

“Yeah,” Saki agreed.

“I can't back you up on this one,” Taka said.

“I'll be okay,” Saki said.

Taka was silent again. Saki almost thought that Taka had hung up, but a quick check said that the call was still going, so he waited.

“Saki, what are you looking for in a relationship anyway?” Taka asked.

The question caught Saki off-guard, and he thought about it for a moment. “I guess I'd say I was looking for something genuine. A connection maybe? Or maybe reassurance that I am actually someone people could love.”

“Most people would say that they're looking for love,” Taka said. “And honestly, I don't know what any of it means, but somehow I feel like you're not actually in it for love at all. Maybe you're just trying to fill a hole in you that you can't fill yourself.”

Saki bit his lip. “Relationships are supposed to make you both stronger.”

“Friendships can do that too,” Taka said. “Why does it have to be love?”

Saki hung his head. “I...Look, it's not something I want to talk about.”

“Is it something I'll understand when I'm older?” Taka asked sarcastically.

Saki's face heated up. “Yeah, actually.”

“Ahh, I see.” The sound of typing came from Taka's end for a moment. “Look, if you want a hookup with someone, then just go get a hookup. Don't chase other people's boyfriends.”

Saki sputtered. “It's not like that!”

“Sure it's not,” Taka said. “Look, I have to go, someone got back to me. Talk to you soon.”

“Wait—!” Saki said, but was cut off by the sharp click of the call ending. He sighed, and let his hand drop into his lap.

 _Why do I like Netto so much?_ Saki pondered. _We hardly ever talk outside of work, and it's usually about food. I did think he was really cute when I met him, but I always seem to say stuff like, 'he's really nice,' or 'he's so considerate'_. He sighed deeply. _Maybe Taka is right, and those are things I can get out of a friendship. Maybe what I want out of being in love is actually more basic than that. Am I just in love with the idea of being in love?_

Saki flopped backwards onto the floor. “Maybe those kids in middle school were right, maybe I am only looking to satisfy my own desires.” He stared up at the ceiling, and let himself zone out for a while. Finally, he clenched his hand into a fist.

_I have to do this, to prove to myself that I don't actually love Netto at all, and that it's just a meaningless crush. It's kind of rude to lead Netto on, but I don't think I can move on if I don't resolve this._

Saki nodded, satisfied. “Tomorrow,” he told himself. “I'll ask him out tomorrow.”


	13. Gut Punch

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> After gathering the courage to express his feelings to Netto, Saki takes Netto on a date

The next morning came, and Saki could barely eat breakfast. He was so full of nerves that he felt like he would implode if he so much as took a step outside the apartment. He briefly considered not asking Netto out after all.

 _I have to do this_ , he told himself firmly. _Even if it ends in disaster, I have to figure out how I actually feel for Netto, and if he likes me back or not_.

He had considered just sending Netto an email asking him out, but felt like it was something he needed to do face-to-face, so that he'd have a better time judging Netto's reaction that way. Instead, he sent Netto an email asking him what he was doing that day.

 _Going to be at home today_ , said the reply. _Everyone yelled at me to rest more, so I'm trying to be good, but it's really boring_.

Saki took a deep breath. _May I come visit you?_ he typed. He sent the reply and waited.

It felt like an eternity before the reply came back. Rockman stopped and chuckled before handing the mail to Zer0, and Zer0 gave him a questioning look.

“What's so funny?” Saki asked.

“Oh, nothing really,” Rockman said, “Just that Netto-kun practically knocked his water glass over trying to get a reply out fast enough.” He stifled a laugh with his hand. “I think it's pretty obvious how he responded.”

Saki still opened the mail and read it, his smile stretched from ear to ear. 

_Please come rescue me from this boredom! I can't stand another minute of it!_

“He also included directions for how to get to our house,” Rockman added, handing Zer0 the map data he'd been carrying. “I'll be heading back to make sure Netto-kun doesn't hurt himself, but I hope we'll see you later!”

“Tell him I'll be there as soon as I can!” Saki blurted out.

With a nod and a wave, Rockman logged out of Saki's PET, and Saki swallowed a loud squeal of excitement.

 _This is good!_ Saki thought. _He already wants to spend time with me, so convincing him to go on a date won't be too difficult._

“Okay, Zer0, let's go visit Netto!” Saki said, pumping his fist.

Zer0 pumped his fist too, and uttered a tiny “yes!”

The trip from Saki's place to Netto's house in Akihara felt like an eternity to Saki, and his nerves seemed to build and build. He nearly sprinted off of the train at Akihara Station, and bumbled around the area for a bit as he looked for the streets marked on the map. Eventually, things started to feel more familiar, and Saki realized how close Netto actually lived to the area that Maha Ichiban was located.

“It's practically in the same neighborhood as him!” Saki said. “No wonder he's in there all the time.”

At last, Saki found the white two-story house with the orange door and blue roof that Netto called home. He looked at the notes on the map, and looked at the house again, confirming that this was in fact the right house before approaching the front door and ringing the doorbell.

“Coming!” came an upbeat voice from inside, and a moment later, a woman with a kind smile opened the door.

“Oh, hello!” she said. “Are you Saki Tanaka?”

“Uhh, yes?” Saki said, momentarily surprised.

“Wonderful!” the woman said. “I was waiting for you to come by. Why don't you come inside while I go tell Netto that you're here?” And before Saki could reply, she was already pulling him into the entryway.

Saki stumbled slightly, but managed to catch himself before he landed on his face. The woman closed the door after him, and then hurried back into the house. She stood at the bottom of the stairs and called, “Netto! Your friend is here!” before retreating further into the house, presumably into the kitchen, as Saki could hear a few plates clinking together.

The sound of footsteps thundering down the stairs announced Netto before he ever came into view, and he skidded to a stop in front of Saki with a huge grin on his face. Saki quickly realized that Netto was still in his pajamas, and forced his gaze back to Netto's face before he could be seen as rude.

“You made it!” Netto said breathlessly.

“Yeah!” Saki said. “I came right over.”

“That's great!” Netto said. He seemed too full of restless energy, and tried to lift his left arm, momentarily forgetting it was in a cast. He looked sheepish for a moment, and then gestured with his good hand.

“Why don't you come in? Mom's probably gonna feed you, so you might as well just let her.”

“Oh, umm...” Saki fidgeted nervously. “Actually, since you were free, I wanted to ask you if you wanted to go somewhere with me today. Just the two of us.”

Netto seemed to pause for a moment, his eyes blinking a few times.

“Oh...” he said. “That sounds good! Where did you want to go?”

Saki could hardly believe his luck. “I-I was thinking we could go see a movie or something fun...and then maybe get something to eat...”

“Oh!” Netto said. “We could go to the arcade! I always love going to the arcade!”

“Can you even play any of the games with your arm in a cast?” Saki asked.

“Hmm...” Netto looked at his cast pensively. “Probably not! But you can play them for me!” He let out a joyful laugh, and Saki couldn't help but smile too.

“Are you two going somewhere?” Netto's mother asked, poking her head into the hallway.

“I guess so,” Netto said. “Sorry Mom.” He looked at Saki. “I'm going to go get dressed properly, so why don't you go meet my Mom?”

“Sure,” Saki said.

“Great!” Netto said, dashing back to the stairs. “I'll be back in a minute!”

Saki pulled his shoes off, and walked down the hall to the entryway that lead to the living room and the kitchen. Netto's mother waved him over to the small island in the kitchen, and Saki had barely sat down on one of the stools before she practically shoved a plate with a piece of cake into his hands.

“Thank you,” Saki said.

“Oh, I almost forgot to introduce myself!” Netto's mother said, putting a hand to her cheek. “I'm Haruka Hikari, Netto's mother.”

“It's nice to meet you,” Saki said. Zer0 materialized on Saki's shoulder. “I'm Saki Tanaka, and this is my Navi, Zer0.”

“How do you do?” Zer0 asked, bowing politely.

“What a sweet thing!” Haruka said happily. “Just as polite as Rockman is!”

Saki took a bite of his cake to be polite, but was surprised at how soft and moist it was. It was clear that Haruka knew how to bake very well. He took an eager second bite.

Haruka leaned against the kitchen island, and propped her chin up on her hands, staring at Saki with rapt attention. “So, how did you meet my son?”

“Oh, umm,” Saki cleared his mouth before speaking again. “We met through the Ministry of Science, actually.”

“Oh, so you must have met my husband then!” Haruka said happily. “Yuuichirou's a good man, and a great scientist, just like his father!” She smiled, but a touch of loneliness crept into her expression. “He's always so busy, and Netto is too. I hardly get to see either of them.”

Saki felt a tiny stab of guilt. “Oh, I'm sure they're always thinking of you though!”

“I'm sure they are too,” Haruka said. “Don't worry, I'm used to being alone!” She waved her hand and laughed. “Although I get to see more of Netto these days, what with his arm in a cast.”

Saki looked away, feeling even more guilty.

“I was so upset when the hospital called me and told me he'd broken his arm! I was so worried about him! But I wasn't even allowed to see him until the next day, so by then I wasn't even angry anymore.” She sighed. “I've always known that Netto and Yuuichirou have very dangerous jobs, so all I can do is support them.”

Saki wanted to offer up some kind of encouragement, but nothing came to him. All he could do was smile weakly.

Thankfully, Netto entered the room at that moment. Saki smiled, and briefly wondered to himself how much trouble Netto had putting on not just a shirt but a jacket as well.

“Are you ready, or should I let you finish eating?” Netto asked.

“Oh, um, maybe just a little bit longer,” Saki said, anxiously trying to figure out how fast he could eat the rest of the cake slice without choking.

“He's such a nice boy,” Haruka said to Netto. “I wish you'd bring more of your friends over!”

“I keep trying, Mom, but most of them are busy!” Netto insisted. 

“Enzan hasn't been by recently either,” Haruka said with a pout. “I miss him complimenting my cake!”

“Enzan's the busiest one of all,” Netto said with a quiet chuckle.

“The cake's delicious,” Saki said as he cleared his mouth of the last of his food. “I'm sorry I didn't have more time to enjoy it.”

“You can always come by some other time,” Haruka said warmly. “Dinner perhaps. Or whenever you like. I can always put tea on.”

Saki laughed. “You sound a lot like my mom. She's always trying to get people to have tea when they stop by.”

“Maybe she could come too!” Haruka said eagerly. “I'd love to have more people to trade recipes with!”

“Saki's mom makes a mean curry!” Netto said. “She might give you a run for your money, Mom!”

Haruka laughed. “Not a chance.”

Saki stood up, and gave Haruka a small bow. Netto waved as he pulled Saki towards the front door. “We're off, Mom, see you later!”

“Have fun!” Haruka said, waving back.

Netto shoved his feet into his shoes, and nearly ran out the door. Saki hurriedly pulled his own shoes on, and chased after Netto.

“What's the rush?” he asked.

Netto looked back with a grin. “Mom'll talk your ear off if you let her. She's sweet, but I'm too excited to go out and do something with you!”

Saki's heart skipped a beat, and his face heated up. Netto was super excited to spend time with him?! That was a good sign, right?!

“Did we ever decide what we were going to do?” Saki asked, matching his pace to Netto's.

“You said a movie,” Netto said. “And food...I think I mentioned the arcade...how about we do that then? In that order?”

“Sure,” Saki said. “Is there a good movie theater around here?”

“Yeah, there's one in Akihara proper! I'll show you where it is!” Netto grabbed Saki by the hand, and picked up his pace. Saki felt like his whole face had caught on fire, and he felt himself grinning even as he stumbled after Netto.

 _It's almost too good to be true!_ he thought.

All the way to the movie theater, Saki barely registered anything that was happening. Netto was chatting about something related to what movies were showing, and Saki knew he should be paying attention, but he was having a very difficult time doing so. Every time Netto smiled in his direction, he felt another rush of heat to his face.

“You know what I mean?” Netto asked, and Saki nodded frantically, unsure of what the question was related to, but hoping he was answering correctly.

 _Ahh, it's impossible! I just can't focus!_ Saki thought. He felt himself grinning. _I really should be focusing on this conversation, but I can't seem to do it! I don't think I've ever had this much trouble before!_

Finally, they arrived at the movie theater, and Saki finally forced himself to focus. He quickly glanced over the movie choices, and tried to think of something they could both watch.

“'Like A Dragon' sounds like an action movie,” Saki mused. “And I think 'The Legal Pad' is probably some kind of romance movie...”

“Yawn,” Netto said. “Romance movies are so dull. Not enough action for me.”

“The only other one is 'Sparkling Magical Maidens: United', which I'm pretty sure is one of those movies where all the Magical Maidens from previous series team up to stop some generic threat.” He sighed. “I'll keep that one in mind for Michi.”

“I guess the only one worth seeing right now is 'Like a Dragon',” Netto said happily. “I was interested in that one anyway!”

“I suppose it couldn't hurt to watch it,” Saki said.

“People are saying it's amazing,” Netto said as they hopped into line to buy their tickets. “A really moving tale about a man who has to rise up against a criminal organization after being used and cast aside by them.”

“A revenge flick?” Saki asked.

“It's supposed to be a great mix of action and comedy,” Netto replied. “The soundtrack is really great too!”

Saki smiled. If Netto was excited to see it, then he would try to be excited too.

As they were standing at the ticket window, Saki felt almost as if someone was watching him. He turned his head to quickly glance behind him, but he didn't see anyone. He tried to shrug he feeling off, but he felt it again at the concession stand, and once more once they were in their seats. He looked around him again, uneasy. Who was watching him? Was it just his imagination?

Netto tugged on Saki's sleeve, and when Saki turned to look at him, Netto stole some of Saki's popcorn.

“Hey!” Saki said, frowning.

“It tastes better when you steal it!” Netto said gleefully as he munched on his stolen handful of popcorn.

“Fine then!” Saki said, and stole a handful of Netto's popcorn. Netto let out an indignant whine.

“You're not supposed to do it to _me!_ ”

“That's what you get!” Saki said gleefully.

Netto pouted playfully. “Fine, I guess I'll let you get away with it _this_ time.”

The two laughed, and then the lights in the theater dimmed.

“Ooh! It's starting!” Netto whispered excitedly.

Saki turned his focus to the screen. The young hero of the story recounted how he had gone from being a loyal underling willing to go to jail for one of his superiors to being cast away after he had been let out of prison. He slowly came to understand that no one had any intention of leaving him alive, and so he found himself on the run, gathering the strength and support he would need to get his revenge on those who had wronged him.

Saki felt himself subconsciously reaching for Netto's hand during the scene where the hero ends up on the street in the rain, and suddenly Saki was once again aware of someone—or something—watching him. He quickly glanced around, and suddenly spotted Rockman glaring at him from Netto's shoulder. Saki stared back in confusion, and Rockman continued to glare at Saki with murderous intent until Saki withdrew his hand from Netto's.

 _What is up with Rockman today...?_ Saki wondered.

As if to stop Saki from touching Netto's hand again, Rockman jumped down and sat on the arm rest that Netto's hand was on. He crossed his arms, and glared up at Saki again.

 _Sheesh, I get it!_ Saki thought, frowning. He tried to focus on the movie again.

By the time the hero of the story confronted the main boss of the criminal organization, and had taken his revenge, Netto was quietly crying. Saki looked at him with concern.

“It's so moving...” Netto whispered to Saki. “He was motivated by honor and friendship to make things right, even if it meant that he would have to be branded a criminal.” He sniffled. “I really respect a guy like that!”

“Ah, I see...” Saki whispered back. He tried to give Netto's hand a reassuring pat, but he suddenly remembered Rockman blocking him, and thought better of it. Rockman gave Saki a glare, and patted Netto's hand instead.

As the lights in the theater went up, Netto stretched his good arm over his head and sighed.

“That was really good! I'm glad I got to see it!”

Saki nodded, and stretched his own arms. “Me too. I wasn't expecting to like it as much as I did, but the storytelling was just so good.”

“Ahh, all that crying made me hungry!” Netto said cheerfully as he got up out of his seat. “Let's go get food!”

“Sure,” Saki said, gathering up their trash and walking it to the trash bin. “Where do you want to—” He stopped himself. “Rather, do you know any good places that _aren't_ Maha?”

Netto laughed. “So close! Oh well, there's a really good family style restaurant nearby. I hear they have really good soda floats!”

“At least it's not curry!” Saki teased.

“They have curry on their menu!” Netto said.

“Eat something else for once!” Saki said, gently shoving Netto.

They left the theater, and Saki turned to Netto with a serious expression.

“Is Rockman okay?” he asked.

Netto looked at Rockman curiously, who simply looked at Netto and smiled.

“Whatever do you mean, Saki-kun?” he asked innocently.

Saki frowned. “Well, it's just that you were glaring at me in the theater—”

“Was I?” Rockman said, tilting his head. “It was rather dark, maybe you made a mistake...?”

“That must be it!” Netto said. “See, it's nothing to be worried about.”

Saki pursed his lips. Rockman was playing innocent, but Saki knew what he had seen.

“Let's get some food,” Netto said, tugging on Saki's hand. “Then we can go to the arcade!”

“Right, food,” Saki said, and gave Netto's hand a small squeeze. He tried to put Rockman's strange behavior out of his mind.

***

After ordering something off the menu, Saki watched Netto order a drink called a 'Hawaiian Dancer', and then proceed to polish it off in less than a minute.

“How do you do stuff like that?” Saki asked, feeling a mixture of awe and disgust.

“Easy!” Netto said. “I bet you could do it too, if you tried!”

“No thanks,” Saki said weakly. “I'm content to watch you do it instead.”

“If you insist,” Netto said, flagging down the waitress to order another drink.

Saki sighed. “Hey, Netto. What do you usually do when you're not at work?”

“What do I do when I'm not working? Hmm, let me see...” Netto put a hand to his chin thoughtfully. “Sometimes I play video games at home, and sometimes I go to the arcade instead. Oh, and if I get lunch in town somewhere, I'll go for a run afterwards, to work it off, you know?” He grinned. “What about you, Saki? What do you do for fun?”

“Read, mostly,” Saki admitted. “If I find a new recipe I want to try, sometimes I'll try making that. Or I do chores, or take my sister to the park.”

Netto frowned. “Don't you have any hobbies other than reading?”

Saki blushed. “What, like video games? I'm not too big on them myself.”

“But you're a natural at Net Battling!” Netto said. “I thought you must practice with video games or something!”

Saki waved his hand. “No, no, nothing like that. I probably just have good reflexes.”

Netto thought hard. “What about board games?”

“One of my neighbors plays Go,” Saki said, shrugging helplessly. “Sometimes they call me over to play with them, but I'm not very good at it.”

“Wow, I guess you really _are_ just a natural at Net Battling!” Netto said, leaning back in his seat with a grin.

“I still think that Zer0 is doing most of the work,” Saki insisted. “I want to get better, of course, but I'm finding it difficult to think of ways to do that.”

“Play more games!” Netto said firmly. “They promote brain development! Trust me, I'm an expert on the subject!”

Saki sighed deeply. He didn't really understand how playing games would make him better at battle, but he didn't think there was any point in arguing with Netto about it. Instead, he decided to switch the topic to something else.

“I was wondering about your, uhh, portable...generator...” Saki scratched his head.

“Portable Dimensional Generator, or PDG for short,” Netto said.

“Right, that. What made you want to make it?”

“Good question.” Netto sat back and crossed his arms casually. “I think someone mentioned to you that we might need to use the Dimensional Generator in the field. We used to use it all the time, actually, seven years ago. There were times when we couldn't set up a field for one reason or another. It was super inconvenient, and I kept thinking to myself, 'what if there was a way to make it portable, or easier to take into places the big version couldn't reach?' You see, the whole thing works because of the Dimensional Core my Dad came up with. At the time, he was rushing to figure out how to contain and utilize it, and then some stuff happened and the Dimensional Generator was born. But because it was mostly a prototype, it was really big and bulky. In the beginning, it could only be used from the lab, and then Dad got the idea to hook it up to a satellite, and it got easier to drop a field down wherever we needed it. But it never got past those initial stages because the funding got cut.”

“I didn't know you had it on a satellite,” Saki said. 

“It never really came up in conversation, did it?” Netto said. “Huh. Well, anyway, I couldn't stop thinking about it, even after the program was suspended. I found myself throwing around ideas and drafting concepts, and by the time the program was up and running again, I was already putting together my first prototype.”

“What if the program never got off the ground again?” Saki asked.

Netto shrugged. “I probably would have just worked on it anyway, and kept it tucked away until it was needed. In my heart, I know that there'll be a day when Cross Fusion will be needed again, and I'll be ready for it.”

“You mean like if there's another incident like the Super Cybeast?” Saki asked.

Netto pursed his lips. “Yeah, something like that.”

“It's not like we'd be able to use Cross Fusion outside the lab anymore,” Saki said dejectedly.

“Yeah.” Netto's face fell. “I kind of screwed things up big time.”

“But I was the one who—”

Netto held up his hand. “Regardless of what happened, I was the one who decided to have an unsafe test in the first place. I take responsibility for what happened.”

Saki simply nodded.

“But let's not dwell on that. I'll figure out some way around it, trust me.” Netto's eyes sparkled. “It'd really suck if Laika or Enzan wasn't able to carry Synchro Chips on them when they're in the field, after all.”

“What do you mean by 'in the field' anyway?” Saki asked.

“Good question!” Netto said, clapping his hands. “'In the field' can mean a lot of things, but for us it mostly just means when we're working as Net Saviors.”

“A what now?” Saki asked.

Netto laughed. “It just means that we're licensed by Net Police to plug into any network and participate in Net Battles in order to stop criminal activity.”

Saki blinked. “Wait, you all work for the _police?_ ”

“Sure do!” Netto said. “And you two are going to have to take the test at some point really soon as well. Can't have you guys in the field otherwise.”

Saki slumped back in his seat, feeling dazed. “No one said we worked for the police.”

Netto sighed. “I could have sworn someone would have told you about that by now.”

Right about then, their food arrived, and Saki let the topic of working for the Net Police drop. He really wasn't sure what that would entail, but he was on a date right now, and that kind of thing could wait.

***

“You haven't let me pay for you at all today,” Saki griped. “I was the one who invited you!”

“It's not a big deal,” Netto said. “I can pay for myself just fine.”

Saki huffed angrily. 

“Fine, if you're _that_ broken up about it, you can pay for the tokens at the arcade, how does that sound?”

Saki tried to force a smile. “If that's okay with you.” He looked at Netto's cast. “But are you sure you want to do this? Most of the games require two hands...”

“Like I said earlier, you can play for me!” Netto said. 

“Is that going to be fun?” Saki asked. “I'm not very good, after all.”

“Don't worry about it!” Netto said. “After a few lessons from me, you'll be a natural in no time!”

Saki looked at the entrance to the arcade nervously. He'd never been in one before, mostly because he'd never had the pocket change to do so, but also because he'd been told repeatedly by adults growing up that 'arcades were terrible places where delinquents hung out' and that if he was caught in one, he'd be punished.

 _Thinking back, my childhood was pretty boring_ , Saki thought dejectedly.

Netto grabbed Saki's hand, and dragged him into the arcade. Immediately, Saki's senses were assaulted by noise and flashes of light. He flinched. 

“Is it always this loud?!” he yelled at Netto.

“Sure is!” Netto yelled back over his shoulder.

 _Thanks, I hate it_ , Saki thought.

Netto stopped in front of the token machine, and Saki read the instructions.

“So I tap my PET here?” Saki asked.

“Yeah, it'll charge your funds automatically,” Netto replied. “They put that in a while back. Before then, you had to have the guy who works at the front desk to change your paper money for quarters.”

Saki made his selection, and tapped his PET to the sensor. Immediately, a rain of silver tokens filled the tray at the bottom of the machine. Saki scooped them all into his hand, and then shoved them into his pocket.

“Too bad you can't just scan your PET at the machines,” Saki grumbled.

“That'd take away part of the experience!” Netto said. “You can't put your token on a machine to reserve your spot in line if they did that! Or feel the rush of excitement as you drop your token into the slot!”

Saki shrugged. “Okay, so, where do you want to start?”

Netto pointed at a cabinet close to them that was empty. “That one!” he said. He skipped over to the machine, and Saki followed along reluctantly.

 _I at least have to make an effort_ , he told himself. _He humored me, and saw a movie, so I have to play some games with him. It's only fair_.

Saki looked at the bright decal on the side of the cabinet that read “PAVEMENT POUNDER II” and frowned. Didn't Taka love this series?

“Man, I _love_ Pavement Pounder!” Netto said excitedly. “Have you ever played it before, Saki?”

“Not really,” he said. “Taka forced me to play a bit over at his house, but I think it was a later title than this one.”

“Oh good, so you know what you're doing at least!” Netto said. “Hurry up and get over here!”

Reluctantly, Saki stepped over and sat down in front of the screen. Netto shuffled so that he was behind Saki, and leaned over so he could see better. Saki felt his face heat up.

 _He's so close!_ Saki thought.

He glanced back to look at Netto, and suddenly spotted Rockman on Netto's shoulder, glaring. Saki quickly faced the screen again, almost fearfully.

“Coin slot's down here,” Netto explained. “Then you use this stick to move your cursor and choose a character with this button.”

Saki dropped a token into the coin slot, and the metallic jangle and clank let him know that the machine had accepted it. The screen changed from the high score listing to a character select screen. Saki looked over his choices.

“There are so many,” he whined. “Who do I pick?”

“Whichever one you want!” Netto said.

Saki glanced over the roster, and eventually decided on a sumo wrestler with kabuki makeup.

“Ooh, he's a good one!” Netto said.

“I'll take your word for it,” Saki said.

“Why did you pick him?” Netto asked.

Saki shrugged. “He looked interesting.”

Netto grinned. Saki almost felt like he'd made a bad choice.

The fight started, and Saki found his character facing off against a man in a white gi and red gloves.

“Why is a sumo wrestler fighting someone who uses karate?” Saki muttered.

“Don't get stuck on the details,” Netto said, waving his hand. “Just focus on the fight!”

Saki tapped a few of the buttons to figure out what they did, and then tried to string together something resembling a combo. The karate fighter had a long distance attack, which made it hard for Saki to get in close, but he did his best anyway. After a bit of trial and error, he learned what button presses executed a spam of palm thrusts, and used it almost exclusively to overpower the karate fighter.

“Nice!” Netto said.

“Tsk, an amateur,” came a grumble from the back of the arcade machine. Saki leaned to the side, and realized that there was someone sitting at the cabinet on the other side. He leaned back, and looked at Netto.

“Am I playing that guy?” he asked, panicking.

“Yeup!” Netto said. “All of these machines are versus only!”

“What did he mean anyway?” Saki asked.

“Spamming one attack over and over again is sometimes seen as a cheap tactic used by new players,” Netto explained. “But don't let it bother you, just play however is the most comfortable for you. The goal is to have fun, after all.”

The second round started, and Saki tried to concentrate a little harder. He tested a few more button combos, and tried to vary up his attacks. He didn't manage to win the round, but he felt like he had a better handle on how the character worked.

“That was pretty good!” Netto said. “You're learning!”

Saki felt a swell of pride at Netto's praise. It made him want to try even harder.

The third round started, and Saki did his best to bait the other player to get in close before unleashing a few hard hits and a throw. He could hear Netto softly cheering under his breath with every move, and before he knew it, Saki had won the round. He heard the other player slap his cabinet angrily. Netto made a noise in his throat.

“Hey Saki,” Netto said quietly, pressing against Saki and reaching around him. “Help me teach this guy a lesson, okay?”

Saki's heart raced. Having Netto touching his arm and back was almost too much for him, but he nodded anyway.

“Great!” Netto said, and pointed at the stick. “You move the character, and I'll hit buttons, okay?”

“S-sure,” Saki squeaked out.

Netto gave Saki a thumbs up, and then pointed at a character on the menu. “Pick that one, okay?”

Saki looked at the character in question. It was a burly mountain of a man. Saki looked at Netto, who nodded, and Saki moved his cursor over to him. Netto hit the select button, and smirked.

The other player stayed with the karate fighter, and the match started.

“Move him a little closer,” Netto whispered into Saki's ear. Saki shivered involuntarily, but did as Netto asked, moving his character towards the other player.

In a flurry of button presses, Netto deftly grabbed the other character, and threw him. As the other character bounced off the ground, Netto urged Saki to move forward, and Netto quickly executed a whirling attack which slammed into the other character, doing a large chunk of damage. With a few more expertly executed combos, Netto won the match easily.

“A little harder to fight with only one hand than I'd like,” Netto admitted, “But you're a big help.”

Saki's face heated up, and he fixed his eyes on the screen. He could hear the other player angrily muttering under his breath on the other side of the cabinet.

“He's pretty angry,” Saki said.

“A sore loser,” Netto said. “But I can't forgive anyone who would dare strike a cabinet.”

A chill shot up Saki's spine at Netto's icy words. He glanced at Netto, and the older boy licked his lips. It was clear that Netto had barely started embarrassing the other player.

Round after round, match after match, Netto continued to absolutely dominate. Every loss only served to make the other player angrier and angrier, and eventually, they slammed their hand into the cabinet again. Netto straightened up, his eyes filled with rage, and walked around to the other side. Saki leaned over to watch.

“Hey,” Netto said, “I get that you're frustrated, but can you not take it out on the poor cabinet? It's sensitive, you know.”

“Huh?” said the other player, an adult man, who stood up and got right up in Netto's face. Netto stood his ground, his eyes fixed intently on the other man's face.

“What does it matter if I hit the damn thing? It's just a machine. It ain't got feelings.”

“All machines have feelings,” Netto said coldly. “Maybe it didn't like how you were treating it, so it stopped responding how you wanted it to.”

“What a bunch of crap!” spat the other man. “Who the hell do you think you are, anyway?”

“I'm a regular here,” Netto said, “And I don't appreciate the way you're treating these machines. If you break one, it prevents others from enjoying it. So I'd rather you didn't do that.”

The other man seemed slightly unnerved by Netto's unflinching attitude, and glanced down at his cast. He gave a snort of indignation.

“Beaten by a cripple...” He shook his head. “Whatever, I'm done anyway.” And with that, the man stormed out of the arcade.

Saki let out his breath, unaware that he had even been holding it in the first place. Netto grinned at him reassuringly.

“He's gone, no need to be worried.” He gave the arcade cabinet a soft pat. “Peace has been restored.”

“Good riddance, he was really rude,” Saki growled.

“Aww, he can say what he wants, it doesn't bother me,” Netto said. He jerked his head. “Wanna go try another game?”

Saki got up, and walked over to Netto. “Sure,” he said. “Which one?”

“You pick,” Netto said. “I picked the last one.”

“But I'm not familiar with any of them,” Saki said.

“No better time to learn,” Netto insisted. “Don't be shy!”

Netto dragged Saki around the arcade, looking at different cabinets and trying to get Saki to pick one. He eventually picked one that was a side-scrolling beat-em up, and Netto jumped on as second player, doing his best to play with his one good hand.

“Hey, Netto?” Saki said after a few minutes of playing. “That was pretty cool what you did back there.”

Netto shrugged. “Anyone would have done it.” He winked at Saki. “Besides, I gotta look cool for my kohai!”

Saki lightly punched his shoulder.

“I just think that I could get used to you being cool and collected more often.”

“That's Enzan's department,” Netto said. “If I was that serious all the time, I'd lose my mind.” He tapped a few buttons. “I really feel like humans are just supposed to live freely and have fun.”

“But we all have to grow up and take on responsibility,” Saki said.

“Only because it's demanded of us,” Netto replied. “Just because we get older and have to grow up doesn't mean we have to stop having fun. It's essential! We can't live if we don't have fun.” Netto sighed. “I see it a lot, you know? Adults with this dead look in their eyes, like all the meaning in life has drained from them. They're so stifled by responsibility that they forgot what joy is, and now they just walk around like zombies.”

“That's true,” Saki said. 

The two became quiet for a bit.

“What kind of adult do you want to be, Saki?” Netto asked.

Saki thought about it for a moment. “I want to be able to support myself and my family, and to be able to pursue my goals,” he said finally.

“And what are those goals?” Netto asked.

“To...cook professionally,” Saki said, embarrassed. 

“Like a chef?” Netto asked.

“Yeah, like a chef,” Saki answered.

“Hmm...” Netto tapped a few buttons. “You'll probably need to go to school to do that.”

“I know,” Saki said quietly.

“I won't ask why you're so resistant to the idea,” Netto said, “But we all want to help you and support your dreams too.” He paused. “Grants are a thing.”

“Aren't they hard to get? And you have to maintain your grades and stuff, right?”

“I think so? I have no idea.” Netto chuckled. “But the point is, there are resources out there to help you.”

“Yeah,” Saki said. “I'll think about it.”

“Cool,” Netto said.

They finished the game, and played a few different ones after that. They tried a game that was inside a cabinet shaped like a car. They ended up sitting shoulder-to-shoulder, and Saki noticed Rockman squeezing in between them with the angriest glare he'd given Saki so far that day. After that, Saki tried to avoid games that required him and Netto to be too close. Netto convinced Saki to play a round of Whack-a-Met with him, which turned out to be a great stress reliever. Then, Saki found one that had a motion controller shaped like a sword that you used to fight through hordes of zombies. Even though Saki thought the premise was terrible, the game itself was really fun, and managed to get a decent score on it. Netto tried after him, and Saki laughed at him the whole time.

Eventually, however, the tokens ran out, and Netto said that they should probably leave before Saki ended up too broke to get home. They left the arcade, and started walking towards Netto's house.

“Wanna grab something else to eat?” Netto asked. “I'm starving.”

“I'm okay,” Saki said, “But if you wanted a snack, that would be fine.”

“Awesome!” Netto said. “Let's get crepes!”

“Are you sure you want a crepe?” Saki asked in disbelief. 

“Of course I'm sure!” Netto insisted. “Nothing like sweets to refresh you after a bunch of physical activity!”

“You sound like a high school girl!” Saki laughed.

Despite his protests, Saki still bought Netto a crepe. Once Netto had received his order, Saki suggested that they should eat it in the park, which Netto readily agreed to. They sat down on one of the benches, and Saki patiently waited for Netto to finish eating.

Netto, as if sensing that Saki had something to say, gave him a curious look.

“What's up?” he asked.

Saki hesitated. “Oh, umm, I had...something I wanted to tell you, but I can wait!”

“I can eat and listen at the same time,” Netto said.

Saki bit his lip. It was hardly a romantic mood, but he wanted to get his confession out before the date ended. He took a deep breath.

“Netto, from the day I met you, I was...kind of mesmerized by you. You have this crazy charisma about you, and it's really fun seeing what you'll do at any given time.” He felt himself blush, and tugged on his bangs. “I kind of realized that I tended to gravitate towards you when you're in a room, or when you speak. It really started to mess with me.” Saki looked at Netto, who had stopped eating and was watching him speak intently.

 _It's now or never_ , he told himself.

Saki took another deep breath. “Netto, I...I'm...” He clenched his fists. “I'm in love with you.”

A heavy silence fell after Saki spoke.

With a sigh, Netto smiled weakly at Saki. “I know,” he said. “But, I can't reciprocate those feelings. Sorry.”

Saki felt his heart sink. _I knew this would happen, and yet...and yet I had a tiny bit of hope that it might not..._

Saki looked at his feet. “I...just wanted to tell you, that's all.”

“Do you feel better, now that you've said it?” Netto asked.

Saki nodded.

Netto patted Saki's back. “I'm glad you finally got it off your chest.” 

They both became quiet again, and Netto took another bite of his crepe. Saki clenched and unclenched his fists a few times.

“Why did you agree to go on a date with me?” he asked.

“Is this a date?” Netto asked, which stabbed Saki like a knife. “Huh, I suppose it is.” Netto seemed to contemplate it. “Honestly, this is stuff I do with Enzan and the others all the time.” He sighed deeply. “In a way, I guess I was playing with you, which is really awful, and I apologize. I picked up on you liking me pretty early on, and I played along with it because you were fun to be around.”

“You're right, that _was_ really awful,” Saki said bitterly.

“Leading you on wasn't cool at all. Neither was keeping my relationship quiet, but I promise I had my reasons.” Netto pursed his lips. “We made an agreement to keep it on the down-low, since it could affect both of our lives.”

“Like, how?” Saki asked.

“Like, we'd never have privacy again,” Netto said. “For starters.”

“Oh,” Saki said. After a beat, he asked, “Are you dating a celebrity?”

“Kind of,” Netto answered.

Saki went silent, and watched Netto eat. After a bit, Netto licked some whipped cream off his fingers, and gave Saki a concerned look.

“Are you going to be okay?”

Saki tried to smile, but it felt too forced, and he stopped. “Yeah. No. Probably not. But I'll be okay eventually.”

“It's tough, getting rejected,” Netto said.

“Hurts just as bad as the first time,” Saki muttered.

Netto seemed surprised, but didn't ask questions. Instead, he finished off his crepe, and stood up.

“Come on, let's head back.” He held out his hand to Saki. “Stay for dinner. I can't send you home right after turning you down.”

Saki looked at him, confused. 

“You're my co-worker, and, more importantly, my friend,” Netto said. “I want you to feel supported during a time of emotional vulnerability.”

Slowly, Saki reached out and took Netto's hand, and Netto lifted him off the bench. The two walked towards the street, and Netto patted Saki's shoulder.

“Just so we're clear, we're just friends,” Saki said.

“Absolutely,” Netto said.

***

Haruka ambushed the boys when they entered the house, and Netto quickly informed her that Saki was staying for dinner before dragging Saki up the stairs to his room. Saki barely even had time to register that it was Netto's room before he was pushed inside, and Netto closed the door after them. Saki froze, and stood in the middle of the room in a sort of daze.

“Okay, you're in a safe space,” Netto said, “Mom can't bombard you up here. You're in the clear to cry if you need to.”

Staring at the rug on the floor, Saki quietly said, “Strangely, I don't feel much like crying. I'm still...kind of numb.” He took a breath, and a poem fell from his lips.

“Nobody knows I'm a storm,  
I'm dawn on the mountain,  
Twilight on the town.”

Netto plopped down on the chair at his desk. “What does it mean?”

Saki slowly lifted his head. “I take it to mean that the writer is calm on the surface, but experiencing a storm of emotions in their heart. Or that they feel fine at the moment, but that those emotions will overtake them at any time.” He sighed. “I'm really numb right now, but chances are I'll cry later tonight.”

“Oh,” Netto said. “Well, that's not good.”

“I have a hard time crying in front of people,” Saki admitted as he sank to the floor to sit.

“I cry in front of people all the time,” Netto said. “I won't judge you.”

“Thanks,” Saki said, “I guess.”

With a sigh and a groan, Netto flopped onto his desk. “Argh, I want to do something, but all I have to offer are video games.”

“I don't mind watching you play,” Saki said.

Netto blinked. “Are you sure?” he asked.

Saki nodded. “It'll give me something to focus on.”

“Well, okay then,” Netto said, getting out of his chair to drag out his game console and plug it into a small television near his clothes closet. He settled onto the floor near Saki.

“I can't play anything super crazy since I only have one free hand,” Netto explained, “But I have Brave Barrister, and I can play that with one hand, so we're good.”

“Brave...Barrister?” Saki asked, puzzled.

“It's about a lawyer!” Netto explained. “But it's way more fun than it sounds, I promise!”

Saki watched Netto play Brave Barrister for a bit, and snorted at the ridiculous situations the lawyer in the game was thrust into. True to Netto's word, it was certainly more engaging than it had sounded, but after a bit Saki whispered something into his PET, and Zer0 took off to speak to Rockman.

“Did you need something?” Rockman asked Zer0 as he entered Netto's homepage.

“Yes,” Zer0 said. “Saki wishes to ask you why you were so hostile during the...outing.”

Rockman stiffened. “Oh, that. Hmm, I suppose I do owe him an explanation. But I'd rather that conversation was just between us.”

Zer0 tilted his head. “Why would it require secrecy?”

“Oh, I'd just rather not upset Netto-kun with my reason,” Rockman said. “Surely you can understand that.”

“Of course,” Zer0 said. “Shall I wait here then?”

“Please do,” Rockman said, “This will only take a moment.”

With a friendly smile, Rockman logged into the Network, and made his way to Saki's PET.

“May we speak in the hall for a moment, Saki-kun?” Rockman asked.

“Sure,” Saki said, and got up to leave Netto's room for a moment. Netto didn't even seem to notice. As Saki closed the door behind him, he asked, “What is it?”

“I just wanted to explain my actions earlier,” Rockman said. “It seems I caused you some discomfort.”

“Yeah, I was kind of confused,” Saki said.

“Well, the thing is, Netto-kun is a little dense sometimes, and he often says and does things without considering the consequences of his actions,” Rockman explained. “And while I take the time to chide him, it often doesn't do much, so lately I've taken to making sure things don't get out of hand.”

“Uh huh,” Saki said slowly.

“Such as the way you were getting awfully close to Netto-kun earlier,” Rockman continued, his voice starting to take on a slightly more aggressive tone. “If your hand were to brush his accidentally, or your cheeks were to touch, what would that say about Netto-kun's moral character? Why, it might make him seem like he's quite the accidental flirt! And what about you, hmm? What would it say about you, flirting with someone in a _committed relationship?_ ”

Saki felt something akin to dread creep up his spine. The look in Rockman's eyes was a little...frightening.

“Uhh, I...I see how that might come off that way,” Saki said. “I never intended to do anything to Netto, honest.”

“Good!” Rockman said, his words dripping with venom. “See to it that you keep your _filthy_ hands off of Netto-kun in the future, won't you?”

“I-I will!” Saki yelped.

“Okay, that's all I wanted to say!” Rockman said, his entire voice and demeanor returning to his usual sunny self. “I'm glad I was able to clear that up for you!”

“M-me too,” Saki said, still shaken up “Good talk.” He quickly re-entered the bedroom, and hastily sat down on the floor again near Netto, making sure to keep some distance between them.

“Everything okay?” Netto asked.

“Yeah, everything's fine,” Saki said. Then, after a moment, he added, “Hey, Netto? Do you ever...get concerned over how _overprotective_ Rockman can get?”

Netto burst out laughing. “Nah, it's kind of cute, actually!”

Saki looked at Netto with horror. “You think it's _cute?_ ”

“Sure!” Netto replied. “Like, when he yells at me to eat slower or I'll choke, or when he tells me to tell Mom when I'm going somewhere, or when he insists on me taking a jacket just in case it gets cold.”

“That's not the kind of overprotective I was referring to,” Saki said darkly.

“Look, if Rockman got a little naggy, don't take it too personally,” Netto said with a grin. “That's just how he is!”

With sigh, Saki dropped the topic. Either Netto was oblivious to Rockman's more zealous behavior, or he simply didn't care, and there was no point in potentially giving Rockman more things to threaten him with if Netto wasn't going to listen.

“Ooh!” Netto excitedly shook Saki's shoulder. “It's time to shove this evidence in the Prosecutor's face! Watch this!”

***

After dinner, Saki politely excused himself and went home. He smiled as Netto walked him all the way to the station, but by the time Saki was in his seat on the train, he was already miserable. The full weight of everything that had happened that day settled in, and he buried his face in his hands.

 _I'm glad it's over, but boy was that an awful experience_ , he thought. _I should have known that Netto knew how I felt already, or that he was only humoring me. Honestly, I brought all of this onto myself_.

Saki stared at his reflection in the window of the train. _Love is stupid. I hate feeling it. I wish I never fall in love ever again_.

***

As soon as Saki got home, he immediately retreated to his futon in the bedroom closet, and curled up in it while he called Taka, who had insisted on being updated on the situation.

“How did it go?” Taka asked as soon as he picked up.

“Horribly,” Saki said. “He never considered it a date at all, and what's worse is he already knew how I felt, and admitted he's been stringing me along and apologized.”

“Ouch,” Taka said.

“At least I told him how I feel, and we're still friends,” Saki said, sighing into his pillow. “I don't think I could handle not being friends, especially since we work together.”

“It sounds like you found some resolution in all of this,” Taka said.

“I did,” Saki replied. “It was a crush, nothing more.”

Taka made a thoughtful hum. “You know what you need?” he asked.

“What?” Saki asked, too exhausted to say something snarky.

“You need a day out to take your mind off things,” Taka said.

“No, I don't,” Saki replied.

“Yes, you do, you just don't know that you do,” Taka said firmly. “So, instead of coming to cook for me this week, let's go out for a day of fun, okay?”

“I can't spend more money right now,” Saki said.

“Did I _say_ you had to buy anything?” Taka retorted. “This is my treat.”

Saki paused. “This sounds like a date.”

“It's _not_ a _date!_ ” Taka insisted. “It's just friends hanging out and having fun!”

“It's a date,” Saki said.

“It's a _friend date_ ,” Taka fired back.

Saki sighed. “We'll see.”

“Good enough for me,” Taka replied happily.

A long silence followed. Finally, Saki lifted his head out of his pillow, and, in a quiet voice, said, “I'm really grateful that you're so supportive.”

“Of course,” Taka said, “We're friends, right? Why wouldn't I be?”

“It just...means a lot to me,” Saki said. “Especially right now.”

Taka let out a bemused sigh. “It's probably really different than before, huh?”

“Yeah,” Saki said. “It was really isolating...I couldn't tell anyone what I was feeling, or show any kind of weakness. It...it was really suffocating.”

“That sounds awful,” Taka said sympathetically.

“So, even though I don't want to go anywhere or do anything, or even think about falling in love again, I know I have to keep moving forward. And part of that is doing things to let me forget about my experience.”

“I just hope I can help with that,” Taka said.

After some more silence, Saki said, “Hey, I should go. I'll talk to you later.”

“Okay,” Taka said. “I'll talk to you later then.”

Saki hung up the call, and buried his face in his pillow again. A few sobs escaped him, and he squeezed his pillow tightly as he cried into it.

_I want to stop feeling like this eventually. I want to get out of the storm, and see the sun again._

He cried for a while longer, until he eventually fell asleep.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> _The poem Saki recites is by Ikkyu Sojun, and is in the collection of poems called, "Crow With No Mouth". I was struck by it the first time I read it, and felt it suited Saki very well._


	14. Hot and Cold

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Enzan finally confronts Saki about his feelings, which somehow leads to them spending time together

May was quickly ending, signaling the start of the rainy season. Even now, dark clouds were gathering in the sky as Saki made his way to sword practice. He felt grateful that he had brought a rain jacket.

 _I feel like I'd prefer some rain right now_ , Saki thought.

The sting of rejection was still fresh for Saki, and he desperately wanted to distract himself from it. It had even spilled over into his work, and he'd messed up a few orders at Argenterie the night before. Thankfully, they had been resolved without a real fuss, but it was clear that Saki wasn't in his usual head space.

As Saki changed into his gi and pulled his hair up, he tried to clear his mind. There was no room for idle thoughts in the dojo.

As Saki entered the practice area, the rain started. At first, it was a soft scatter of drops, but all at once it became a downpour. Saki softly closed the door to the garden with a sigh.

“It's really coming down, isn't it?” Enzan asked, and Saki turned. Enzan seemed to have avoided getting wet, and he set his bag down in its usual spot as Saki returned to the middle of the room.

“Good thing I brought a rain jacket,” he said. 

Enzan gave him a look, and made a noise of agreement. He removed his sword from its case, and took his place in front of Saki.

“I've wanted to ask for a while,” said Saki, “But why did you choose bokuto and not shinai for our practices?”

“Shinai are used for more modern swordplay, the kind you would learn in a kendo club at a high school,” Enzan explained. “But I chose to teach you koryu, which are much older, more traditional styles. Zer0 tends to use a style similar to what we typically associate with samurai, so I felt that learning something similar would benefit you both.”

“I didn't realize there was a difference,” Saki said. “I only knew about what I'd seen on television.”

“Most people unfamiliar with sword fighting would assume it was all the same thing,” Enzan said. “But much like poetry, there are many different types of sword fighting styles.” He crossed his arms. “For example, Iaijutsu could be compared to haiku: quick and succinct, with high impact. Styles that focus on one sword, such as Itto-ryu, could be compared to tanka: precise and focused. And two-sword styles could be compared to renga: the introduction of a second part helps to reinforce the first, and blend into something seamless.”

Saki stared at Enzan, floored. “I'd...never thought of it that way.”

Enzan nodded. “Cross Fusion could also be compared to renga. Both are collaborative efforts. As such, being able to work in sync with your partner is essential.”

“I...I get it!” Saki said. “Me and Zer0...we're a renga!”

_I never thought about it in those terms before! It makes so much more sense now!_

Enzan watched Saki with a tiny smile, but it faded quickly.

“Shall we get started, then?” Enzan asked.

“Yes!” Saki said enthusiastically.

***

“Remember to hold your sword so that you can strike quickly,” Blues said, gently readjusting Zer0's stance. “It isn't easy to switch from defense to offense, but if you can master it, you will be able to deal with any kind of attack.”

“Understood,” Zer0 said.

“The other key to defense is speed,” Blues said. “As I stated, switching from defense to offense will allow you to deal with attacks, but you must be quick, or the opening is lost. You are already quite quick, but the counter strike must be like lightning.”

Zer0 deftly swung his sword, striking out with great speed and quickly returning to a defensive stance once more. Blues nodded.

“Much better.”

Zer0 relaxed his stance. “Have I made progress?”

“Yes,” Blues said. “And quite quickly. I am very impressed by your adaptability.”

“It is an honor to learn from someone as experienced as you,” Zer0 said, bowing his head. “I will continue to hone my techniques and grow stronger. I will ensure I do not bring shame to you.”

Blues chuckled. “I can only teach you the basics. The rest is up to you.”

He shifted into a fighting stance. “Well then, shall we apply what you have learned?”

“Yes,” Zer0 said, readying himself.

“We will start by having you attack me first,” Blues said. “So that you may see my technique in action.”

“Understood,” Zer0 said, and, without another word, launched himself at Blues. Their swords connected, but Zer0's was quickly deflected, and he felt himself launched across the field. He skidded to a stop, and put a hand to his stomach. Thankfully, the injury had not been enough to damage him.

“I could barely see your sword move,” Zer0 said in awe.

“That is what I mean by speed,” Blues said. “If you pause for even a moment, you will create an opening. The block and the hit must be simultaneous.”

“I see,” Zer0 said, nodding. “I would like to see it one more time, if you please.”

Blues took his defensive stance once more, and Zer0 quickly attacked. Exactly like before, he was deflected and thrown backwards, but this time, Zer0 recovered instantly.

“Yes...I saw it that time,” he said. “A blow upward, followed by an immediate slash downward. Almost as if it were one strike.”

“Very good,” Blues said.

“I can understand why your technique is considered flawless,” Zer0 said. “I can only hope to mimic it.”

Zer0 rotated his arm to loosen it up, and then took his own defensive stance.

“I am ready,” he said.

“Very well,” Blues said. “I will not hold back.”

And with these words, Blues crossed the battle field with blinding speed, and attacked.

***

Saki panted as he swung his sword. Even if they were just practice swings, he threw himself into them with a renewed sense of vigor. 

_The sword is the pen...the technique is the line...each beat of the poem is a swing or a block. I can control the flow of the battle like the flow of a poem if I simply adapt to each move_.

He thrust his sword forward.

 _Flowers in the spring_.

He swung outward.

 _A swollen river rushes_.

He swung downward.

 _Scattered petals fly_.

“Good,” Enzan said, breaking through Saki's thoughts. “Take a break.”

Saki dropped his sword to his side, and wiped at his brow. He felt tired, but also lighter than usual.

“What I said must have registered with you,” Enzan said, tilting his head curiously. “There was some real conviction in your swings.”

“I don't know why, but comparing it to poetry made it make more sense to me,” Saki said.

“If only I could make comparisons like that for everyone. It would make work so much easier,” said Enzan.

Saki retrieved his towel, and wiped his face and neck. He took a sip of water from his bottle, and sighed.

“It never gets easier, swinging a sword. Even after the practice swings, I feel tired.”

“Practice and stamina training will help,” Enzan said. “Speaking of which, Laika's trying to add more stamina training before summer arrives.”

“Ahh, I'm sure Taka's overjoyed,” Saki deadpanned.

“Wakahisa can benefit the most from it,” Enzan said.

“Sure he can, but he's also a shut-in,” Saki said. “He gets winded just walking up the hill near his house. He insists on coming all the way to my house to get me every time I go over, but he isn't making much progress.”

“He might need lung training,” Enzan mused. “I wonder if he has respiratory issues...?”

Saki took another sip of water. Putting Taka's aversion to exercise aside, he felt like he'd made a little improvement, especially in his core. He was getting better at controlling his breathing.

“You seem to be much better about controlling your emotions these days,” Enzan remarked.

“I like to think I'm making progress,” Saki said.

“Now if you could only work on paying more attention to what's going on around you,” Enzan grumbled. “There's a limit to how dense a person can be.”

Saki frowned. “What do you mean by that?”

Enzan didn't reply. The two were silent for a while longer, until Enzan was satisfied that they had rested enough.

“I've been looking forward to sparring,” Enzan admitted as he took his position.

 _Must be in a bad mood again_ , Saki thought. _Better be more defensive today_.

Saki raised his sword, and waited. Neither seemed to want to make the first move, until Saki tried to edge slightly closer. Enzan immediately went on the attack, but Saki noticed something a little different than usual.

_He's aiming for my head!_

Saki managed to deflect the hit in time, but there was no mistaking the look in Enzan's eyes. He was out for blood. The worst part was that he didn't seem to be clouded by anger either; he was incredibly focused and intent on landing a hit on Saki.

_It's almost like he's angry at me for something!_

Enzan delivered attack after attack, and Saki's hands felt numb from how hard his sword vibrated from each hit. He tried his best to put some distance between them, but Enzan was relentless. Saki felt his stamina fading, and tried to find an opening, only to realize Enzan _had_ no openings.

 _The difference in our skill is really apparent in this fight_ , Saki thought. _It's all I can do to hold off his attacks, while he attacks so fast I don't have time to recover_.

Planting his feet, Saki tried to push back. The two struggled, pushing their blades towards one another with everything they had.

“You seem upset,” Saki panted.

“I am,” Enzan spat back.

“Do you want to talk about it?” Saki asked.

“No,” Enzan said, and pushed harder.

Saki, unable to do anything else, sidestepped. He managed to escape without getting hit, but he nearly tripped as he retreated back a few steps.

“Clearly this anger is directed at me,” Saki wheezed. “It's only natural that I'd want to know what it was about.”

Enzan glared at Saki. “The truth is, it's not really directed at you, but you're part of it so you're the one it ended up being directed at.”

“That made no sense,” Saki said.

With an irritated sigh, Enzan moved to attack again. Saki managed to block it, but Enzan leaned in close.

“I heard you went on a _date_ with Netto the other day,” he hissed.

Saki's eyes widened as something clicked into place in his head.

_Is Netto...dating_ _Enzan?!_

It made sense. Enzan was practically a celebrity, being an easily recognized brand ambassador, and having been in numerous fashion spreads and magazine articles. With so much attention on him, his relationship would have been under close scrutiny as well.

 _'We made an agreement to keep it on the down-low, since it could affect both of our lives.'_ The disappointment on Netto's face in the memory suddenly made so much more sense.

 _I definitely wasn't trying to make Enzan my enemy_ , Saki thought frantically. _Crap. How do I apologize for this?_

Saki shoved Enzan off of him, and tried to make a follow-up attack. Enzan knocked his blade aside, and Saki ducked to avoid being smacked by Enzan's sword.

 _Breath, Saki_ , he told himself. _Remember what you realized earlier, about how sword fighting and poetry are connected. Take control of the flow of the battle_.

***

Zer0 felt himself getting knocked to the ground yet again. He couldn't seem to get the timing right on his counterattack.

“I am close,” he muttered. “But something is not yet right.”

He thought back to Blues' counterattack, and tried to compare it to his own.

“His blade moves with one strike, even though it is really two. Changing direction as quickly as the wind...”

His eyes widened. That was it!

“I am too stiff,” he said. “I need to become as the wind, ever flexible.”

“Have you had a moment to reflect?” Blues asked.

“Yes,” Zer0 said. “Let us try once more.”

***

Enzan recovered from his swing, and Saki raised his sword to deflect the hit.

 _My heart is heavy_ ,

Enzan stepped back, and Saki thrust his sword forward, causing Enzan to retreat further.

_The mournful howl of the wind_

Saki swung down, and then quickly swung upwards again. At the last second, Enzan managed to catch the attack with his own sword.

 _Drowns even my thoughts_.

Keeping his grip firm, Saki grit his teeth, and knocked Enzan's sword away once more.

 _But through it, I hear a bird_ ,

With a final thrust, Saki stopped the tip of his sword inches from Enzan's face.

 _Calling out a shrill warning_.

***

Blues' blade slammed down on Zer0's sword, but he was ready this time. He knocked the blade up and away before snapping his blade down. It hit the ground, and the resounding wave of energy threw Blues backwards across the field.

***

Saki glared into Enzan's face, panting heavily. Enzan stared back, and slowly let his arms drop to his sides. Retreating back a few steps, he started to laugh, a dry and hollow sound.

“I never wanted to hurt either of you,” Saki said between gasps. “I wanted closure. I knew he'd reject me from the beginning.”

Enzan looked at Saki, his eyes still filled with pain, but his expression had softened.

“This is my fault, honestly,” he said wearily. “I should have been more up-front about our relationship from the beginning. But I was scared...” He sighed, and shook his head. “Scared of dragging Netto into the eye of the paparazzi, of forcing him into a world of politics and centrifuge. Netto is a carefree person, and it's what I love the most about him. I know first hand how that kind of life grinds you down, and if Netto lost his carefree spirit, I think I'd never forgive myself.”

“But he's stronger than that,” Saki retorted. 

“He is,” Enzan agreed, raking his fingers through his hair. “I'm the fool for not realizing that. The blame for all of this lies squarely with me.” He tilted his head back, and took a deep breath. “Of _course_ you wouldn't know we were dating, not if no one had said anything. I trust Netto, of course, but I still felt irrationally angry that you would try to come between us.” He angrily jabbed at his chest. “And really, it was anger at myself for being afraid to be public about things. Even Netto had been reluctant to stay quiet about it. But I was still stubbornly clinging to the idea that I'd been right, so I subconsciously shifted all that anger towards you, which was unfair.”

Saki slowly approached Enzan, and Enzan reluctantly looked at him. They stared into each other's eyes for a moment, until Saki lowered his head.

“It was selfish of me to pursue Netto, even though I knew that he would not reciprocate, that I would be callously treading into a relationship. As you said, part of the blame still lies with me.”

“If I were in your position, I would have done the same thing,” Enzan said with a sigh. “It isn't as if I'm innocent either. I've 'callously tread' on a relationship as well.” He patted Saki's shoulder. “There is nothing to be gained from holding onto anger, I know that. I'd rather we put this behind us.”

“Only if you can forgive me,” Saki said.

“I already have. Can you forgive me as well?”

Saki looked up into Enzan's sorrowful eyes, and nodded. “Of course.”

***

Blues slowly got to his feet, and regarded Zer0, who was staring at his hands in amazement. “It is not my technique, but one of your own.”

Zer0 lifted his head, and smiled. “Yes.” Then, he exuberantly proclaimed, “I have decided: I shall call it 'Gokumonken'.”

With a nod, Blues said, “And with that, I have nothing more to teach you.”

Zer0's expression fell. “That cannot be true. There must still be more for me to learn—”

“You have mastered my defensive style, and made it your own. There is nothing left to learn from me.”

Reluctantly, Zer0 nodded. “I see.” He took a deep breath, and bowed deeply. “I am honored to have been your student.”

“As formal as always,” Blues said with a sigh. “But I am also glad to have taught you. I am sure you will continue to form your own techniques, and progress closer to your ideal self.”

Zer0 lifted his head. He seemed to consider something, and then became sheepish. “If...if we are no longer master and student...could we then be friends instead?”

Blues tilted his head. “I had thought that we were already friends.”

A smile slowly spread across Zer0's face. “I am glad to hear this.”

***

Saki stood in the front doorway of the dojo, and watched as the rain poured down. As much as he wanted to leave and soak his aching body, he would have a hard time getting anywhere with the rain.

Enzan approached, and looked at the rain with noise of contemplation.

“No sense walking to the station in this,” he said.

“I'll wait it out,” Saki said.

Enzan gave him a look. “How long do you think this will last? I don't see it letting up any time soon.”

Reluctantly, Saki had to agree.

“How about this, then,” Enzan said. “I'll give you a ride.”

“Oh, no, I couldn't put you out like that—” Saki started, but Enzan shook his head.

“It wouldn't sit right with me if you walked home in this weather. I'm giving you a ride.”

Saki relented. Even if he had refused, Enzan didn't seem to be the type to give up easily, and there was no point trying to wait out the rain, given how hard it was coming down.

Enzan placed a call on his PET, and a few minutes later, a black car pulled up to the entrance. The driver exited the car, opened an umbrella, and approached Enzan. He moved the umbrella to cover Enzan as he walked to the car. The driver opened the door for him.

“Thank you,” Enzan said. He looked at Saki, who was standing at the entrance, unsure of what to do. Looking back at his driver, Enzan said, “Him too, if you please. I wish to drop him off at home.”

“Of course, sir,” the driver said, closing Enzan's door before he approached Saki. Saki smiled nervously, and the driver smiled back. He moved the umbrella to shelter Saki, and motioned towards the car.

“Aren't you getting wet?” Saki asked.

“It's nothing to worry about, sir,” the driver said.

Saki pulled the hood of his jacket up. “I'm okay. You should use that for yourself.”

“As you wish, sir,” the driver said, and escorted Saki to the other side of the car before opening the door for him, and closing it once he was inside.

Saki lowered the hood of his jacket, and stared at the car's interior. The seats were leather, and there was a small window between the front of the car, and the passenger seats in the back. Currently, it was open, and Saki watched the driver get back into the car before turning to address them both.

“Where shall we go first, then?” he asked.

“Tanaka, you live in Ebisu, don't you?” Enzan asked.

“Y-yeah,” Saki said nervously. He gave Enzan his address, and the driver nodded. After they had pulled away from the dojo, Enzan slid the window shut, and leaned back in his seat.

Saki sat stiffly, afraid to touch anything. 

Enzan rubbed at the bridge of his nose, and said, “What are you going to do when you get home?”

Saki thought about it. “I might soak in a bath. My whole body's sore.” He rubbed his shoulder. “Actually, I might see if I can go take a mugwort bath, if the rain lets up.”

Enzan raised an eyebrow. “A mugwort bath?”

Saki paused, and looked at Enzan curiously. “You know, mugwort. Good for aches and joints and stuff?” He waited to see if Enzan would understand, but he seemed just as confused as before. “The older folks really love mugwort baths, so the local bathhouse has them pretty regularly.”

“Oh,” Enzan said. He paused awkwardly. “And that's...a common thing?”

Saki frowned. “I mean, yeah. Lots of bathhouses do it.”

Enzan nodded distantly, as if he was still turning things over in his mind. Finally, he looked at Saki.

“I've never been to a bathhouse before,” he confessed.

Saki blinked. “Like, never never?”

Enzan shook his head.

Saki grinned. “Well, you're not missing much. Bathhouses are...for people who maybe don't have a big bath at home, or need something more specific. Or if you need a good steam. Lots of university kids use bath houses, for example, and old people love them because they don't have to set it up themselves, plus the mugwort bath is good for their aches and pains.”

“You said you wanted to take a mugwort bath yourself,” Enzan said.

“Well, yeah,” Saki said. “I've done it before. It's amazing after a hard day at work. And you smell great afterwards too.”

“So...anyone can have a mugwort bath?” Enzan asked.

“Sure, you just gotta share it with a bunch of older folks, and they _really_ like to crank the heat up, for whatever reason.”

Enzan seemed to ponder this intently. “I...want to try a mugwort bath.”

“Huh?” Saki asked, shocked. “Oh, sure, I mean there's probably a bathhouse near you that—”

“W-we should go together...” Enzan said, his face flushed. “So that...you can show me how things are done.”

Saki stared at Enzan. “Are...you sure?”

“Y-yes,” Enzan said, clearly embarrassed.

“I mean, we just had a fight,” Saki said, rubbing the bridge of his nose. 

“We moved past that,” Enzan said.

“But you'd be in there with a bunch of poor people,” Saki deadpanned.

“Poor people are people too,” Enzan replied, equally deadpan.

Saki sighed deeply. “Aren't you worried someone might recognize you?”

“I've never been to Ebisu before,” Enzan replied. “There's little risk of being recognized right away.”

Eventually, Saki threw his hands up. “Fine, okay, I don't really know what possessed you to want to go have a mugwort bath, but I can't stop you.”

Enzan settled back into his seat, a tiny smile on his lips. Saki shook his head, bemused.

“You'll need your own towel, though. And soap and stuff.” Saki paused. “I suppose you could borrow from us...” He sighed.

“Oh,” Enzan frowned. “If that's alright with you.”

“I guess it's fine,” Saki said. “I can probably scrounge something up.”

They sat in silence for a bit.

“Hey,” Saki said, “Is it just a thing that rich people do? Trying out stuff they see common people doing, like it's some kind of novelty, I mean.”

Enzan bit his lip. “For me, it's more that I don't have the time to experience these kinds of things normally. Things that people do everyday might be things I've never tried or even seen before.”

“Oh, I see,” Saki said. “It's just that Taka gets really excited all the time, and it just feels like he wants to try things for the novelty.”

Enzan gave a short laugh. “Wakahisa has lived an.... _interesting_ life. I'm sure, for him at least, most of those things _are_ new and exciting.”

Saki tugged on a piece of his hair near his ear. “He says you two are 'acquaintances'.”

“Yes,” Enzan said, “But he looked to me as a role model when he started going to social gatherings, since there weren't any other children attending. Most people leave their children with a sitter or a nanny, but Tsukiko-san seems to be an odd sort of woman. She brought Wakahisa—” Enzan paused, frowning. “Rather, Takashi—to many different functions, almost as if she was afraid to leave him by himself.”

“Seems kind of strange to drag your kid to boring parties,” Saki said.

Enzan nodded. “I had heard that she lost her husband while Takashi was still very young, and while he was alive her eldest son looked after Takashi.” He frowned. “The news of his passing was quite sad. I recall my father sending them flowers.”

“Yeah, Taka told me about Shin'ichiro,” Saki said softly.

“It was shortly after that when Takashi and I first met. He was left unattended at a black tie function, and ingested some alcohol. I felt sorry for him, and kept an eye on him for the rest of the evening.”

“Yeah, Taka told me that story too,” Saki said. “He also said he tried to visit you once, and then tried to send letters after that.”

“He did send letters, yes,” Enzan said. “I replied to every one of them. I could tell from his writing that he was a very lonely boy, more than likely due to losing his brother at such a young age. I could relate, having lost my mother to illness when I was five.”

“Oh, I'm sorry,” Saki said.

Enzan shook his head. “It was a long time ago.” He hesitated. “It...caused some strife with my father, but that isn't relevant right now.” He cleared his throat. “As I corresponded with Takashi, I could tell that he was trying to open back up and experience the world again, and encouraged his hobbies.”

Saki laughed. “You mean playing video games and watching anime?”

Enzan frowned. “It was more that I told him to explore places downtown, and to try finding things that would spark an interest in the arts. He began writing about fashion in earnest after that.”

Saki blinked. “So you're saying that if Taka hadn't discovered fashion, he might never have come out of his room?”

“I don't think he would have stayed in his room indefinitely,” Enzan said, “But his mood seemed to improve after finding fashion, that much is true.”

“Huh, I never knew that,” Saki said.

“In a way, Takashi grew up alone,” Enzan said. “His mother, Tsukiko Wakahisa-san, is almost always at work these days, and as far as I know, Takashi is left unattended.”

“He sure is,” Saki said. “He said they have a cleaning lady, but that's about it.”

Enzan sighed. “While it's true that they have a large net worth, it's still not as substantial as most wealthy entrepreneurs. Vega's contracts are almost exclusively with NAXA, and can sometimes have periods where they aren't able to secure projects. With only one member of the household working, I'm sure there's a financial strain.”

Saki looked at his hands. He had no idea that Taka's family was struggling, although it was probably nowhere near as bad as his own situation. There was probably no threat of eviction, or worrying about if they'd be able to put food on the table. Still, Saki hated the thought that things were bad for Taka.

“Regardless, I haven't spoken to Takashi much outside of functions,” Enzan said, “Which is why he would refer to us as 'acquaintances'.”

“I think being pen pals counts as being friends,” Saki said.

Enzan chuckled. “I suppose so.”

Saki looked out the window of the car. “What about you, Enzan? Don't you have hobbies?”

Enzan cleared his throat. “Even if I did, there would be no time for them.”

“Then make time,” Saki said. “What's the point of being the boss if you can't make time for yourself?”

“It's not as easy as it sounds,” Enzan said. “A true leader doesn't simply bark orders from the top. They get down into the trenches and work with everyone else. I can delegate work, but ultimately I can't ask anyone to do more than I can do myself.”

“Huh,” Saki said. He scratched his head. “You...actually sound a whole lot cooler than most of the bosses I've worked for.”

“Oh?” Enzan said.

“Maybe that's the difference between corporate and essential services,” Saki said. “Most of my bosses would yell at me to work faster, and then go take a long lunch.”

“I see,” Enzan said.

“That doesn't mean they've all been worthless,” Saki added. “Like the old couple who run the ramen shop near where I live. They're really kind, and always work just as hard as I do.”

“It does sound as though you have experienced a great deal of different working conditions,” Enzan said.

“More than a few,” Saki said. “The thing is, books and lessons can only teach you so much. Sometimes, you have to go do something to learn about it.”

Enzan seemed to ponder things. “Ebisu is known for good food. Perhaps I'll spend a little more time in the area, and judge it for myself.”

“You've already been to Argenterie,” Saki said. “But if you want a great experience, there's a place near the fish market that makes a mean tuna bowl.”

“And the ramen shop you used to work at? I believe Netto has already been there before.” Enzan grinned. “Maybe I'll go there myself some time.”

“Just say you know me,” Saki said. “They'll hook you up.”

“Perhaps I will,” Enzan said.

Saki smiled, and then happened to glance at the driver. Saki turned to look at Enzan with a curious expression.

“How long have you known your driver for?”

“He's worked for my father and I for many years,” Enzan explained. “In fact, most of my family's staff have been with us for a very long time. We send them gifts during the holidays, and celebrate their birthdays together sometimes. I make it a point to know the names and faces of everyone who works for me. I refuse to see them as anything less than human.”

“Wow,” Saki said. “That's impressive. Every last one?”

“It's hard to keep track of every employee at IPC, but I try,” Enzan said. “But yes, I know every one of my family's staff personally.”

“I wasn't expecting you to try to know every employee who works for you,” Saki said. “I can barely remember all my coworkers sometimes.”

Enzan smiled. “Why did you ask?” 

“It's just that...he really seems to like you,” Saki said.

“People are not tools to be used and thrown away,” Enzan said. “It's good business sense to treat everyone with kindness and respect.”

Saki laughed and sat back. “I guess I was wrong about you then.”

“I'm not a heartless millionaire who exploits his workers after all?” Enzan asked, a wicked smile on his face.

“You forgot 'a bully' and 'rude',” Saki teased.

“I'll admit that I'm not at my best when I'm tired,” Enzan said.

“I hear excessive caffeine can make you irritable,” Saki said.

“That must have been it,” Enzan said.

At that moment, there was a tap on the window, and Enzan slid it open.

“We're almost to Ebisu,” the driver said.

“Thank you,” Enzan said. “I've made a change of plans, and I'll be staying there for a little while. There's a mugwort bath I'd like to try.”

“Oho!” the driver laughed. “That sounds good right about now! A hot bath on a cold, rainy day.”

“I would invite you to come along, but I'm afraid I might be imposing on Tanaka-san's hospitality.”

The driver shook his head. “Never you mind, sir. I'll see to my own bath when I'm off for the night.”

“U-umm!” Saki tensed slightly. “Th-thank you for driving me home. I appreciate it.”

“Of course, sir. Couldn't leave you in the rain, now could we?” He glanced over his shoulder at Enzan with a grin. Enzan smiled back.

“That was my thought exactly.”

“Ha ha,” Saki scratched his head. “I keep getting rides from people. It's so much faster than taking a train! I might end up getting used to it...”

“The train is more convenient though,” Enzan said. “No one likes sitting in traffic for a long time. But the trains are almost always on time.”

“True,” Saki said.

The car pulled to a stop in front of Saki's apartment building, and the driver once again got out to walk the two boys to the door, umbrella at the ready.

“I don't imagine we'll be done any time soon,” Enzan said to the driver. “Tanaka-san has said that the bathhouse is a few blocks from here, so it will take time to go there and back.”

“I'll be sure to find somewhere to wait for you, then,” the driver said. “Oh, and take the umbrella, sir, so you'll stay dry on your walk.”

He handed the umbrella he was holding to Enzan, and then darted back to the car. Saki waited until the car had pulled away before he opened the front door, and called out, “I'm back!”

“Welcome back!” called Michi.

“Pardon the intrusion,” Enzan called before entering the house, and closing the door behind them. He closed his umbrella, and set it near the door to drain, before removing his shoes.

Saki led Enzan inside, and Michi ran to meet them. As soon as she spotted Enzan, however, she clung to Saki's leg.

He chuckled. “Why so shy, Michi?”

She didn't answer, and simply looked up at Enzan, who smiled back at her gently. He knelt down so that he was at eye level with Michi, and spoke to her in a quiet voice.

“My name is Enzan. I work with your brother. What's your name?”

“Michi,” she said.

“Michi-chan,” Enzan said, nodding. “A lovely name.”

Slowly, Michi came out from behind Saki's leg, and smiled at Enzan.

“Is Mom at work?” Saki asked.

Michi nodded. “Mhm.”

“Huh, earlier than usual,” Saki mused. “She must have gone early, in case the trains were delayed.” he looked down at Michi. “Have you eaten dinner yet?”

“No,” Michi said. 

“I guess I'll make some when I get back,” Saki said.

“Where are you going?” Michi asked.

“We're going to the bathhouse to take a mugwort bath!” Saki said. “Practice was harder than usual.”

“I wanna go!” Michi said eagerly. “Can I come too?”

Enzan looked at Saki. “Why not?”

Saki frowned. “The bath's divided by gender...but Michi's a big girl now, I bet she could take a bath by herself.”

Michi nodded. 

“Do you spend a lot of time at home by yourself, Michi-chan?” Enzan asked.

“Mhm!” Michi said. “Big brother and Mamma are busy working. But I don't mind.”

Saki gave Enzan a guilty expression.

“How about this: we'll go have a bath, and then go have something to eat afterwards,” Enzan said.

“Okay!” Michi said.

“I'll pay for dinner,” Enzan said as he stood up. “It'll be my treat for teaching me about the bathhouse.”

“I don't mind, but you really don't owe me or anything,” Saki said.

While Saki went to put his things away, Michi led Enzan to the bathroom, and showed him the copper pans they would put their soap and towels in.

“You can borrow Mamma's pan, since she's not here right now,” Michi explained.

“Why, thank you,” Enzan said, taking the pan Michi offered him.

Saki dug out an extra towel from the cupboard for Enzan, and then dumped his soap and shampoo into his pan before throwing his own towel on top.

“You can just borrow my stuff,” Saki said. “Mom'll kill us if we use her stuff.”

“I don't want to be a bother,” Enzan said.

“Remember clean clothes!” Saki said to Michi. “There's no point of getting out of a bath and then getting into dirty clothes!”

“Right!” Michi said, and she walked to the bedroom to grab another change of clothes. She brought them back, and Saki put them in a bag he was carrying that also contained his own change of clothes.

“It's raining, so remember your jacket,” Enzan said kindly.

“I will!” Michi said, running to the closet to get her jacket. Saki caught Enzan smiling warmly, and burned it into his mind.

 _He isn't nearly as intimidating when he smiles like that_ , Saki thought. _He also seems good with kids, which is...surprising_.

Once everyone had gathered up their things, they stepped out into the rainy evening with their umbrellas and pans, and started walking towards the bathhouse. Michi walked between the two boys, and Enzan made sure to match his pace to hers. They spoke about random things, and Michi gushed about the television shows she loved, which Enzan, surprisingly, seemed to know an awful lot about. Saki chalked it up to Taka subjecting everyone at the office to his ramblings. By the time they arrived at the bathhouse, Michi and Enzan were getting along wonderfully.

“She really took a shine to you,” Saki said.

“She's a bright girl,” Enzan explained. “Very easy to talk to.”

They entered the bathhouse, and closed their umbrellas before leaving them in the tray near the door. Saki approached the clerk.

“The three of you?” she asked.

“Yes ma'am,” Saki said. “Is the mugwort bath tonight?”

She nodded. “It just started a few hours ago, actually. Good timing.”

Enzan seemed excited by the news.

“I don't have anyone to stay with Michi while she's in the bath,” Saki said. “Is there anyone I can ask?”

“I'm sure one of the ladies in there would be happy to watch her,” the clerk said. “Everyone knows you two by now.”

Saki laughed. “I guess we're sort of regulars, huh?”

The clerk laughed. “Your friend's new, though.”

“He's never had a mugwort bath before,” Saki said, “So he's excited.”

“Oh, I hope you love it then!” the clerk said. “Ours are the best.”

Saki walked Michi to the entrance to the ladies bath, and she waved as she entered. He then walked into the men's side, and motioned for Enzan to follow him.

Enzan looked around at the benches and cupboards in the changing room with curiosity. He pulled one of the baskets forward and peeked inside.

“You put your things in one of these,” Saki explained. 

“How do you keep them safe?” Enzan asked. “There aren't any locks.”

“People are pretty trustworthy, actually,” Saki said. “Plus, there's usually a bunch of people around, so someone is bound to know if someone _did_ try to steal something.” He gave Enzan a gentle push. “Hurry up and get changed, okay?”

While Saki changed out of his clothes, he strained his ears and listened for Michi's voice on the other side. He managed to catch bits and pieces of some conversation Michi was having, and relaxed a little.

“So then we scrub, right?” Enzan asked. “I know that much from going to hot springs.”

“Right,” Saki said.

They sat at one of the taps, and scrubbed themselves down. Saki filled his pan with water, and dumped it over his head to wash the soap off, and gave a sigh of content.

“You sure got big, Michi-chan!” said a woman on the other side. “I remember when you were _this_ tall!”

Michi giggled. “Mamma says I'm going to have a growth spurt soon!”

“My goodness!” the woman said with a laugh.

“She seems fine,” Enzan said.

“Yeah, the older ladies around here knew me when I was her age,” Saki said. “She'll be fine.”

“So you can stop worrying then,” Enzan said.

“I'm not worried!” Saki lied.

They finished scrubbing, and Saki put their soaps and pans with their clothes in the baskets before leading Enzan to the big baths in the back.

Enzan stared at the large groups in awe. Saki took him by the arm, and led him to the mugwort bath, noticeable not just by its smell, but also by its distinctive green color.

“I hope you like heat,” Saki said.

“It's in my name,” Enzan said with a grin. “Bring it on.”

They slid into the bath, and Saki could feel his muscles instantly begin to loosen. He sighed, and let himself slip in deeper.

“Heaven,” he breathed.

Beside him, Enzan seemed to visibly relax as well. He let himself slouch, and let out a soft sigh.

“This is...very different,” Enzan said. “It's definitely very relaxing.”

“Sure beats a hot shower any day,” Saki said.

“It certainly does,” Enzan agreed.

The two sat in silence for a while, enjoying the soothing heat. Around them were quiet conversations punctuated by soft laughs. Somewhere from the other side, Saki heard the woman from before warning Michi about the water being hot.

“Watch you don't burn yourself!” she said.

“I'll be careful!” Michi said.

Saki heard the soft creak of the tap being turned, and sighed. “It's going to get hotter,” he warned Enzan.

Enzan looked up at the older man turning the tap, and shrugged. “Nothing I can't handle,” he said.

“Oh right,” Saki said, “You said you've gone to hot springs before.”

“This is very similar,” Enzan said. “But I can see why you enjoy the mugwort so much. All of the tension in my shoulders is melting away.”

“Mugwort baths are the best!” said the older man turning the hot water tap. “It's the only thing that helps my arthritis.”

“I should try to get into the habit of taking a mugwort bath after my practices,” Enzan said. “Perhaps we can make this a tradition.”

Saki laughed. “I guess spending time with you wouldn't be so bad. I probably could use these baths more myself.” He paused. “I bet Netto would like it too.”

Enzan grinned. “More than likely he's already taken his fair share.”

“But it'd be different if you had them _together_ ,” Saki said with a wicked grin.

Enzan's face flushed a little darker.

They sat in the bath for a while longer, allowing themselves to relax completely. Saki even found himself getting drowsy at one point, and shook his head vigorously.

“Time to get out, I think,” he said. “Almost fell asleep.”

“Can't have that,” Enzan said, “You'll slip under and drown.”

“I'll stew to death first,” Saki said with a laugh. He looked at the others in the bath with him, and waved. “See you next week, probably.”

“See you then, Saki-kun,” they said.

Enzan and Saki walked back to their baskets, commenting about how nice they both smelled.

“Do you think Netto will notice?” Saki asked.

“I doubt he'd notice unless I smelled like food,” Enzan joked.

They toweled off, and changed into their clothes. They found Michi waiting for them in the lobby, and Saki bought himself and Michi a bottle of milk before settling their tab. Enzan did the same, and the three of them took deep gulps of their milk in unison.

“Ahh~!” they all sighed together.

“The milk at the end is the best part,” Saki said.

“It's tasty!” Michi said happily.

“There's something about cold milk after a hot soak,” Enzan said.

“Think you got the hang of things?” Saki asked.

Enzan nodded. “The experience was certainly worthwhile. I'm glad to know the etiquette is the same as a hot spring.”

“Don't see why it wouldn't be,” Saki said.

“I usually just shower,” Enzan said. “I don't have time for anything else.”

They finished off their milk, and retrieved their umbrellas. Thankfully, the rain had started to ease off.

“The ramen place, is it closer to your house, or the bathhouse?” Enzan asked.

“The bathhouse,” Saki said. “I can show you the way.”

Enzan pulled out his PET. “Blues, can you let our driver know that I'll be longer than expected?”

“Understood,” Blues said.

The three of them walked towards the ramen shop. Michi hopped from puddle to puddle, despite Saki's protests, and Enzan hopped in a few as well, seemingly just to spite Saki.

“If you get wet and cold, I'm not responsible!” Saki yelled.

By the time they reached the ramen shop, Michi and Enzan were giggling and Saki had given up on yelling. He flicked his umbrella at Enzan, who laughed and flicked his back.

“Look at you!” the shop owner's wife said to the three as they entered. “Been to the baths, I see.”

“You bet!” Saki said. “Mugwort bath tonight.”

“Brought another friend?” the owner's wife asked with a keen look.

“Yes,” Saki said.

“Enzan Ijuuin,” he said. “I've heard good things about this place.”

“Better not let you down then!” the owner's wife said. “Take a seat, and I'll come take your orders.”

They sat at one of the tables, and Michi folded her hands on the table in front of her, looking expectant.

When the owner's wife returned, she gave Michi a small basket of pencil crayons, and a sheet of paper. Michi eagerly began drawing, and Enzan peered at her with curiosity, but she hid her work from him with her hand.

“You want the usual, Saki-kun?” the owner's wife asked.

“You bet,” Saki said. “Michi, you want the shoyu ramen?”

Michi nodded, not looking up from her drawing.

“And you?” the owner's wife asked Enzan.

“I usually end up getting shoyu when I go places,” Enzan said. “But I want to try something different. May I have the shio, please?”

“You won't regret it,” the owner's wife said. She bustled off to relay their orders to the kitchen.

“Netto recommended the shio, so I thought I would try it too,” Enzan explained.

“Yeah, he did eat that when he was here,” Saki said.

Enzan tried to sneak a peek at Michi's drawing again, but was denied. Saki chuckled.

“Do you ever wonder about how everyone at the office always seems to end up eating somewhere together?”

“I do,” Enzan said. “It happens more often than I want it to.”

“My theory is that it's because food brings people together,” Saki said.

“It does,” Enzan said. “There has been a few times in the past that I've run into Netto while we were both out eating.”

“I've been going out so frequently lately, I'm starting to forget what my own cooking tastes like,” Saki laughed.

Enzan took a sip of his water. “Things are going to get busier around the office again,” he said. “We were holding off on Cross Fusion testing until after the hearing.”

“I was wondering why we'd stopped that,” Saki said. “I guess it makes sense to have held off on it.”

“The tests are going to be a lot more regulated as well,” Enzan said. “I'm trying to get a room set up, so you aren't always in the tank, but we have to make sure the higher ups are okay with the idea first.”

“Until the test went sour, being able to run around in Cross Fusion was really cool,” Saki admitted.

“With luck, you'll be able to do that again. On a smaller scale, of course,” Enzan said.

Saki hummed thoughtfully. “So if we start doing Cross Fusion tests again, as well as battle training and Laika's boot camp...”

“It's a lot,” Enzan admitted.

“Netto mentioned we'll have to take a test soon,” Saki said, frowning. “Something about the Net Police...”

“Ahh, that,” Enzan said. “Don't worry about that for now. Focus on training.”

Michi finally looked up from her drawing, and grinned. “Want to see?” she asked Enzan.

“Yes!” Enzan said.

Michi lifted her drawing up so that Enzan could see it. There were three people drawn, all holding hands, while rain fell from the sky.

“I drew us going to dinner,” Michi said.

“It's very good!” Enzan said. “You really managed to capture our likenesses.”

“Want to see if they'll put it on the wall for you?” Saki asked.

Michi shook her head. “No, I want Enzan-san to have it.”

Shocked, Enzan took the drawing. “Are you sure?”

Michi nodded. 

“Hmm.” Enzan looked at the basket of pencil crayons, and then at Saki. “There's some paper left. Do you draw, Saki?”

“Not really,” Saki admitted. “Michi's the talented one here.”

“Will you draw one too?” Michi asked.

“I can try,” Enzan said. “But don't expect anything exceptional.”

Saki watched Enzan scribble something on the paper, and tried not to smile.

 _It's kind of fun watching this side of Enzan_ , he thought. _I never expected him to be this soft and friendly. He'd always come off as rather cold and detached before this. Comparatively, Netto kind of comes off as childish sometimes. I wonder if that's why Enzan is good with kids..._

Finally, Enzan put down his pencil crayons. “Finished,” he said.

“Let me see!” Michi said.

Enzn turned his paper, and showed the others his drawing. Saki tried to stifle a laugh, and it ended up coming out as a scoff.

“I tried to warn you I wasn't very good,” Enzan said.

“It's a very nice...dog,” Saki said.

“It was supposed to be Michi-chan,” Enzan said.

“I think it's very nice,” Michi said kindly.

“I can't believe we found something that you're not good at,” Saki said.

“It would seem that drafting and art are much different than I had first thought,” Enzan said.

Saki took the drawing from Enzan's hands. “Well, I think it deserves a place of honor on the fridge in the break room.”

Enzan's face went pale. “Don't you dare.”

Saki grinned. “How much will you pay me not to?”

“I'd sooner kill you than pay your bribe,” Enzan muttered.

Michi took the drawing from Saki. “I want to keep it!”

“Oh well, I guess it's Michi's then,” Saki said.

“Thank you, Michi-chan, for taking pity on me,” Enzan said.

“I just want it because I like it,” Michi replied.

The food came, and the drawings were quickly forgotten as everyone ate. At one point, however, Michi held out her spoon to Enzan.

“Say 'ahh'!” she said.

Enzan blushed. “What's this now?”

“I want you to try my soup,” Michi said. “You said you like shoyu.”

Saki glared at Enzan, conveying without words that he wasn't permitted to put his mouth anywhere near anything Michi had eaten from.

“How about I use my spoon instead?” Enzan said, smoothly recovering.

“Okay,” Michi said.

Saki let out his breath, and went back to eating. He made a mental note to tell Michi about why it was a bad idea to have people eat off her spoon.

***

“Are you sure you can walk home from here?” Enzan asked.

“It's not far,” Saki said, “And me and Michi know this area really well. Besides, you're super busy, so you should probably get back soon.”

Enzan grimaced. “Admittedly, I did put off a lot in order to do this. I suppose we'll just have to see each other again at work.”

“Yeah.” Saki paused. “Hey, Enzan? Umm, thanks.”

“For?” Enzan asked.

“For forgiving me, and for just...hanging out. I feel like I got to know you a lot better, and...I'm starting to get over being rejected.” He smiled. “Now all I have to do is live through Taka's 'friend date'.”

“Oh, I wish you luck with that,” Enzan said with a chuckle. “As for us hanging out...as unplanned as it was, it was fun. I really do need to try and do things for myself more, like Netto is always bugging me to.”

“We'll have to do it again then,” Saki said. “This time, with Netto.”

Enzan nodded. “Of course.”

The car pulled up to the sidewalk, and Enzan bowed.

“I'm off, then,” he said, opening the door.

“Bye bye!” Michi said, waving.

Enzan waved back, and then paused before closing the door. He fixed Saki with a serious look.

“In the future, there might come a time when you might have to choose sides. I hope that, if it comes to that, you'll choose wisely.”

“Huh?” Saki said, confused. _That's super cryptic_.

“Don't think too much of it for now,” Enzan said. “I'll see you at work.” And with those words, Enzan closed the car door, and the car drove off.

Michi tugged at Saki's hand. “He's nice,” she said.

“Yeah,” Saki said, mulling over Enzan's words. _Choosing a side? What the heck does that mean?_

After a moment, Saki looked at Michi and smiled. “Let's head home, kiddo.”

“Yeah!” she said, and she skipped beside Saki as they walked towards home.


	15. Just A Little Bit Closer

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Taka takes Saki out for a day of fun to get his mind off being rejected

“Knees up! I want to see you actually trying!” Laika barked at Taka as the boy desperately tried to run up a slope. Saki glanced over his shoulder, and saw Taka's face was twisted with pain.

 _These runs are so brutal, even I'm having a hard time_ , Saki thought. _Taka looks like he might die_.

After having been chewed out by Laika several weeks back, Saki and Taka had pledged to attend Laika's training blocks instead of slacking off and going out to eat. It had cleared up some of the tension between the three of them, but when it became clear that Laika would not adjust his methods, even if someone was struggling, the tension came back even worse than before.

Saki felt his lungs burn as he reached the top of the hill, and took in big gulps of air as he descended the other side. The faster he got this run out of the way, the faster he could go do other things, and get away from Laika and his boot camp from hell.

“Come on, Wakahisa, I've seen turtles faster than you!” Laika yelled.

Saki glanced back again, and a stab of guilt ripped through his chest. Taka's face was flushed a dark crimson, and it was obvious that he was wheezing. He made it to the top of the slope, and stopped, bracing his arms on his knees as he panted desperately for air.

“You can't stop here,” Laika said. “If you stop, you'll never start again.”

“C...an't...” Taka wheezed.

“You have to push through the pain,” Laika said. “It's temporary. Once you do, you'll be able to overcome anything.”

“Need...break...” Taka said, and let out a hacking cough.

Saki paused, running in place at the bottom of the slope, and watched the exchange. Laika clearly looked upset, but sighed and crossed his arms.

“Once you recover, we're running again,” he said.

Taka let his head drop, probably in despair.

Laika looked up, and spotted Saki. He glared, and said, “Did I say you could stop?”

“No, sir!” Saki yelped, and continued running.

***

Taka didn't make it back to the office until Saki had already finished with his shower. He dragged himself over to his locker in the change room, yanked the door open, and pulled out his water bottle and a bottle of sports drink before flopping onto the bench. Saki sat down next to him.

“Are you going to be okay?” he asked.

Taka shook his head, and took a long drink from his water bottle. He popped open his sports drink, and took a long drink from it as well before speaking.

“I'm going to die at some point,” Taka said between gasping pants. “I'm going to drop dead on the road.”

“It's probably going to get worse,” Saki said grimly. “Enzan mentioned that Laika's going to increase the stamina training.”

Taka groaned loudly, and put his head in his hands. “I can't take it. I want to quit.”

“If you quit, he wins,” Saki said. “Plus, there's a good chance they won't let you participate in the Cross Fusion program if you do.”

“Ugh! I _hate_ this!” Taka whined before taking another drink from both of his bottles.

Saki sighed. “I hate it too. I wish there was a better way to do this that wouldn't put so much strain on our bodies.”

“Laika just keeps acting like this is _boot camp_ ,” Taka spat. “It's kind of extreme if you ask me. And then, after nearly dying on a run, we have to do weight training and calisthenics. And then, on top of all that, he keeps putting me through the wringer in Net Battles!” Taka threw his hands up. “He's always complaining about how my timing is off, or how lousy our aim is. He even told me he was thinking of having me learn how to shoot a gun. A _real_ gun!” Taka looked at Saki pleadingly. “I can't stand the idea of holding a real gun!”

“Is he serious?” Saki asked in disbelief. “I can't believe that. There's no way he'd make you shoot a real gun.”

“He was serious!” Taka hissed. “He had this look in his eyes!”

Saki shuddered. Laika seemed to be more extreme than he'd originally thought.

With a resigned sigh, Taka forced himself to his feet, and stripped off his clothes before he stumbled towards the showers. “I should at least be clean for whatever hell Laika's going to put me through next.”

“I'll wait for you,” Saki promised. “He can't yell at both of us for being late.”

Taka tiredly gave Saki a thumb's up before disappearing into the shower area.

***

“Now that you're both here, I can explain what's going to be happening from now on,” Laika said once Taka and Saki had met Laika in the gym. “Starting tomorrow, we'll be using the pool a few times a week—”

Taka's eyes lit up. “Ooh, the pool!” he whispered. “I love the pool!”

“—to begin working on increasing your lung capacity,” Laika finished.

Taka's mood immediately dropped. “Aww.”

Saki felt all the blood drain from his face. The idea of going into a pool filled him with terror, the likes of which he had not felt for a long time.

“Today, you'll be using a Spirometer to see what your current lung capacity is, and then over the next while, we'll be working to increase it.”

Saki slowly raised his hand. “Why the pool though?”

“You'll be holding your breath underwater,” Laika explained.

“Can't we just...hold our breath _without_ being underwater?” Saki asked.

Laika fixed Saki with a hard stare. “We could, but I prefer this method.”

 _Speaking of dying, I might croak tomorrow_ , Saki thought.

“This sucks,” Taka muttered. “If we're going to be in a pool, why can't we just swim? It's way more fun.”

“Why can't we do this anywhere else?” Saki murmured.

Ignoring the kids, Laika picked up a notepad and a small machine, which he put a mouthpiece on and then handed to Saki.

“This is a Spirometer,” he explained. “The idea is to take as large of a breath as possible, and blow into it. I'll record the results. You'll do it three times. Understood?”

“Yeah,” Saki said. Laika nodded, and motioned for Saki to start.

Saki took in as big of a breath as he could muster, and blew into the machine. Laika took note of the numbers, and then asked Saki to do it again, which he did. After his three attempts were done, and Laika had taken sufficient notes, he removed the mouthpiece from the Spirometer and replaced it with a new one. Then he handed the Spirometer to Taka.

Saki watched Taka take a deep breath, and then blow into the machine. Laika seemed less than pleased with the results.

“Are you certain you took the biggest breath you could?” he asked.

“Yes,” Taka said.

Laika sighed. “Again.”

Taka did the test two more times, and Laika took notes. After they were done, Laika turned to the boys with a small frown.

“Tanaka, your results were fine,” he said. “You have an average lung capacity for someone your age and build. You can improve it, of course, and I'll see to it that you do.” Laika turned to Taka, who flinched visibly. “As for you, Wakahisa, I can't help but be disappointed. Even taking your age and frame into account, your numbers are low.”

“I just have tiny lungs,” Taka said.

“Well, we're going to be expanding them,” Laika said firmly. “As it stands, you desperately need to take more air into your body. Especially while your body is under stress.”

“That's called _anxiety_ ,” Taka sassed.

Laika shot Taka a nasty look. “Maybe you don't want to take this seriously, but it's not a joke. While in Cross Fusion, you'll be pushing your body to its limits. You'll be climbing, running, fighting. And how about if things go wrong. What if you find yourself being strangled? How about if you get trapped in a small area? And what if you need to complete a task while trying not to fall unconscious? These are real situations that other Cross Fusion members have been in.”

Saki felt ashamed, and Taka looked apologetic.

Laika rubbed his temple. “If you are lucky, you'll never find yourself in a situation like that. However, the possibility still exists, and therefore you have to be prepared for it.” 

“Oh,” Taka said in a small voice.

“Well, whatever,” Laika sighed. “I've gotten my results for today, so I suppose I'll let you go for now. But remember to bring a swimsuit tomorrow.”

“Can it be cute?” Taka asked.

“It should be _functional_ ,” Laika said. “Prioritize functionality over aesthetics.”

“U-umm...” Saki lifted his hand nervously. “W-what if I don't own one?”

Laika sighed, deeper this time. “Then find something. That's not my problem.” He quickly exited the room, as if eager to escape.

Taka latched himself onto Saki's arm. “Sounds like you need to go shopping.”

“I-I'll figure it out myself!” Saki blurted out, his embarrassment getting the better of him.

“ _Please_ let me help you shop!” Taka cried, clinging to Saki's arm even tighter.

“No!” Saki said, desperately trying to pry Taka off of him.

“I promise it'll be painless!” Taka begged. “I'll even pay for it!”

Saki let out a long sigh. Taka was clearly not budging, and he was too tired to argue.

“What about Sunday?” he asked. “Aren't you dragging me out then? Are you sure you want to do that _and_ this too?”

Taka looked offended. “It's almost like you don't want to spend time with me!”

“That's not—!” Saki began, and then held his tongue. It might have been kind of true that he'd been avoiding everyone a bit, especially since being turned down. 

“I keep trying to tell you, we're _friends_ ,” Taka said firmly. “You don't have to feel guilty about hanging out, or me spending money on you.” He looked away, and blushed slightly. “It's...how I show affection.”

Saki felt his cheeks get a little warm, and looked away as well.

“I know it makes you kind of uncomfortable, especially since you're always worried about money, and I get that. I can stop if you really want me to. But...” Taka took a deep breath. “I still want to hang out!”

Helplessly, and Saki let his arm go limp. “I'm not used to being around people. I never know how to act. And sometimes, I feel like people who lavish me with gifts are going to ask for a favor later on.”

“I would never do that!” Taka insisted. “I get a little excited, but it's only because you're my first friend—!” He stopped, and clamped a hand over his mouth, his eyes going wide.

Saki stared at him curiously. “Are you saying that you've never had a friend before?”

“Well...” Taka said.

“What about when you said 'my friends call me Taka'.” Saki grinned. “Were you trying to impress me or something?”

“N-no!” Taka said, embarrassed. “N-Netto called me Taka before I met you!”

Saki laughed. “Oh, I see. Netto and Meijin-san aren't your friends, but I am.”

“YOU KNOW WHAT I MEANT!” Taka yelled, beating on Saki's shoulder with his fists.

Laughing, Saki took Taka's punches before gently pushing Taka off of him. “If I agree to let you go shopping with me, will you promise not to drag me off somewhere else? I just want to get this stupid swimsuit, and be done with it.”

Taka pouted, but finally he said, “Okay, I promise.”

***

“We should go to Shibuya to get your swimsuit,” Taka declared as they left the Ministry of Science.

Saki looked at Taka in disbelief. “Why Shibuya? I know it's closer to here than Ebisu, but I don't really need anything fancy.”

Taka gave an exasperated sigh. “Saki. Fashion is important to how people perceive you. If you don't put effort into how you look, it shows.”

“Huh?” Saki said.

“As much as we say we don't judge people by their appearances, the reality is that we do. How people present themselves says a lot about their character.” Taka pointed at Saki. “For example, someone who dresses neatly and puts effort into how they do their hair and makeup says that they are someone who is willing to do the job right, and doesn't overlook small details. Someone who dresses more casually and doesn't bother trying to look put together is probably someone who would half-ass a job just to get it done. That might not be the case, mind you, but that's the impression you would give off.”

“How does that relate to a swimsuit?” Saki asked, feeling lost. “I don't need anything special, it just has to do the job. No one but you and Laika is going to see it anyway.”

“You'll probably wear the swimsuit to the beach at some point!” Taka insisted. “And lots of people will see it then!”

“I don't go to the beach,” Saki deadpanned.

“Saki, please, just work with me,” Taka pleaded. “If I have to see you in a baggy set of trunks with bulky pockets, I'll scream.”

Saki gave a long, exasperated sigh. As frustrated as he was by Taka's insistence, he also knew how important fashion was to him. His room had stacks of fashion magazines, and when he wasn't working at the Ministry of Science, Taka would be wearing all kinds of different clothes that Saki was sure were from famous stores in Shibuya. One time, Taka had shown up at Saki's house wearing pastel colored clothing, a face mask and was covered in barrettes, accessories and stickers. Saki hadn't really understood the look himself, but Taka clearly enjoyed it and it wasn't hurting anyone. And Enzan had even said fashion had encouraged Taka to leave his room. Surely he could suck it up for a day, and let Taka have his way.

“Fine,” Saki said. “Show me how to dress.”

Taka let out a sound akin to a tea kettle whistling, and then grabbed Saki's hand before dragging him towards the train station.

“You won't regret it!” Taka promised.

 _I sure hope not_ , Saki thought.

They rode the Metroline to Shibuya, and Taka dragged Saki towards a cluster of large shopping centers a block away. Despite having come to Shibuya with Netto a few weeks before, Saki found himself staring at everything around him in a dazed confusion. Everything was very big and very loud. There were humongous crowds, and enormous screens on the buildings, constantly displaying music videos or commercials. As they got closer to the shopping district, the crowds got even bigger, and things started to feel even more chaotic. Saki squeezed Taka's hand, trying to ground himself.

“Almost there!” Taka said over his shoulder.

“Why did we have to come all the way here?” Saki bemoaned.

“Specialty stores!” Taka explained. “Sure, you can get a swimsuit almost anywhere, but a specialty store will have a better selection. It's all about quality over quantity.”

“It'll probably be more expensive too,” Saki said.

“As depressing as it is, you pay for quality,” Taka said.

The shopping district had a lot of stores with huge brands, but there were smaller outlets sandwiched between them. Every conceivable space had been filled, and Saki glanced at the displays in the windows as they walked by. An upscale clothing brand was right next to a store that sold street fashion, and the jarring difference in the two sets of window displays seemed to only affect Saki, as everyone else around him treated it like business as usual.

 _Maybe I'll never really understand fashion_ , Saki thought.

“Here, this one!” Taka said, tugging on Saki's arm. He dragged Saki into a store with a bright sign that read 'Oasis'. As soon as they entered the shop, Saki was assaulted by the scent of nylon and, for some reason, sunscreen. Looking around, he saw countless racks of swimsuits and bodysuits, as well as swim accessories such as goggles and snorkels. There were a few surfboards up on the walls, and more than a few posters advertising major surf brands. Despite the masculine vibe, most of the customers in the store at the moment seemed to be female, and Saki suddenly felt self-conscious.

“What do you think?” Taka asked. 

“It's...something,” Saki said, floundering for the right words.

Taka grinned, pleased with himself. “Shin was the one who showed me this place. He used to come here all the time.” He pointed at a rack of men's swimsuits. “Let's get started, shall we?”

For the next half hour, Taka kept suggesting swimsuits, and Saki kept turning them down. He felt more and more disheartened as he looked at the rack. He couldn't find a single one he liked.

Taka sighed. “Look, at least _try_ some of my suggestions.”

“But...” Saki looked at the swimsuits in Taka's hands. “But what if—?”

“Stop being scared,” Taka said, shoving the swimsuits into Saki's hands. “Just try them on.”

Saki's felt his face heat up. “Wait, what?!”

“I can't see how they look on you if you don't model them,” Taka groused. “How can I make the right decision without data?”

Saki's ears burned. He looked at the swimsuits in his hands, and then at the small changing room door.

When Saki wouldn't move on his own, Taka pushed him towards the changing room, and forced him inside, closing the door behind him.

“Try them on one at a time,” Taka said, “And I wanna see them on you!”

With a resigned sigh, Saki got undressed and put the first swimsuit on.

“Why is this so important to you?” Saki asked.

“You have the potential to be really handsome, and you squander it by wearing such boring clothes,” Taka said. “At the very least, you know how layers work. But the patched knees on your jeans are atrocious.”

Saki's face burned with embarrassment.

“Making a good first impression with an employer is important,” Taka continued. “When you start applying to better restaurants, you'll have to look the part.”

“Wait,” Saki said, “I'm not applying anywhere right now.”

“In the _future_ , Saki,” Taka said. “Once you become a chef.”

Saki paused, and stared into the mirror at himself. “ _If_ I become a chef.”

“ _When_ you become a chef,” Taka argued.

“It's as likely to happen as you becoming an astronaut,” Saki grumbled.

“Then it's definitely going to happen,” Taka said. “I don't plan on giving up until I become an astronaut, so you can't give up either.”

Saki sighed, and opened the door of the changing room a bit. Taka pulled the door open wider, and looked him up and down.

“Hmm, the color's all wrong,” he muttered under his breath. “Next one.”

Saki closed the door sharply, and changed into the next swimsuit.

“So why did you join the Cross Fusion program anyway?” Saki asked. “Didn't you get recommended?”

“Yeah,” Taka said. “Mamma used her connections. I took the test, and they were impressed by my readings. Apparently, I had one of the highest sync rates they'd ever seen.”

“Wow,” Saki said.

“What about you?” Taka asked. “You got scouted, but you could have said no.”

“I felt obligated, I guess,” Saki said. “Plus, the money was really good.”

“Hmm, motivated by money,” Taka said with a small laugh. “I suppose there are all types.”

Saki's cheeks heated up. “What was I supposed to say? 'I felt a deep sense of justice, and knew it was my destiny'? I didn't know what I was getting into!”

He opened the door, and Taka looked him over again.

“I suppose you're right,” Taka said. “Also, I don't like this one either. Next one.”

Closing the door, Saki started changing. “We'll have to join the Net Police if we're able to master Cross Fusion, you know.”

“I knew that,” Taka said. “The Net Saviors have special permission to fight Net Crime, after all. And right after it was discovered, Cross Fusion suddenly became essential in suppressing a bunch of Net Terrorism. So you can't have one without the other.”

“But we don't need it anymore, right?” Saki asked. “There haven't been any incidents like the Super Cybeast in seven years.”

“Peace is temporary,” Taka warned. “Anything could happen at a moment's notice.” Saki heard Taka shuffle closer to the door, and whisper, “Especially with those weird chips in circulation.”

“I thought I told you to drop that,” Saki said. “We'll let the actual police handle that.”

“Yeah, but what if a _kid_ gets a hold of one of those chips?” Taka said. “It could get really bad.”

Saki hesitated. He thought about Michi or one of her classmates finding a strange chip, and shuddered.

“I mean, I get it,” Saki said, opening the changing room door. “But this is a serious crime. I doubt a couple of kids could stop a group of grown-ups.”

“Less believable things have happened,” Taka said. “Hmm, this one's better. I like the cut, but I hate the color. Let me grab something.” He ran back to the rack while Saki pulled the changing room door closed, and Saki heard Taka run back over before tossing a swimsuit over the door. Saki scrambled to catch it before it hit the ground.

“Try that one,” Taka said. “I think the color will look good on you.”

Saki looked at the swimsuit in his hands. It was mostly black, but had light blue panels up the sides.

 _It feels...kind of familiar_ , Saki thought.

“I shouldn't have kept trying to put you in reds,” Taka sighed. “Your hair is too light. It just washes you out. A cooler color will probably help.”

Saki tugged on his bangs. It was true that he did have light hair, especially since darker hair colors were more normal. He'd even been harassed for it a bit in middle school.

“Fashion lesson!” Taka said through the changing room door. “Subtle undertones in human skin can affect how different colors look on them! Hair and eye color can also affect this. So someone with lighter hair and eyes, like you, sometimes ends up with a more reddish tone to their skin, and therefore light colors can blend too easily, causing them to 'wash you out', or create a consistent, and therefore boring, effect.”

“Is that so,” said Saki.

“People like me, with red hair, tend to be even paler,” Taka explained. “So it's better to use jewel tones since they're much bolder. I tried putting you in a much deeper red, but it didn't work so good. So now I'm trying blue, which is a cooler color. It'll compliment your skin better!”

“Huh,” Saki said. “Never thought about that stuff before.”

Saki opened the changing room door, and Taka looked at Saki with a look of excitement.

“That's it, that's the one!” he said. “Hmm, but it's missing something...”

Taka quickly snatched up a light hoodie from a nearby rack, and thrust it at Saki. “Put this on.”

Obliging, Saki put the yellow hoodie on.

“Don't zip it up,” Taka instructed. “Oh, that's good! It was just what it needed!”

Saki looked at the outfit. “I don't know if I can afford both...”

“I told you I'm buying it,” Taka said. “Lemme find you some sandals.”

Saki sighed in exasperation. “I don't need—!”

“For when you go to the beach!” Taka said.

“But I'm not going to go to the beach!” Saki said.

“Trust me, you _will_ ,” Taka said, and Saki found the words almost sinister.

***

The next day, Saki nervously waited at the side of the pool, while Taka immediately jumped into the pool as soon as he got there, and swam laps until Laika finally arrived.

“It mystifies me how you have the energy to swim laps, but not to run,” Laika told Taka dryly.

“Water is my home,” Taka said. “In my heart, I am a merman.”

“You'll have to change back to a human, then,” Laika said. “Gills will only interfere with your training.”

 _Sometimes, I can't help but feel like Taka has way too many interests_ , Saki thought. _He loves space, but also loves fashion, video games, anime, building models, and now swimming. What's next? He's going to tell me he wants to be a pop idol?_

“Tanaka,” Laika said, breaking through Saki's thoughts. “Get in the pool.”

“Huh? O-oh, right...” Saki stared at the water nervously.

 _I'm not going in that far_ , Saki told himself. _Just up to my waist or so. It's not that bad. I can do that_.

Slowly, Saki stepped into the pool, trying to control his nerves. It took all his willpower not to shrink back, and eventually managed to get off the stairs and stand on the pool's floor. He waded out a bit, and stopped once the water hit his waist.

 _Augh, this is super scary_ , Saki thought. _It's pathetic that I'm scared of this..._

“You okay, Saki?” Taka asked him. “You look pale.”

Saki looked at Taka, who was up to his chest in the water due to being shorter. “I'm fine, it's just...a little cold, I guess.”

Taka laughed. “You'll get used to it in no time!”

A shrill whistle blew, and both boys looked up at Laika. He let the silver whistle around his neck drop, and addressed them in a firm voice.

“Today, you'll both be expanding your lungs,” he said. “You'll take the deepest breath that you can, and then go underwater as you hold it. Do not surface until you absolutely cannot hold your breath any longer.”

Saki raised his hand. “What happens if one of us starts drowning?”

Laika, clearly unfazed, said, “I have CPR training.”

“You'll be fine,” Taka said. “You took swimming lessons in school, right?”

“Uhh, actually—” Saki began, but Laika's whistle cut him off.

“Deep breath in,” Laika commanded.

Saki took a large breath. _Here we go, I guess_.

“And, under!” Laika said, blowing his whistle again.

Fearfully, Saki plunged underwater, and fought his instinct to surface. Despite his best efforts to stay down, he kept floating upward again. He struggled to stay at the bottom of the pool, flailing his arm to push himself downward. Eventually, he could feel his lungs starting to burn, and eagerly shot back to the surface. He gasped loudly, and took in a few frantic breaths.

“Good, Tanaka. Twenty-eight seconds. That's about average.” Laika looked up from his stopwatch. “Wakahisa managed seventeen.”

“Yay!” Taka wheezed, lifting his fist in triumph.

“Staying under is hard!” Saki said between breaths. “I just keep floating upward.”

“Keep trying!” Taka said. “It takes practice to stay submerged.”

Again and again, both boys held their breath and submerged themselves. Their times seemed to stay consistent, although Taka's got a little longer as time went on. After what seemed like an eternity, Laika finally put his stopwatch away.

“That's enough for today,” he said. “Hit the showers.”

 _Finally_ , Saki thought, quickly wading towards the pool stairs. _I can get out of this watery hellhole_.

“Gonna do a few more laps before I go shower,” Taka said to Saki. “Don't wait up for me!”

“Are you sure?” Saki asked. “You must be tired after all that!”

“I wanna take advantage of being in the water,” Taka said. “I'll be okay, I promise!”

Despite Taka's insistence, Saki stayed the whole time to make sure Taka didn't get a cramp and drown.

 _I kind of admire Taka's determination_ , Saki thought as he watched Taka do laps. _Even though he's really struggling with Laika's training, he still throws himself into it every day. Maybe he's actually trying to get stronger in his own way by doing the extra swimming...?_

Taka crawled out of the pool at the end of his laps, and lay flat on the tiles, wheezing.

“Maybe...that was a...bad idea...” he managed between breaths. “My limbs...feel like...pudding...”

“Want me to carry you to the showers?” Saki asked.

“Please,” Taka said.

***

Sunday came before Saki knew it. He thought about what Taka had told him about fashion, and stared at his limited wardrobe, trying to decide what to wear.

“Whatcha doing?” Keiko asked.

Saki jumped slightly. “I was just trying to pick out what to wear.”

“Oh?” Keiko studied her son's face carefully. “Got a _date?_ ”

“I'm just hanging out with Taka today,” Saki said. “He's trying to cheer me up.”

“Ahh, I see!” Keiko said. “Then you have to look good, don't you?”

Sighing, Saki gestured at his clothes. “I don't want to embarrass him, but I don't have a lot of options.”

“Hmm, I guess it's about time to get you kids new clothes,” Keiko said. “For now, let's just work with what you have.” 

They spent some time coordinating an outfit for Saki, eventually settling on a pair of worn-in blue jeans, a dark top, and the yellow sweatshirt Taka had bought him the other day.

“It might be nice to pull your hair up,” Keiko suggested. “A high ponytail? Or how about just a small one, with the rest being loose?” She ran her hand through Saki's hair enviously. “I wish my hair was as nice as yours is.”

“Mom,” Saki said, “Stop.”

“Sorry,” she said, pulling her hand away.

Saki had barely thrown on his clothes and styled his hair before there was a knock at the front door. He ran to open it before Michi could.

“Yo,” Taka said, greeting Saki with a big smile.

“Hey,” Saki said.

Taka's eyes lit up as he saw Saki. “I see you tried to coordinate! Very impressive.”

“Mom helped,” Saki said, embarrassed.

“Still a good look,” Taka said, nodding. “I approve.”

Saki looked at Taka's own outfit—an asymmetric shirt and vest, a short skirt and printed leggings—and again pondered if he would ever truly understand fashion. His gaze stopped at Taka's head, and he found himself surprised that Taka had chosen to wear his hair down for once. It fell over his shoulders in loose waves, and his bangs had been held in place with a variety of star-themed barrettes. He was even wearing a different pair of headphones, ones that went with the outfit.

“You, uhh...” Saki stumbled. _How do I say this without sounding rude...?_ “You give off a very... _feminine_ vibe.”

“I guess I do,” Taka said, shrugging.

Saki tried a few times to say something else, but couldn't seem to find the words to do so.

“Does it bother you?” Taka asked. “That I look feminine?”

“Uhh, well, it's just...” Saki stammered.

“Someone might think I'm your _girlfriend?_ ” Taka teased.

Saki felt his ears heat up. “That's not it!”

Laughing, Taka grabbed Saki's hand. “C'mon, let's go! Stop stressing out over stuff, and just have fun!”

It turned out that Taka had brought the car that day. Taka all but shoved Saki inside, and jumped in after him.

“Driver, to the arcade!” Taka said.

“Roger that!” Axl said, and the car slowly pulled away from the curb.

“I'll never get used to that,” Saki muttered.

“I have a whole day planned!” Taka said excitedly, clapping his hands together. His numerous bangles clinked together loudly. “We're going to hit the arcade, then we'll go have lunch, and then maybe we'll go to the amusement park—”

“Hold on,” Saki said. “Don't I get a say in any of this?”

“I mean, sure,” Taka said. “Was there something you wanted to do?”

“Well, I mean...” Saki sighed. “Not really. But the arcade...isn't really somewhere I want to be, especially right now.”

Taka gave a thoughtful hum. “Did you go there on your date with Netto?”

 _Ouch_ , Saki thought, _he figured that out right away_.

“I had a feeling that might have been the case, which is why we're going there,” Taka said. “You have to face it eventually. Plus, I just really love going there.”

“I'm not good at video games,” Saki said.

“You don't have to be,” Taka replied. “What's important is to have fun!”

Saki sighed. “Well, I guess there was this one game that I kind of liked. It had a sword, and you cut down zombies...it's a dumb premise though.”

“Well, yeah, of course it's dumb,” Taka said, “But it's fun, so who cares?” He grinned. “I love Dead Souls! You also kill zombies in that one, but you shoot them instead.”

“Why are there so many games about killing zombies?” Saki wondered aloud.

“We absolutely have to go a few rounds in Pavement Pounder,” Taka said. “Axl really loves that one too.”

“I'm unbeatable,” Axl said proudly.

“Wait, what?” Saki asked, blinking. “Navis can play too?”

“There's a few updated cabinets,” Taka explained. “They have ports for linking with PETs. Once your Navi is inside, they can take the place of the character. However, they can only use the same moves as the character you selected.”

“I had no idea that was a thing,” Saki said.

“Apparently, one of the regulars to the arcade set them up,” Taka explained. “The owner said that this person offered to modify a few existing cabinets that needed repairs. They're not as popular as the regular cabinets, but I think they're a great idea.”

“And you...want me and Zero to try them?” Saki asked.

“Of course!” Taka said. “That way, you don't have to play if you don't want to.”

Saki gave Taka a hard look. “You know Zer0 will never lose to Axl, right?”

Taka grinned. “Bring it on.”

***

The arcade Taka dragged Saki to ended up being the very same arcade that Netto had taken Saki to during their date. He felt his stomach clenching as they approached, but no amount of squirming would break Taka's grip on him. Saki braced himself as they entered, and a wall of sound hit him just as hard as the first time he'd gone into the arcade.

“It's so loud in here,” Saki said.

“You get used to it,” Taka said.

“Says the guy with headphones,” Saki grumbled.

As Taka and Saki walked to the token dispenser, Taka looked at Saki expectantly. “What do you want to do first?”

“Leave,” Saki joked.

Taka pouted. “If you don't pick, I'll pick for you.”

“I'll play whatever game you want,” Saki said. “They're all kind of the same.”

Taka sighed. “Fine then. I want to go a few rounds on the BBR machine.”

Saki frowned. “BBR?”

“Beat Beat Revelation,” Taka explained. “It's a rhythm game, where you step on pads that correspond to the icons on the screen. I'm actually the one who holds the high score on it!”

“Really?” Saki asked. It didn't sound like a difficult game, so he shrugged. “Sure, we can do that one.”

Taka grinned as he fished the tokens out of the machine. “Great. Get ready to lose!”

When Saki saw the actual BBR machine itself, he started to feel doubtful about his own abilities. There were large metal platforms that the players stood on, each with multiple buttons with directional arrows on them. There was a bar on the back of the platform, and Taka said it was so people could brace themselves so that they didn't fall off.

“When the difficulty goes up, most people just lean back and move their feet instead of trying to stand up and do it. There are just too many inputs, and people often trip and fall.”

“Yikes,” Saki said. “Sounds really dangerous.”

“It can be,” Taka said, “But it's still really fun.”

Saki didn't feel convinced, and it probably showed on his face, because Taka gave him a sympathetic look.

“We can play at a lower difficulty if you'd like,” Taka said. “There's also a cooperative mode, where your scores are combined, so you don't have to feel like you're competing with me.”

“I don't think I could win against you,” Saki admitted.

Taka pointed to the screen, where the initials WKA were listed next to a ridiculously high score. “That's me!” He sighed dreamily. “I was on fire that day.”

Saki checked the rest of the list of scores. WKA was listed many times, but there were a few other initials, such as NET, EZN, and MKO.

“You only get three letters, huh?” Saki asked.

“Yeah,” Taka said. “Most people shorten their names or use their initials. There's always the people who don't care, and just use AAA, but most gamers are proud of their accomplishments and compete for the top scores. Leaderboards can change daily, sometimes multiple times a day.”

“Wow, crazy,” Saki said.

“There used to be a Para Para machine in this arcade a long time ago, back before I started coming here,” Taka said with a sigh. “Ahh, I would have loved to have played it!”

“Para Para is the one where you have to move your arms, right?” Saki asked.

Taka nodded. “It was big like ten or fifteen years ago, but it fell out of fashion, and BBR took over.” Taka dropped a token in both of the machine's slots before hopping onto his dance pad. “Okay, let's see...what should we dance to...?” He used the pad's buttons to look over the selection. “There are so many good ones on here.”

Saki looked over the list. “I don't really recognize any of these.”

“They're all dance songs,” Taka said. “Lots of them are club remixes.” He scrolled through the list. “Twenty-Four Hour Cinderella, Hibikase, Blast Speed...” Taka finally stopped. “Okay, this is the one.”

Saki squinted at the title. “'Install Your Heart?'”

“It's a fun one!” Taka said. “We're on cooperative, so go ahead and set your difficulty to easy. I'll play on hard.”

Fumbling to find the right buttons on the pad, Saki somehow managed to select the correct difficulty. The game started a short tutorial about what the different game icons meant, and how to step on the pads. Saki made his way through the tutorial without much difficulty, and felt a little bit more confident. Finally, the song itself started.

Saki tried to focus on stepping on the right arrows, but he managed to glance over at Taka's side of the screen, and felt his heart stutter. Taka's screen had three times as many arrows, and Taka was making the act of stepping on the right buttons look incredibly easy. He even had a small swing to his movements, as if he was actually dancing. Saki forced himself to focus on his own screen, and managed to fumble his way through the song without too many mistakes. At the end, he braced himself against the bar and panted.

“This is a real workout,” he said.

“It's how I try to stay in shape,” Taka said.

Saki looked at Taka curiously. “You know, when I see you swimming or playing this crazy game, you seem like you're comfortable and in the zone. But when you run, you're totally different. They're all very physically demanding things, but it's only running that gives you trouble.”

“I don't know,” Taka said. “Stuff like dancing and swimming are fun. Maybe I just focus on that fact more than it being really hard to do.”

 _Maybe that's the key then_ , Saki thought. _Taka doesn't apply himself unless it's something he really enjoys_.

“Oh, not a bad score!” Taka said. “But we still have one more song to pick, what do you want?”

“I'll trust your judgment,” Saki said.

“You got it,” Taka said, picking a fast eurobeat song.

Saki had a much harder time with this one, and messed up a whole bunch of times. Taka, on the other hand, hardly seemed fazed, and sang along even though the lyrics were in english. By the end, Saki wanted to lie down on the floor.

“We got a pretty good score, so let's put our initials in!” Taka said. “Hmm...how about...TAS?”

“Sure...” Saki panted.

Taka put the initials in, and patted Saki on the back. “Wanna take five? I can get you some water.”

“I'm okay,” Saki lied. “I just need to sit down.”

“Take a breather, I'll go another round,” Taka said.

Saki plopped down on a nearby bench, and watched Taka play a few more songs. Being able to give Taka his full attention, Saki was surprised to see Taka did not just have perfect footwork, but also moved his arms as well. 

_When Taka plays, it's more like a dance and less like flailing around_ , thought Saki. 

By the end of his set, Taka was visibly tired, and plopped down on the bench next to Saki, grinning ear to ear.

“I don't think I should do another set today,” he said. “I have to save some energy for the rest of the day.”

Saki cleared his throat. “Umm, I...thought you did really well.” He scratched his cheek. “Like...it was more like you were dancing.”

“It _is_ a rhythm game,” Taka said.

“Yeah, but...you also...moved your arms,” Saki said. He cursed himself internally. _I sound like a fool_.

A laugh escaped Taka. “Oh, I guess I get really into it. I never really noticed before.” Taka smiled at Saki. “You did really well for your first time! You didn't miss many notes, and you didn't lose all your meter!”

“I, uhh...” Saki shrugged. “I don't know. I felt kind of clumsy.”

“It's always like that at the beginning,” Taka said. “If you keep practicing, you'll get better in no time!”

They sat on the bench for a little while longer, and then Taka suggested that they go play another game. Saki said that they should find one they could sit in, since they were both still tired. Taka agreed, and showed Saki a game that was actually a virtual roller coaster.

“It's a silly time waster, but it's fun!” Taka said. “You can pick from a bunch of real roller coasters, and the car moves to simulate the experience.”

After scrolling through the selections, they settled on a wooden roller coaster. Saki had thought that it would be a laughable experience, but it ended up being pretty exhilarating, since the display was pretty realistic, and the design was based off of an existing roller coaster. Plus, the car tilted and rattled, and there were the sounds of clanking wheels and the screech of metal on metal, adding to the realism. By the end, Saki felt like he'd gone on an actual roller coaster.

“All it was missing was the wind in your hair,” Saki said with a laugh.

“I like games like this because you can experience something scary in a much safer environment,” Taka said, exiting the ride. “One day, if I have to ride in a rocket, I'll experience intense g-forces and have to confront terrifying heights. I figure a roller coaster is the next best thing.”

“Do you use video games as _training?_ ” Saki asked.

“Sure! Taka said. “At the arcade, I can train for a rocket launch, practice singing and dancing to build stamina and lung capacity, and sharpen up my aim and reflexes.”

When Taka put it like that, Saki couldn't argue with him.

“Are you ready to lose at Pavement Pounder?” Taka asked.

“I got some practice when I came here with Netto,” Saki said, grinning. “I'm not going down without a fight!”

“That's the spirit!” Taka said, leading them over to the modified Pavement Pounder cabinets, which were not only slightly separated from the rest of the cabinets, but also had a sign posted on them explaining the PET ports. Saki looked at the other machines, which all had large crowds milling around them, more than likely other players waiting for their turns, but there was no one anywhere near the modified cabinets.

“You weren't kidding, they aren't popular at all,” Saki muttered.

“Some people think it's like cheating,” Taka explained. “And some people are purists. You can still play these cabinets like normal, but they don't feel authentic to them.” Taka shrugged. “It means that they're always free, so that's something to be thankful for!”

Taka handed Saki half of the tokens, and they each took a cabinet, their Navis settling in on their shoulders to watch.

“Let's play a few rounds ourselves first,” Taka said. “I wanna see how much you've learned.”

Saki selected the sumo wrestler, as he had the first time he'd played Pavement Pounder at the arcade, and Taka picked a woman in chinese clothing. At first, Saki wasn't sure why, until Taka started countering all of Saki's combos, and swiftly put an end to the fight.

“She's really strong,” Saki muttered.

“You have to be careful around her,” Taka said. “She can attack from pretty far away, and her moves are easy to combo.”

Saki tried again, this time trying to utilize throws more, but Taka proved to be too wily and once again swiftly put an end to the match.

“Not bad!” Taka said. “When you played at my house, you kind of just hit whatever buttons. But you're trying to use combos now, so you clearly have an idea of what you're doing.”

“I have to thank Netto,” Saki said. “He gave me some advice.”

They played a few more matches, Saki trying different characters while Taka mostly stuck to the female fighter. After five matches, Saki held up his hands in surrender.

“I can't compete against you,” he said.

“I just spend a lot of time playing,” Taka said. “That's all. You're doing really good though! And you've only played a few times! I bet with more practice, you'll be better than me in no time.”

“I'll pass,” Saki said.

“Okay, enough messing around,” Taka said with a twinkle in his eye. “It's time for our Navis to throw down.”

“Are you ready, Zer0?” Saki asked.

“I am,” Zer0 said.

The boys plugged their Navis into the machine, and they stood on the character select screen, facing each other.

“I'll let you pick your character first,” Axl said.

“Very well.” Zer0 said. “I choose this one.” He selected a male fighter in a bright red gi.

“Then I'll also pick him,” Axl said, selecting the same fighter.

The match started, and both Navis entered the area, and Saki noticed both Navis wore gis over their armor. However, Axl's gi was black rather than the red gi that Zero wore.

“When you play a mirror match—that's when the same character faces themselves—the second player's color pallet is different to distinguish it,” Taka explained. “Lots of games do this.”

“Okay,” Axl said, “Show me what you can do.”

“As this character does not wield a sword, I must rely on my own strength and reflexes to win,” Zer0 said. He advanced towards Axl, who seemed oddly calm, and once he was within range, Zer0 attempted to land a punch. However, as if expecting this, Axl countered with his own punch, and the two attacks canceled each other out. Surprised, but not discouraged, Zer0 launched a combo of punches, followed by a kick. Axl countered each hit with one of his own, mirroring Zer0 almost perfectly.

“What the heck is going on?” Saki asked.

“Axl's very talented at mimicry,” Taka explained. “The key to using his Chameleon Circuit skill successfully is to understand how the original Navi would move and fight. Because of this, he carefully studies his opponents, and tries to copy their fighting style. But even I could copy Zer0's moves right now, they're so basic.”

“Let me give you an example of what you could be doing,” Axl said. “Tatsumaki Senpukyaku!” He kicked off the ground, and hammered Zer0 with a series of areal kicks, which Zer0 managed to block but was still shoved back.

“I see,” Zer0 said. “The true power of this character lies in their legs.”

Not giving Zer0 a chance to follow up, Axl rushed in for another kicking combo, and then a punch. As Zer0 tried to counter, Axl ducked down, and launched himself into a fiery, spiraling uppercut.

“SHORYUKEN!”

The attack connected with Zer0 jaw and flung him skyward. Zer0 managed to land after the hit, and patted out the fire that had clung to his body, a firm resolve in his eyes.

“An attack that utilizes both the legs and the arms?” He seemed to be dissecting the attack in his mind.

“The Shoryuken is this character's signature move,” Taka explained. “Combined with his Tatsumaki Senpukyaku, he's a formidable character.”

“If we can't learn those moves, you'll never win,” Saki said to Zer0.

But Zer0 didn't seem to be listening. After a moment he said, “I shall master this 'Shoryuken' for myself. I have decided.”

“Oh?” Axl asked. “You wanna learn the 'Shoryuken'?” A nasty grin slowly spread across his face. “I can help teach it to you.”

“Please do,” Zer0 said.

“Great,” Axl said. “Let's start by pounding it into you!”

Axl attacked again and again, using the Shoryuken to launch Zer0 over and over, until even Saki was cringing at every hit. Every time a match ended, another one would start up, and the abuse would start all over again. Saki thought about putting a stop to it, but Zer0 shook his head.

“I am close,” he said.

Right on cue, Axl launched himself at Zer0, intent on landing yet another Shoryuken, but this time, Zer0 was prepared. He countered the hit, which startled Axl, and then used a kick to get Axl into the air. He crouched, and sprung upwards, his body spiraling as he flew up to connect his fist with Axl. However, instead of the fiery power Axl's attack had Zer0's fist connected in a blast of wind.

“SHORYUKEN!”

Axl flew upwards, arching before he landed heavily on the stage again. Axl tried to get up, but gave a groan before collapsing back onto the floor.

“I surrender,” he moaned.

Taka stared at his screen in wide-eyed shock. “Wow...that was a real hit, wasn't it?”

“Ahh, was I perhaps too forceful?” Zer0 asked, suddenly panicked.

“I'll live,” Axl groaned. “I just wasn't ready for how much power you put into that one.”

“You knocked off half his life bar,” Taka said. “In one hit.”

“Sorry about that,” Saki said. “Zer0 kind of doesn't really know his own strength sometimes.”

Zer0 ran over to Axl, and helped him back up to his feet. He then bowed apologetically.

“Please forgive me, I did not mean you any harm.”

“Zer0, my dude, we were having a fight,” Axl laughed. “Someone was gonna get hurt at some point.” He grinned and patted Zer0's shoulder. “But it means a lot to me that you apologized anyway.”

Saki sighed, and ran a hand through his hair. “I guess Zer0 will have to learn the character's move sets before we try again.”

“But on the bright side, he learned the Shoryuken all by himself!” Taka said.

“Yes,” Zer0 said. “And I believe I may be able to utilize it in Net Battles as well.”

“Hey, since you learned the Shoryuken, let's try teaching you the Hadoken too!” Axl said excitedly.

“I think one technique is enough for today,” Saki said.

The boys plugged their Navis out, and left the cabinets.

“Wanna play something else?” Taka asked. “I have lots of tokens left!”

“As long as it doesn't involve Zer0 attacking things,” Saki joked. “Or the next thing you know, I'll have to pay for a damaged machine.”

***

After leaving the arcade, they boys got lunch at a nearby yakiniku restaurant. Taka ate more meat than Saki had ever seen one person consume in a single sitting before, and momentarily considered the idea that a black hole might exist inside Taka's stomach. However, when confronted with vegetables, Taka refused to touch them, and Saki chided him for not having a balanced diet.

“You promised you'd make more of an effort for me!” Saki said.

“But I _am_ trying!” Taka said. “I eat pickled ginger with my beef bowls, and I eat the carrots and potatoes in my stew!”

Rather than argue further, Saki let the issue drop, and simply ate the vegetables that Taka had abandoned.

After lunch, they went to a small theme park and rode the rides. Taka kept pausing for sweets, and Saki pointed out that Taka should have been full after eating so much meat at lunch.

“I always have room for sweets,” Taka said, munching on his crepe.

“Well, you'll get sick if you keep eating,” Saki nagged. “Especially if we ride anything else.”

“I'll be fine!” Taka insisted. “If I get sick, you'll take care of me, right?”

“Don't assume I'll always be there to take care of you,” Saki warned. “I might just decide to put you in the car and send you home instead.”

“Noooo, don't abandon me, Saki!” Taka whined, clinging to Saki's arm.”That would be too mean!”

Much to Saki's surprise, Taka didn't get sick even after stuffing himself and going on a roller coaster. Having now experienced a real roller coaster, Saki felt like he preferred the virtual version. Afterward, they rode the ferris wheel and the merry-go-round before going on a few themed rides and finally the spinning teacups. Saki especially hated the teacups, and spent a few minutes trying not to lose his lunch near a bush while Taka stood watch.

“How can you be okay after that...?” Saki asked.

“G-force training,” Taka explained. “I'm used to it now.” He rubbed Saki's back soothingly. “Want me to get you something to soothe your stomach?”

“I'll be okay,” Saki said, “It's already passing.” He got to his feet, and dusted himself off. “Thanks though,” he said, his face heating up a little bit.

“No problem!” Taka said. “If you ever need anything, just ask!”

***

While the boys ate lunch and went to the amusement park, Netto and Enzan were eating at a ramen cart that frequented a park near the Ministry of Science. Netto looked around and sighed almost happily.

“Just us again today, I see.”

“No one else would eat here,” Enzan said. “The broth is way too salty.”

“True,” Netto said. “But it's better that way.”

The owner of the cart passed them two bowls of freshly made ramen, and busied himself while they ate.

“Not having people accidentally overhear us is worth all this sodium,” Enzan muttered, wincing at the taste of his food.

“So, what are we talking about today?” Netto asked.

Enzan paused to take a large sip of water. “I wanted to talk about the security footage from the past couple of months.”

“Ahh,” Netto said, nodding. “Yeah, I saw it.”

“Then you're aware that Wakahisa has been sneaking around in places he shouldn't be?” Enzan asked.

“Yeah,” Netto said, unusually serious. “He was in Dad's office a few times. And he's been in the records room a bunch. He even went into the data room. He managed to get past the firewalls.”

“Axl is a Navi built for espionage,” Enzan said, shaking his head. “Perhaps he was unintentionally designed that way, but Wakahisa is utilizing him to his full potential. They've broken through quite a few of my firewalls lately.”

“What could he be looking for?” Netto mused.

“From what I've managed to uncover, most of the files he's looking at concern past projects and the dimensional core,” Blues explained. “There have also been quite a few files concerning ancient civilizations, all of which he has accessed recently.”

“What do they all have in common?” Netto asked.

“I don't know,” Enzan said, sighing. “All of it seems rather random, especially the files concerning ancient civilizations.” He paused, thinking. “If I ignore those, however, I would hazard a guess that he was trying to find out how the dimensional core operates. He also accessed files on the Synchro Chips, and a few on the Dark Chips.”

Netto shivered. “Eugh, I'd rather those stayed buried.”

“I feel the same way,” Enzan reassured Netto. “For now, nothing has come of his digging. But whatever he's doing, I think it might be related to the case I'm currently working on.”

Netto raised an eyebrow. “Oh? The one you won't tell me about?”

Enzan sighed. “All I can tell you is that there is a group out there manufacturing chips from an undisclosed location. Every time we get close, they dump everything and disappear. It's likely they might be receiving information from someone inside the Net Police.”

“There might be a spy?” Netto asked, wiggling excitedly. “Any idea who it might be?”

Enzan shook his head. “It's unclear. And it can't be Wakahisa, since he doesn't have clearance to see any of that data, nor has he tried to access it. However, Vega has popped up a few times in my investigation, mostly in connection to factories that could possibly be making the chips.”

“Vega makes parts for space vessels and satellites,” Netto said, frowning. “Why would they be making chips?”

“Who knows?” Enzan said. “I had thought that their factories were simply being used without the company's knowledge, since the number of contracts they have at any given time fluctuates and many factories are empty for extended periods. But if Wakahisa is poking around over here, there might be a chance that Vega really _is_ involved.”

Netto frowned into his bowl of ramen. “There's a chance that Taka is simply being used.”

“That thought had crossed my mind, yes,” Enzan said. “But without confronting him, I can't be certain.”

“Should we confront him then?” Netto asked.

“Not yet,” Enzan said. “As risky as it is, I want to monitor his movements a little bit longer. It might yield a clue.”

Netto sighed and crossed his arms. “That's fine by me. I still want to believe that Taka has some reason for all of this. My hope is that he comes forward by himself.”

“So do I,” Enzan said. He took a sip of his soup, and cringed again. “Ugh, why do I keep tormenting myself like this?”

“Because you want to see the dog,” Netto said with a grin. “You have to admit the dog's cute.” He pointed to a dog lounging at his feet. “Isn't that right, Renge? Aren't you just the cutest?”

The dog lifted its head and wagged its tail happily at Netto's words.

***

After riding as many of the rides as they could, Taka and Saki stumbled towards the theme park's exit. Overhead, in the evening sky, a few fireworks exploded.

“Tamaya!” Taka called out sleepily.

“Had enough for one day?” Saki asked.

“Mmm, yeah,” Taka said, snuggling against Saki's arm as they walked. “Today was soooo much fun!”

Saki smiled softly. “Yeah, I had fun too.”

“Good!” Taka said. “That's good.”

After a moment of silence, Saki asked, “Why did you want to take me out today anyway?”

“Because you were sad,” Taka said, “And fun makes the sad go away.”

Saki patted Taka's head. “You sound like you're going to fall asleep at any moment.”

“I might,” Taka admitted.

Saki paused. “Want me to carry you?” he asked.

“No,” Taka said. “I can walk. I have to walk up the stairs at home anyway.”

“Okay then,” Saki said, and continued to support Taka as they walked out of the park. As they got to the car, Saki carefully helped Taka into his seat before getting in from the other side. Sleepily, Taka plugged Axl into the car, and then flopped against Saki with a soft sigh. Saki patted Taka's hair again.

“I wouldn't mind doing something like this again,” Saki said.

“Mmm, good,” Taka said. “I'm glad.”

For a while, neither spoke. Saki glanced over at Taka, and saw that he'd fallen asleep against Saki's shoulder, so he slowly lowered Taka's head into his lap.

 _Just like a little kid_ , Saki thought, bemused. _He wore himself out_.

“Don't worry about him,” Axl said. “I'll get him into bed, one way or another.”

“Thanks, Axl,” Saki said. “I really mean it.”

“For what?” Axl chuckled.

“For a lot of things. For driving us around, and for teaching Zer0 a new move. And...for always taking care of Taka.”

Axl made a noise of content. “Taka's a good kid. He's like my brother. I wouldn't let anything happen to him, no matter what. I'd sooner be deleted than see him get hurt.”

“Let's hope it never comes to that,” Saki said.

“The truth is, Taka's trying really hard to be a grown-up. Maybe a little too hard,” said Axl. “I can see him stretching himself really thin all the time, putting on a brave face and pretending like nothing is wrong. But he's alone almost all the time, and he can't really rely on anyone but me for anything.” Axl laughed. “Or, well, I guess he can rely on you too now, huh?”

Saki smiled. “Yeah. I don't mind it if he depended on me more. ”

“You and me both,” Axl said.

He stroked Taka's hair. “It's like he's my little brother.”

There was silence in the car for a long time. Saki continued to stroke Taka's hair, and every now and then, Taka would murmur in his sleep.

“Hey...” Axl said, his voice strangely timid. “Umm, can I ask you something?”

“What?” Saki asked.

“Uhh...if Taka...was ever in trouble...would you help him?”

Saki blinked. “Of course I would.”

“You mean that?” Axl asked.

“Of course,” Saki repeated.

Axl seemed to sigh with relief. “Okay, well, I'm going to hold you to that.”

“You're not going to get him into trouble or something, are you?” Saki asked, suspiciously.

“Me?” Axl said. “Ahaha! Funny! Like I'd ever get Taka in trouble!”

Saki narrowed his eyes.

“I'm the very model of a model Navi,” Axl insisted. “I never do anything bad!”

“Not even stealing other Navis secrets and using them against them?” Saki asked.

“All's fair in love and Net Battles,” Axl said.

As the car pulled up to Saki's apartment complex, he gently moved Taka's head so he could get out of the car, and then carefully arranged Taka on the seats so that he could continue to rest comfortably until he got home. Closing the door after him, Saki waved at the car.

“Remember what I said!” Axl called before pulling away from the curb and driving off into the night.

Saki walked to his apartment, and leaned against the door. Slowly, he buried his nose in his hoodie, and breathed deep. It smelled like smoke and sugar and dust, like all the things they had done that day. Saki smiled.

 _I really wouldn't mind more days like today_ , he thought.


	16. All Fun And Games

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Tired of being in a cast and bored out of his mind, Netto incites a prank war in the office. Meanwhile, Saki picks up a part-time job.

The office was mostly quiet, and Saki ate his lunch in peace at the break room's table. Nothing particularly interesting had happened for the past few days, and he was finally able to start relaxing again.

 _Now if it could only stay this quiet_ , he thought.

Just as he was about to take a bite of his lunch, however, Enzan entered the room with a loud, frustrated sigh, and Saki was so surprised that he dropped the piece of karaage he'd been holding.

“I can't believe him sometimes...” Enzan muttered as he set about making himself coffee, opening and shutting the cupboards rather forcefully.

“Uhh,” Saki began, unsure if he should ask what was wrong.

Right on cue, Enzan whirled around and looked at Saki. “Do you know what Netto's been up to?”

Saki shook his head.

“Lucky,” Enzan muttered. He ran a hand through his hair and took a deep breath. “He's been pulling pranks all over the office.”

“Pranks?” Saki asked, puzzled. “I wasn't aware that Netto was the kind of person who pulled pranks.”

Enzan sighed loudly. “Quite the opposite. Netto has a _talent_ for pranks, and mercilessly terrorizes people with them. Some of the stories I heard from Sakurai-san about their elementary school days gave me chills. I'd thought that he'd dropped that habit once he started college, but I see now that I was mistaken.”

“So, what did he do, exactly?” Saki asked.

Enzan looked at Saki with a tired expression. “He switched out my coffee for decaf, as a starter. He also managed to trick several members of the staff, myself included, into getting shocked by a hand buzzer. He disguised a can full of stuffed snakes as one of Wakahisa's snack tins and nearly gave the boy a heart attack. He also planted whoopie cushions in all the chairs in the meeting room. And that's just what happened _this morning_.”

“Wow,” Saki said.

Enzan returned to making a cup of coffee, carefully examining the coffee can before opening it. “I theorize that he's going stir crazy from being in a cast for so long.”

“It's not like we can do anything about it,” Saki said. 

“That's true. Confronting him on it didn't do anything at all,” Enzan said. He put water in the coffee maker, and turned it on. “But if we don't find a way to stop him, we'll be at his mercy until he gets it out of his system.”

Saki took a bite of his lunch, and thought about the situation a bit.

“What if we lay some kind of trap for him?” he asked.

“That might work,” Enzan said, “But the trick will be getting him to fall for it in the first place.”

The two thought about what kind of trap might work for a bit. Eventually, the coffee maker stopped, and Enzan poured himself a cup, a look of relief on his face.

“I'm so glad to have caffeine back in my system,” he said, taking a sip. Afterwards, he looked at Saki, and seemed to think of something. “Oh, would you like one too?”

“I suppose so, since you made it and all,” Saki replied. “Can I have mine with milk and sugar?”

Enzan nodded, and opened the fridge door. All at once, there was a loud 'pop!' and a shower of confetti. Enzan jumped like a cat, and nearly fell against the wall. Saki felt his heart leap up into his throat.

“Wha—?!” Enzan stared at the fridge with wide eyes. 

A cackle erupted near the door to the break room, and Saki looked over to see Netto pointing at Enzan and laughing hysterically. 

“Oh boy! You should've seen your face, Enzan!” Netto said.

Enzan's expression quickly shifted between terror and anger and settled on stoic. “ _Netto_.”

“Oops! Are you angry, Enzan?” Netto asked playfully, backing up. “Guess I went a little too far, huh?”

“This is getting ridiculous,” Enzan said, frowning at Netto. “Everyone's already tired of your pranks. You could have hurt someone with that last one!”

“I made sure it was safe!” Netto insisted. “It wasn't anything more than a party popper that I rigged to go off when the door was opened. I even made sure to point it away from whoever was opening the door.” He straightened his back. “'No harm, no foul', that's my philosophy.”

“Even if your pranks are harmless, they're making everyone miserable,” Enzan said.

“If you don't like it,” Netto said with a nasty grin, “Then do something about it!”

Enzan glared at Netto. “Maybe I will,” he growled.

The two stared at each other for a few moments, and then Netto slipped past Enzan and flopped into a chair at the table. With a small huff, Enzan turned, and walked back to the counter to finish making Saki's coffee.

“I can do that,” Saki said, starting to get up.

“Let him finish,” Netto said, stopping Saki. “Or he'll just snap at you.”

Saki sat back down, feeling a little bit guilty. If he'd made his own cup of coffee, Enzan wouldn't have been the one scared.

Enzan placed the cup of coffee down in front of Saki with more force than was necessary. When Saki looked at Enzan's face, however, he was glaring at Netto again.

“Is there a straw or something around?” Netto asked casually. “My arm is itching, and I can't just scratch it, being in a cast and all.”

“Get it yourself,” Enzan told Netto. “And clean up that mess while you're at it.”

“I'd love to, but it's kind of hard to do with my arm like this.” He motioned to his cast. “Boy, I can't wait to get out of it, though!”

“Did they say when you could get it taken off?” Saki asked, desperate to lighten the mood.

“Sure did!” Netto said. “June 9th, the day before my birthday!”

“Oh!” Saki exclaimed. “I didn't realize your birthday was so close.”

“It sure is,” Netto said proudly. “And, of course, I expect you to be at the celebration.”

“Umm, I'm not really one for parties,” Saki said. 

Netto fixed Saki with a strange look. “All birthday celebrations are mandatory.”

“Wait, is this a company policy or something...?” Saki looked at Enzan, who simply shrugged.

“Personal policy,” Netto said. “All birthdays have to be celebrated. No one is exempt.”

“What if I can't make it that day?” Saki asked.

“Then make room in your schedule!” Netto said.

Saki frowned. “What if I have to work that day?”

“Change shifts with someone,” Netto said.

“How about if there's some kind of emergency?”

“Then I'll come and pick you up personally,” Netto said. “Face it, Saki, you can't escape.”

Saki grumbled. Now he'd have to go get Netto a birthday present, as well as find someone willing to switch shifts with him.

“Mom wants the family to have a quiet celebration together in the evening, so I'll just have to hang out with everyone else during the day!” said Netto.

Saki sighed. “Dare I ask where?”

“I'm thinking sushi,” Netto said. “My treat, of course.”

“I want to make it very clear that I'm going to order bluefin tuna,” Enzan said.

Netto face paled. “I have a limit, you know.”

“Consider it compensation,” Enzan said, but there was a teasing smile on his face.

“I don't owe you anything!” Netto said. “If you can't handle my pranks, then don't get pranked! It's as simple as that!”

“Promise me that you'll stop pranking people, or I'll buy all the most expensive plates on the menu,” Enzan said in a threatening tone.

With a huge sigh, and a roll of his eyes, Netto put up his hand. “I swear I won't prank anyone else.”

Saki could almost hear the unspoken 'today' at the end of Netto's sentence.

***

True to his word, on the day of his birthday, Netto came to Saki's house to drag him off to eat. Seeing Netto without his cast felt strange, but it also made Saki feel a little bit better as well. Netto seemed excited to finally be free, and was constantly moving and flexing his arm whenever he had a chance.

“The doctor said I have to get used to using it again,” Netto explained, “So I'll be going to physical therapy for a while until it's back to full strength.”

The party was a loud affair, and Saki suddenly realized just how many people Netto was friends with. Saki recognized a few of them—Enzan, Laika, and Dingo—but there were also some new faces. There was a quiet boy named Tohru whom Netto explained was a good friend he had met through some unusual circumstances. For the rest of the party, everyone seemed to talk over Tohru, and Saki couldn't help feeling bad for him. There was also a pair of brothers named Dekao and Chisao. Dekao, the older brother, challenged virtually everyone to an arm wrestling match and won all of them until he challenged Laika. Saki had never seen anyone get defeated so quickly. After that, Dekao spent most of the party sulking in the corner and talking to Dingo, and from what Saki could hear it was a discussion about curry. Netto also explained to Saki that there were a few people who simply had not been able to make it: Meiru, who had gone back to Amerope, a few friends who lived overseas, and another friend in particular was 'too busy with work'.

True to his word, Enzan bought the most expensive plates he could, and Netto cried about having to pay for them, only for Enzan to pay for them instead after having relished Netto's agony for a few hours. Taka ate so many plates that Saki was worried that he might explode. At one point, Dekao tried to trick Saki into a wasabi-eating challenge, but thankfully Chisao put a swift end to it. Near the end, Saki was able to have a conversation with Tohru, who looked relieved that someone was paying attention to him. Saki found him to be an easy-going person, and they talked about some of the hot springs that Tohru had visited until everyone decided to wrap things up and go home.

“This was a great party,” Netto said. “The best one yet, in fact! Let's do it again next year!”

“I'd be happy to spend some time with you soon,” Tohru told Netto, who smiled.

“Sure!” Netto said. “Just email me and we'll set something up!”

Dekao slapped Netto on the back. “Hey, let me know when you flunk out of engineering,” he joked. “I'll be right there to laugh at you.”

“Yeah, same, let me know when you start failing your political science course, I'll hook you up with a tutor,” Netto joked back. “Not that a tutor would help much.”

The two laughed.

“Maybe you two should actually do your assignments instead of going to the arcade all the time,” Tohru said.

“Nobody in college actually does their work,” Netto said.

“At least not until the last possible second,” Dekao added.

 _It'll be a miracle if either one actually graduates_ , Saki thought.

***

Despite it being the rainy season it had been unusually dry, at least until the day after Netto's birthday. Suddenly, the sky opened up, and it poured for days on end. Saki wore his raincoat to work, but still ended up soaked by the time he arrived. Everything was wet and miserable for nearly a week, and Saki came to hate it, despite liking rain very much. He was simply tired of coming home, and having to dump water out of his sneakers, or peeling wet clothes off of himself.

He was sitting at the table one night, sipping hot tea and playing a card game with Michi, when he got a message from Netto asking if he'd like to get lunch with him at Maha after their shift at the Ministry of Science was done. He went on to explain that Taka and Enzan were also coming.

 _Enzan too?_ Saki thought. _Wow, that's a feat. I never thought that Enzan would find the time in his schedule to come eat_.

Saki sent a reply message saying that he'd like to go. It had been long enough since Saki had last gone that he was actually eager to have curry again.

“I hope the rain stops soon,” Saki said with a sigh.

“That would be nice,” Michi said, placing a card on the table. “We can't hang any of the laundry out to dry right now.”

“Sorry that I keep making more laundry,” Saki said. “No matter how hard I try, I always end up soaked.”

“Mamma doesn't mind, but she said that the bathroom is really full right now and it's hard to take a bath,” Michi explained. “Also, I miss the way the futon smells after we hang it up outside.”

Saki smiled. “But I bet the hydrangeas in the park love all this rain.”

“And the snails too!” Michi said, grinning.

“Once the rain lets up a little, we'll go for a walk,” Saki promised.

“Can we bring some flowers home for Mamma?” Michi asked.

“We'll see,” Saki said.

***

When Saki entered Maha, he was hit with the strong scent of curry, and sighed. It felt comforting, especially after a long, rainy day. Surprisingly, the shop was completely empty, and Saki wondered if it was the rain keeping people away.

Madoi looked up from the crossword she'd been doing, and waved them towards the counter. “Hey guys, grab a seat,” she said.

“Happy to see me?” Netto asked.

“I'm just glad to have customers,” Madoi said. “The rain's put a real _damper_ on our business.”

Netto snorted.

“It's also rare to see this guy,” Madoi continued, pointing at Enzan. “Don't tell me you're here to arrest me.”

Enzan sighed. “You're all too small-time to bother with. I have real criminals to find.”

Madoi simply laughed, and dropped a small pile of menus in front of Netto. “Can I get you drinks to start with?” She pointed at Saki. “You want tea, right?” She then looked at Taka. “And you're going to ask me for—”

“Hot tea,” Taka said firmly.

Madoi blinked in surprise. “Are you sure, kid?”

Taka nodded. “Mhm. It's cold, and I want tea.”

Madoi shrugged. “Well, okay then. But you don't have to pretend to be all grown up, you know.”

Clearly offended by Madoi's teasing, Taka huffed and crossed his arms. However, when his tea came, Taka made a face as he drank it.

 _He probably did want something warm_ , Saki thought, _but it's more than likely a little too bitter for him_.

“You could have asked for cocoa, you know,” Saki said to Taka.

Taka blushed slightly. “I know that. I just...wanted tea, that's all.”

Netto snickered quietly behind his hand.

While they ate, Netto and Enzan quietly teased each other, and Netto stole some food off Enzan's plate, which prompted Enzan to steal some back, and Netto whined loudly about how unfair it was.

“Then don't steal from me in the first place,” Enzan said. “If you can't handle me stealing your food, then don't steal mine. It's as simple as that.”

Netto fumed. “Are you still mad about my pranks?”

“Mad?” Enzan asked, raising an eyebrow. “Why would I be mad? Your pranks don't bother me that much. But I'm sure everyone else is getting annoyed at this point.” 

_Enzan's lying_ , Saki thought. He was getting fairly good at deciphering how Enzan spoke. _He's just suppressing his anger. But by the sounds of it, I don't think he can take too much more_.

“Like, today,” Enzan said. “You waited until we had gone to the showers, and then you put sand in our shoes.”

“I really hated it, by the way,” Taka said.

“Yeah, sand never comes out of shoes,” Saki said. “Not really, anyway.”

Netto cackled quietly. “But no one got hurt, right?”

Enzan furrowed his brows. “If Laika finds out that you were the one who put grease on his binoculars, he's going to end your life.”

“How long did it take for him to notice?” Netto asked gleefully.

“Probably a long while,” Enzan said.

“Also thanks for duct taping an air horn under everyone's chairs,” Saki said. “Everyone was having trouble staying awake. It was _just_ what they needed.”

“Just livening up the office,” Netto said, laughing.

“Netto,” Enzan said, “You've had your fun. Please stop.”

Netto grinned. “Oh no, I can't stop now! My _pièce de résistance_ is almost finished.”

Saki nearly choked on his tea.

“Your what now?” Taka asked.

“'Pièce de résistance',” Saki repeated. “His masterpiece. His grand finale.”

“Probably not my 'grand finale',” Netto said, “But definitely my masterpiece.”

“Why didn't you just say masterpiece then?” Taka muttered. 

“Are you going to tell me what it is?” Enzan asked.

“Of course not!” Netto said. “It'd ruin the surprise!”

 _I don't like where this is going_ , Saki thought.

Enzan narrowed his eyes. “Tell me what it is, Netto.”

“You'll just have to find out when the time is right,” Netto said before turning back to his food.

When it became clear that Netto wasn't going to give up his secrets, everyone dropped the subject and finished their food. As everyone was paying their tabs, Madoi waved Saki over.

“Hey,” she said, “You know how to deliver food, yeah? You've done deliveries before?”

“I have,” Saki said, narrowing his eyes suspiciously. “Why?”

“Well,” Madoi said, “The thing is, summer is coming. And, as surprising as it might be to hear, we get swamped with orders in the summer. Lots of people hate making food when it's hot, and curry is always good. Only having one delivery person, however, _isn't_ good.”

“I thought Dingo did deliveries as well?” Saki asked.

“I mean, _technically_ ,” Madoi said. “But the thing is, he gets lost, sometimes for weeks at a time. He's not reliable in the slightest. So we really need someone we can count on.”

Saki hesitated. “I don't work for free.”

“Wouldn't expect you to,” Madoi said. “We'll pay you the usual rate. We'll even throw in a free meal every shift.”

Saki gave Madoi a long, hard stare. “And I won't be delivering anything _questionable_ , right?”

Madoi laughed hysterically. Once she'd calmed down, she said, “Oh please, we're not those kinds of criminals!”

Saki tilted his head. “Enzan _did_ say you were small-time.”

“He can say whatever he wants,” Madoi said. “Are you in or not?”

“I guess having a little extra money would be nice,” Saki said. “Okay, I'll do it.”

“Great!” Madoi said, clapping her hands together. “Can you start this weekend? We need to train you and get you used to the area.”

“You might have to work around my schedule,” Saki admitted. “I already work at a restaurant in Ebisu on Tuesday, Wednesday, and Saturday evenings. And I go to the Ministry of Science almost every other day that isn't Sunday.”

“Yikes,” Madoi said. “A kid your age, working those kinds of hours?” she shook her head. “See if you can move your schedule around for Saturday at least. Weekends are the busiest for us.”

“I'll try,” Saki said.

“Oh, you have your own transportation, right?” Madoi asked. “We only have the one scooter after all.”

“I have a bike,” Saki said. “Don't worry, I'm used to using it for deliveries.”

“Right on!” Madoi cheered. “You're already more dependable than any of our other employees!” She clapped him on the back. “Alright then, see you Saturday!”

***

It took a lot of pleading and begging, but Saki was finally able to request having Saturdays off at Argenterie, in exchange for picking up Thursdays. All that he had to do was talk to Taka about holding off on going to his place on Sundays for a while.

“You picked up another job?” Taka asked, his frustration obvious, even over the phone.

“It's just for the summer!” Saki said. “Maha Ichiban said they really needed a second delivery person.”

Taka sighed. “Do you have a condition where you just can't say 'no' to people?”

“I get that you're frustrated,” Saki said, “And I apologize. I know I said that I'd come by and make meals for you. I can try to come on another day of the week—”

“Don't worry about it,” Taka said, but Saki could hear the disappointment in his tone. “I'll figure something out. I'm more worried about you: if you keep working so many jobs, and never take a break, you're bound to get sick and collapse.”

“I'm doing my best not to overtax myself,” Saki said. “If it gets to be too much, I'll stop.”

“If you say so,” Taka said, sounding unconvinced. “I can't stop you anyway.”

Saki breathed a sigh of relief.

“But summer...it _is_ almost summer, isn't it?” Taka sighed dreamily. “Soon the weather will get hot, and the beach will become the number one destination for fun!” His face split into an enormous grin. “Swimming! Building sand castles! Splitting melons! Lighting fireworks!”

“I highly doubt that many people actually split melons on the beach,” Saki said. 

“It doesn't mean that we can't do it!” Taka argued.

“You can do whatever you want on your trip to the beach,” Saki said, “But I'll probably be working, so you'll have to have fun all by yourself.”

“Nooooo!” Taka wailed, and Saki winced as he pulled his PET away from his ear.

“Anyway, I have to get ready for my first shift,” Saki said. “I'll talk to you later.”

“You can't escape, Saki!” Taka said in a threatening voice. “I'll drag you to the beach, one way or another—!”

Saki hung up.

***

“Thanks for coming on such short notice!” Madoi said.

“It's no trouble,” Saki said. He glanced around, and a thought occurred to him. “Umm, is there a uniform...?”

“Nah,” Madoi said. “We can't afford uniforms. Don't worry about it, just dress like you normally would.”

“If you say so,” Saki said.

“Anyway, you'll need to get familiar with the neighborhood, so we're going to be giving you orders that are close by. Hinoken can handle the other ones.” Madoi winked at Saki. “You can pull up a map if you need it. I'd recommend it, actually.”

“Zer0 can give me directions,” Saki said, and Zer0 materialized on his shoulder and bowed.

“Great!” Madoi said. “At least you _listen_ to directions, unlike _some_ people.”

 _It sounds like Dingo really is a lost cause_ , Saki thought.

Almost on cue, the phone rang, and Madoi ran to answer it.

“Hello, Maha Ichiban! Can I take your order?” She reached for her notepad, cradling the phone between her ear and her shoulder. “Mhm, okay, so that's one serving of the house special, and a side order of bread. Got it.” She rattled off the total, and took the customer's name and address. After she was done with the call, she grinned at Saki.

“Lucky you!” she said, “This one's in the neighborhood! You'll get to make a delivery right away.”

“How fortuitous,” Zer0 said.

“Give me a few minutes to prepare it, and then you can get out there and deliver it,” Madoi said before disappearing into the kitchen. Saki sat on one of the stools and waited patiently. However, while he waited, Saki saw Hinoken come out from the back, and bristled. When they locked eyes, Saki felt his face heat up in anger.

 _I still can't bring myself to like this guy_ , he thought. _Even though Mom clearly likes him, I can't shake the feeling that he's bad news..._

Still, Saki felt that he could at least try to be civil with Hinoken. When the man walked over, Saki tried to smile in a friendly manner. Hinoken gave him a judging look.

“Try not to make mistakes,” he said. “It reflects badly on the store. Oh, and, don't get in anyone's way.”

Despite his best efforts, the words, “Don't tell me what to do,” fell out of Saki's mouth automatically.

 _Crap_ , Saki thought, _I messed up already_.

Hinoken shrugged indifferently, and walked into the back of the store again. Saki sighed, and put his head in his hands.

 _I really hope that doesn't set the tone for the rest of my time working here_ , he thought.

***

The day was a whirl of learning where everything in the neighborhood was, figuring out the system of payment the store used, delivering orders and helping Madoi mind the front of the store. By the end of his shift, Saki was exhausted.

“Good work today,” Madoi said, putting a plate of curry down in front of Saki. “You picked everything up really quickly!”

“It wasn't too different from my other jobs,” Saki admitted before shoveling a spoonful of curry into his mouth.

“You also served the tables really well too,” Madoi said. “I'm almost tempted to make you take over for me.”

Saki gave her a look, and Madoi chuckled.

“ _Almost_.”

As Saki was taking a sip of his tea, Hinoken came out of the back of the shop and walked over to the counter. Saki tensed, expecting the worst.”

“I heard you did good today,” Hinoken said. “I suppose even a yappy puppy like you can be trained.”

Saki gritted his teeth. He hated the condescending tone Hinoken used when speaking to him, and his anger flared up before he could stop it.

“Yeah, well, I can understand how upset you are, given that I could probably take over your job,” he growled.

Anger flashed in Hinoken's eyes. “Know your place. A pup like you should just stay quiet and do his job obediently.”

“Guys, don't fight,” Madoi said. 

In an attempt to stop himself from saying something that would set Hinoken off, Saki shoved some more curry into his mouth. Hinoken snorted, and retreated into the kitchen. Madoi sighed.

“What's with the two of you anyway?” she asked. “It seems like you can't be in the same room without starting a fight.”

Saki shook his head. “He just...gets under my skin. I'm probably still annoyed that he's...” Saki swallowed, and forced his words out. “ _...dating my Mom_.”

Madoi leaned on the counter. “I've never met anyone who could tame Hinoken before I met Keiko-san,” she said with a chuckle. “A real firecracker of a woman. I respect her.”

“I wish my Mom was a little more aware of things,” Saki grumbled. “It's pretty obvious that Hinoken isn't any better than any of the other guys she's dated, and she's probably going to get hurt later.”

“Whoa, hang on,” Madoi said, raising her hand in protest. “Hinoken is a lot of things...” She counted off on her fingers. “Prone to anger, tends to solve problems with force, not one to think things through...but he's also not someone who would break his word or turn his back on someone. He's pretty hard on himself, sure, and more than likely thinks that he doesn't deserve love, but he's actually a pretty good guy deep down.” She grinned. “A good guy who enjoys setting fires.”

Saki gave Madoi a flat look.

“The truth is, your mom's a grown-up, and capable of making decisions for herself. The only thing you can do in a situation like this is be supportive and be there is things go bad,” Madoi said with a smile.

Saki begrudgingly accepted Madoi's words, and nodded.

“You give pretty good advice for an ex-criminal,” he said.

“We might be bad people, but we're not _bad people_ , if you get my drift,” Madoi said with a wink. “Plus, I've been in my share of relationships. I know how they go.”

Saki sighed. “Do you think I'll ever stop getting into fights with Hinoken?”

“You'll have to reign that temper of yours in first,” Madoi said.

***

“Zer0, do you think I'll ever be able to reign in my temper?” Saki asked as he was walking home from the train station.

“Perhaps,” Zer0 said. “However, the road to inner peace requires introspection and time. There are many things you'll need to come to terms with first.”

Saki sighed. “You're right, of course. The therapist I'm being forced to see keeps telling me that I have to address my issues instead of shoving them down. She suggested meditation.” 

“A fine idea,” Zer0 said. “In quiet moments, I often find myself alone with my thoughts. Mediating on them can open up new possibilities, or clear away anger that you were not aware of.”

Saki pursed his lips. Even Zer0 was taking steps to better himself through meditation and training. And what had he been doing? Ignoring all his problems and distracting himself with work. 

_It's really self-destructive, now that I think about it_.

“I am more than willing to sit with you while you meditate,” Zer0 said. “You need not feel that you are facing your anger alone.”

“Zer0...” Saki smiled weakly. “I'm really grateful. I really wish I could give you the same kind of support, instead of always getting stuck in my own problems.”

“Your journey to peace will not be a straight line,” Zer0 said sagely. “Even now, I am plagued by insecurity and a deep desire for destruction. As I seek to understand where these feelings come from, I still am keenly aware of your own struggles. And while it is important to support each other, our own needs must always come first. You are already stepping up to the challenge of supporting me. Now you must learn to support yourself.”

A knot of complex emotions formed in Saki's stomach, and he swiped at his eyes before the tears could fall. He knew that Zer0's words were true, and were what he needed to hear at that moment.

“You're right,” Saki said. “I'm sorry, Zer0. I promise that no matter how hard the process is, I'll try my best to become someone that I can be proud of.”

“Very good,” Zer0 said, smiling softly. “Shall we meditate together once we arrive at home?”

***

Saki paused outside the doors of Maha Ichiban, and took a deep, steadying breath. He tried to focus on the imagery he'd developed from his meditation session the day before.

 _Think of Mom and Michi...hold the image of them in your mind. Breathe in and let it go. Anger is simply something that I feel for a moment. Accept it, sit with it, and then let it go_.

He let himself breathe in and out a few more times before he felt confident enough to enter the restaurant. Thankfully, he was greeted by Madoi who gave him a big smile and asked, “Are you ready?”

“Yes,” Saki said.

“Good!” Madoi said. “Let's get started!”

As Saki was going to retrieve his bike in order to deliver his first order of the day, he ran into Hinoken, who was tuning up the scooter in the alley. Saki swallowed, and tried not to say anything as he walked by the man, but Hinoken spoke up instead.

“Don't get ahead of yourself just because you had a good day yesterday,” he said. “You're still a rookie, and you're going to make a mistake at some point.”

 _Breathe through the anger_ , Saki told himself, and he did his best not to engage Hinoken. When Saki glanced at Hinoken, he was already back to work on the scooter, and wasn't paying Saki any mind. Saki allowed himself to breathe a few more times before grabbing his bike, and setting out to make the delivery.

_I think I handled that really well!_

However, Hinoken would continue to make statements that Saki found to be antagonizing throughout the rest of the day. At one point, he said to Saki, “Maybe I should mark your path for you so you don't get lost. Or would you rather that I held your hand?” Around Saki's first break, Hinoken remarked that he should “take over” for Saki, since he was “clearly not capable of handling so many orders in a row.” Sometime in the late afternoon, Saki heard Hinoken tell Madoi (in a voice that was clearly meant to be overheard) that they should count the money Saki brought back “just to make sure he isn't skimming off the top.” And shortly after that, Hinoken told Saki that he was too slow and that “my old grandma could ride faster.” Saki did his best to weather the storm of comments, but eventually his patience started to get worn down. He felt as though he was reaching his breaking point.

 _Even with meditation and breathing, this is too much_ , he thought. _It feels like it never ends! If I hear one more word out of Hinoken, I think I'm going to snap_.

After parking his bike in the alley, Saki walked back into the restaurant, only to come face to face with Hinoken. Saki tensed, bracing for the next insult.

“That took you long enough,” the man said. “Where did you go, Hokkaido? Honestly, if you're going to take this long to make deliveries, you might as well quit.”

Any patience that had remained in Saki dissipated, and delivered a hard punch to Hinoken's gut.

“Shut up!” Saki screamed. “I'm sick and tired of every word that comes out of your mouth being something nasty to say about me!”

Hinoken doubled over at the hit, and coughed. He looked up, giving Saki a menacing glare.

“If you want a fight, I'll give it to you,” he growled.

“BOYS,” Madoi said loudly, putting herself between them. “If you have the energy to be fighting, you have the energy to be working. Besides, if you fight in the restaurant, then the guests will get upset and leave.”

Hinoken straightened up, gave Saki one last glare, and left the restaurant. Saki watched him go, his whole body trembling with adrenaline and a churning knot of anger in his gut.

“I can't stand him!” Saki said through his teeth. “He's impossible to work with! He just keeps antagonizing me at every opportunity.”

“I can't speak for him, but it might be his way of testing you,” Madoi said. “But no matter what, if you give in to his taunts then you're no better than he is. You have to try harder to reign it in.”

“Arg!” Saki screamed, furiously scratching at his scalp. “I _did_ try to reign it in! All day! And it didn't help one bit!”

Madoi sighed. “Look, if you have that much anger then you should probably vent it.” She tapped her chin thoughtfully. “How about a battle?”

Saki looked at Madoi as if she'd just announced that she was an alien. “Are you serious?”

“As serious as a funeral,” Madoi said. “It'll channel all that aggression into something else. Plus, I've been wanting to have a battle with you for a while now, especially after seeing you beat Dingo.” She patted her chest confidently, and grinned. “Me and Colorman are a great team. We aren't going to be easy to beat, you know.”

Saki pondered things for a moment. He could certainly use the practice. Plus Madoi was right—he needed an outlet for his anger that wasn't punching things.

“Fine then,” Saki said, “Me and Zer0 accept your challenge.”

“That's the spirit!” Madoi said. “Come at us with everything you've got!”

The two plugged into the restaurant's network, and Zer0 sized up his opponent carefully.

“Oh boy!” Colorman said, excitedly bouncing on his ball. “I can't wait! This will be a fun battle!”

Zer0 drew his saber, and readied himself. “Let us commence then.”

“Okay! Me first!” Colorman said gleefully, and raised his hands. Two strange statues appeared on the field in front of him: one blue and one red. Zer0 hesitated, unsure of what they would do.

“I wonder what they're for?” Saki asked.

“We will not know unless we attack them,” Zer0 replied.

“I guess. 'Fortune favors the bold' after all,” Saki said. “Alright Zer0, let's go!”

“Understood.” Zer0 dashed forward, and moved to attack the red statue.

“Uh oh!” Colorman said with a laugh. “You fell right into my trap!”

The moment Zer0 got anywhere near the statue, it fired off a blast of flame. Without time to react, Zer0 had to try to block the flames, but was unable to stop the entire attack. He leaped back, and Saki muttered a soft curse as he felt a tingle of heat spread across his arms.

“Zer0, are you okay?”

The Navi nodded. “I was taken by surprise, but my injuries are not severe.”

“Okay, so now we know that they attack back,” Saki said. “Let's see if we can avoid them.”

“Agreed,” Zer0 said, and ran back into the fray. He tried to maneuver around the statues, but they moved to block his path.

“I see,” Zer0 said. “They are a wall meant to block me. This might become troublesome.”

Saki looked at Madoi. “Kind of dirty to use pawns to fight us.”

“If you think those are bad,” Madoi replied, “Wait until you see what Colorman can do by himself!” 

“Watch yourself, Zer0,” Saki warned. “He's probably going to go on the attack next.”

“Understood,” Zer0 said. 

The blue statue sent out a wall of water, and Zer0 managed to dodge it, only to have the red statue send a wall of flames his way. Zer0 did his best to get out of the way of both attacks, but he was forced to retreat in order to do so.

 _The pawns are forcing him back_ , Saki realized. _If he can't get close, he can't mount a full assault_.

“We'll have to get them out of the way first,” Saki said. “Even if they counter-attack, we'll have to just push through.”

“Understood. I believe I have just the thing.” Zer0 readied his sword, and shouted, “Shoenzan!” as he sent out a fiery shock wave towards the red statue. The statue countered with its own flame, and they canceled each other out. However, Zer0 took advantage of this, and used the few seconds it took for the attacks to collide to close the distance. Before the statue could attack again, Zer0 slammed his blade down on it and it shattered into data fragments.

“Nice!” Saki said.

“Oh, my poor pawn!” Colorman lamented. “That wasn't very nice you know!” He picked up his ball, and flung it at Zer0. “Here, catch!”

Surprised, Zer0 managed to deflect the ball away from him, but stumbled afterwards. However, just as Saki thought Zer0 was safe, the ball exploded, and Zer0 was thrown across the field before rolling to a stop. Saki momentarily felt like the wind had been knocked out of him.

“What the heck?!” Saki yelled.

“Surprise!” Colorman cried gleefully.

“What a nasty trick!” Saki growled. “You okay, Zer0?”

“Yes,” Zer0 said, stumbling back to his feet. Saki quickly sent him a healing chip, and Zer0 recovered from his injuries.

 _The rate of Colorman's attacks are overwhelming_ , Saki thought. _And he has so many that it's hard for Zer0 to keep up with them. All we can do is keep chipping away at Colorman's defenses_.

“The statues can be destroyed, at least,” Saki said. “But they might come back, so we'll have to be careful.”

“And his ball can explode,” Zer0 added. “Quite the annoyance.”

“If we could get past his statues' attacks, we could probably take him down fairly quickly,” Saki said. “But the question is 'how'?”

“In the time it would take me to destroy the other statue, more might be summoned,” Zer0 said. “Perhaps we must simply avoid them.”

“But then you might get attacked by the ball,” Saki said. “How about this: we find a way to eliminate the statues all at once?”

“That may work,” Zer0 said, “But as of now, I do not have the means to take out multiple targets at the same time.”

“Are you done yakking yet?” Madoi asked. “Colorman's going to get bored at this rate, and not even I can control him when he gets bored.”

“Are you all done playing already?” Colorman asked. “That's disappointing.”

“We do not have the time to strategize,” Zer0 said. “I will simply have to use brute strength.”

Saki sighed, but nodded. “Alright then, let's go for it!”

Once more, Zer0 dashed towards Colorman, but was met with another wall of water from the blue statue. Unperturbed, Zer0 leaped into the air, and executed Kuuenzan, breaking through the water and slamming into the statue, destroying it.

“Both pawns are down!” Saki said. “Go, go!”

Zer0 used his momentum to dash towards Colorman, sword at the ready. But Colorman had other ideas.

“Round and round I go, where I stop, no one knows!” Colorman sang as he formed clones of himself, which encircled Zer0. Zer0 stared at them, clearly confused.

“Only one is the real one!” Saki said. “You just have to find him!”

Zer0 nodded, and used Shoenzan to attack the clones. As the flames connected, the clones would disappear, until the number of clones dwindled to just two. As Zer0 closed in on one of them, the other threw its ball at Zer0. Remembering how the ball had exploded upon being hit, Zer0 dodged the ball. However, the other clone slammed into Zer0 and sent him flying into the ball, which exploded.

“Zer0!” Saki cried.

The smoke from the explosion began to clear and Zer0 dashed out, attacking the Colorman closest to him, which turned out to be a clone and vanished. The real Colorman slammed into Zer0, knocking him backwards before summoning two more statues to the field.

“This is beyond irritating,” Saki grumbled. “If only we could attack from above, we wouldn't have to deal with the pawns.”

“From above...?” Zer0 seemed to have a thought.

“All tired out?” Colorman asked. “That's no good! We only just started playing!”

“Indeed, we have only just begun!” Zer0 declared confidently. “For now, the tables turn.”

Just like his previous attempts, Zer0 dashed towards the statues, and they fired off attacks at him as he got too close. However, Zer0 weaved through them this time, and took each statue out in turn with a quick slice. Hardly pausing, Zer0 continued towards Colorman.

“Oh no you don't!” Colorman said, and threw his ball at Zer0.

As if expecting this, Zer0 slid under the ball before it could hit him, and dashed at Colorman once more.

“If I adjust Shoenzan a bit...” Zer0 said, and his blade became engulfed in flames as Zer0 slashed upward into Colorman. Pressing his advantage, Zer0 used Colorman as a platform to leap higher into the air, and took hold of his saber in both hands, the blade facing downward.

“As fire rises, ice falls,” Zer0 uttered, and his blade froze into solid ice before Zer0 slammed it down onto Colorman. “Rakuretsuzan!”

“Oww!” Colorman cried as he hit the ground hard, and logged out of the network.

Zer0 landed, and sank to one knee, clearly exhausted.

“Yes!” Saki cheered, pumping his fist.

“Not bad,” Madoi said. “You sure fought hard for that win. Still, those were some pretty impressive moves. Color me impressed.”

“Colorman was pretty tough,” Saki admitted. “I wasn't sure we could win for a moment there.”

“Indeed,” Zer0 said, getting to his feet. “A truly worthy opponent.”

“I can't believe you learned so many techniques already!” Saki said to Zer0. “And you learned another one!”

“Yes, Rakuretsuzan came to me as a flash of inspiration,” Zer0 admitted. “But if I had not adjusted Shoenzan, perhaps I would not have come up with it at all.” Zer0 paused, thinking. “Hmm...I cannot call that technique 'Shoenzan' anymore...perhaps I will call it...'Tenshozan'.”

“Oho, so your Navi really _is_ the one who comes up with those techniques,” Madoi said, narrowing her eyes. “I suspected as much...But now that I've seen it in person, I'm really intrigued.”

Zer0 plugged out of the restaurant's network, and materialized on Saki's shoulder. “Indeed. I began creating techniques at Blues' urging, hoping to form my own style of fighting. Each technique is inspired by the battle that I form it in; a tangible representation of my struggle and effort to grow. And each is a connection to my opponents, a reminder of how they have influenced me. Truly, without them, I could not grow.”

“How touching,” Madoi said, chuckling. She put her hands on her hips, and tilted her head at Saki. “What about you...? Are you feeling any better?”

“I do feel a lot calmer,” Saki admitted. “But I can't just have a Net Battle every time I need to cool my head.”

“True enough,” Madoi said. “But figuring out what to do is something you'll have to do yourself.”

Saki's shoulders sagged. “Maybe I'm not really cut out to do this job after all...”

“Don't be like that,” Madoi scolded. “Especially not after Hinoken recommended you for it and all.”

Saki's head shot up. “Huh?!”

Madoi laughed. “What, you didn't know? Hinoken said that you had delivery experience, and suggested bringing you on for the summer. Mind you, he was kind of cagey about it, almost like he didn't want to admit that he thought it was a good idea.”

“He...recommended me...?” Saki couldn't believe what he was hearing.

“You'd better ask him yourself,” Madoi said. “He'll probably deny it though.”

“So...if he suggested that I work here, why does it feel like he's trying to get me to quit?” Saki wondered.

“It's his way of showing affection, I think,” Madoi said. “Tough love.”

“Yeah right,” Saki said, scoffing. “I bet Mom made him recommend me.”

“Why not ask him then?” Zer0 suggested.

Sighing, Saki nodded. “Yeah. Let's go get the truth out of him.”

Saki left the restaurant, and walked into the alley to confront Hinoken, who was cleaning the scooter. The man looked up and raised an eyebrow at Saki.

“Here to apologize?” he asked.

“You had that punch coming,” Saki said. “No, actually, I'm here to ask you about something Madoi just told me.”

“Which is?” Hinoken asked.

Saki smirked. “She told me that you recommended that I work here.”

Hinoken's eyes widened. “What?”

“Is that true?” Saki asked, his grin widening. “Did you really recommend that I work here?”

“Stupid woman, doesn't know when to shut her mouth,” Hinoken muttered under his breath.

“I bet Mom forced you to do it,” Saki went on, feeling almost giddy. “If that's true, then—”

“Keiko-san did nothing of the sort,” Hinoken said firmly. “I made the suggestion myself.”

Saki stopped, his expression falling. “Wait, what? Why?! You clearly don't want me to be here! Why else would you harass me?”

“If you can't handle it, that's your problem!” Hinoken barked. “Toughen up! You won't always get coddled when you go out into the world. You either learn to take criticism, or you run home to your mother and hide for the rest of your life.”

Saki frowned. “I can take criticism, but you're just being rude for the sake of being rude!”

Hinoken gave an exasperated sigh. “Look, just...” He ran a hand through his hair. “Just don't go spreading around the fact that I ask them to hire you. I have a reputation to maintain.”

Saki crossed his arms. “Only if you promise to lay off the harassment.”

Hinoken glared. “Fine. I'll lay off. Do we have a deal?”

“Deal,” Saki said, “But I still want to know why you asked them to hire me in the first place.”

Hinoken didn't say anything for a long moment. Finally, he looked away, and said, “Even I can tell you're a hard worker. We needed someone experienced, and you were a good fit. That's all.”

Somehow, Hinoken's answer didn't make Saki feel any better.

“I don't really believe you, but okay, I'll accept your answer,” Saki said.

“Good,” Hinoken said. “Now keep your work, and we won't have any more problems.”

***

On Monday, Netto asked Saki to meet him in the break room in ten minutes. Curious, Saki agreed, and arrived to find Taka, Enzan, and Laika were already there. They looked up when he entered, and sighed, disappointed.

“Netto asked you guys to meet him here too, I assume?” Saki asked.

Enzan nodded.

“This had better be worth it,” Laika grumbled.

“Oh, it's worth it!” Netto said, entering the room. He wore a huge smile, and put his hands on his hips.

“So, what is it?” Taka asked.

“Me and Rockman have a very important announcement,” Netto explained. “Rockman, would you like to take it away?”

“Of course!” Rockman said, and then cleared his throat. “As you may know, Papa has been making some progress in his research lately. Part of it involves how light can be manipulated to materialize data. So far, the results have been rather _illuminating_.”

For a moment, the room was dead silent. Saki felt like the air had turned to lead. As he glanced around, he could see that everyone else seemed as surprised as he was. Then, all at once, Axl spoke.

“That was a great joke! Speaking of jokes, I've got one for ya!”

“Oh no,” Saki heard Enzan murmur under his breath.

“Have you heard the rope joke, Taka?” Axl asked.

Taka's eyes sparkled. “Knot yet!”

A groan escaped almost everyone in the room, except for Netto and Rockman, who were laughing hysterically.

“Good one!” Netto said.

Searchman appeared on Laika's shoulder. “I am reminded of something that happened a few months ago...Laika's commanding officer was saying that he did not see Laika at camouflage training.”

Laika had a horrified expression. “Searchman—!”

“Couldn't see him at camouflage training—!” Netto doubled over. “Ahahaha! My sides hurt!”

“Searchman _never_ jokes! Why is he telling jokes?!” Laika asked.

“No, no, no...” Enzan whispered, and bit his thumb nail.

“Saki, I have unfortunate news,” Zer0 said.

Saki felt dread settle into his stomach as the room grew silent. “Oh, what's that?”

“I...have failed math,” Zer0 said.

Saki didn't say anything. He could sense where this was going.

“As such, I shall now have to commit sudoku,” Zer0 finished.

The room stayed silent for a few seconds, and then Netto burst out laughing hysterically all over again.

“That wasn't particularly funny, Zer0!” Saki said.

“That is a shame,” Zer0 said. “I have been told my humor is quite _grave_.”

Saki buried his head in his hands.

“Oh man!” Taka said, giggling. “Everyone's Navis are hilarious!”

All at once, everyone looked at Enzan expectantly. He became flustered.

“Blues does not joke, under _any_ circumstances,” he said.

Blues appeared on Enzan's shoulder. “I agree, I have never once told a joke.”

“See?” Enzan said.

“However, I feel that a song is in order right now,” Blues continued.

Enzan froze. His eyes widened. “What?”

“Letter Song Time.”

“Rockman and Netto burst out in such raucous laughter that Netto sank to his knees, crying.

“No!” Enzan said. “No Letter Song!” He turned to Netto, his cheeks red with anger. “Netto! How could you?!”

“How...how could I...what?” Netto asked between fits of giggles.

“You made a viral humor program!” Enzan said, pointing accusingly at Netto. “I don't know _how_ you did it, but I know it was you!”

“I would never—!” Netto started, and then burst out laughing again. “Okay, no, it was me,” he said once he'd calmed down a bit. “I totally did that.”

“NETTO!” everyone in the room screamed.

“It's harmless, guys!” Netto said. “All that'll happen is your Navis will tell awful jokes!”

“Uninstall it,” Enzan growled. “ _Now_.”

“Aww, why the rush?” Netto asked. “Don't you want to savor it a little?”

“ _Uninstall it, Netto!_ ” Enzan shrieked.

Taka had been fiddling with his PET while Enzan had been confronting Netto, and the boy suddenly frowned. “It has a lock on it!” Taka said. “He encrypted it!”

Everyone turned to glare at Netto, who wore a sly grin on his face.

“It'll unlock automatically after twenty-four hours,” Netto explained. “After that, it'll auto uninstall. All you have to do is put up with it until then.”

“Why would I do that when I can just _force_ you to uninstall it right now?” Laika asked, a dangerous edge to his voice.

Netto looked at all the unhappy faces in the room. He cast a pleading glance at Taka, who simply shrugged.

“Look, I personally don't mind,” said Taka, “But I'm pretty sure everyone else is pretty upset. You might want to just uninstall the humor program now.”

Netto frowned. He looked back at the faces of his angry friends, and then sighed.

“Okay, just give me a moment to—”

And before he'd finished his sentence, Netto took off running.

Laika and Enzan gave chase, while Taka and Saki stayed seated. With a sigh, Saki looked at Zer0.

“I guess I'll have to put up with your jokes until this humor program uninstalls itself.”

“It's not all bad,” Taka said. “I mean, you get to hear Zer0's jokes.”

Saki sighed. 

“Have you ever considered why there are fences around cemeteries?” Zer0 asked.

“No,” Saki said.

“It was necessary,” Zer0 said, “Since people are always _dying to get in_.”

Saki groaned and put his face in his hands, while Taka and Axl howled with laughter.

A few minutes later, Enzan returned, looking cross.

“Any luck?” Saki asked.

“No,” Enzan said with a sigh. “He got away from us. Laika is still pursuing him, however.” He tapped his foot angrily. “But if Netto thinks that I'm just going to sit here and take it, he's wrong.” Enzan narrowed his eyes. “ _This is war_.”

“A prank war?” Taka asked, his eyes lighting up like stars.

“Oh no,” Saki said.

“Oh _yes_ ,” Enzan said, a nasty grin slowly spreading across his face. “If Netto thinks he can't be tricked, he's _sorely mistaken_.”

Taka put a hand to his chin. “But how do we do that? Won't he be able to spot a prank right away?”

“We'll just have to be clever about it,” Enzan said. “Both of you, draft up your best pranks. We'll set about putting them in motion once Netto lets his guard down.”

Saki sighed. “I liked it a whole lot better when the office was _quiet_.”

“Well it won't ever _be_ quiet again unless we dethrone the self-proclaimed King of Pranks.” Enzan crossed his arms. “And that will require us to prank him back.”

“Oh boy!” Taka said, clapping his hands. “This is going to be good! I can't wait!”


	17. Driven

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Things with Laika reach a boiling point.

Mid June arrived. The humidity from the rain combined with the rising temperatures made the days unbearably muggy. When it wasn't raining, being outside felt like being in a sauna. Saki's shirt was constantly sticking to him, and he felt gross even when he was in the shade and not moving around. The desire to shower haunted him every moment of the day.

Despite this, Laika still insisted on making them run.

Saki felt like he was trying to breath underwater. The air was so heavy and damp that he had to try not to cough, and being sticky from sweat on top of the humidity made him want to cry. It was the worst feeling ever.

 _It's not worth it_ , he thought. _I should have skipped. This is torture_.

Saki could hear Laika shouting at Saki and Taka to run faster, and Saki glanced back at Taka. The boy looked even worse than he usually did during runs: his cheeks were flushed but his face was pale, and he seemed to be stumbling slightly.

 _Uh oh_ , Saki thought, _Taka looks like he's about to drop_.

“You okay?” Saki asked Taka, his words breathless.

Taka nodded, but he still looked awful, and Saki thought that they should probably stop.

“Hey!” Saki called out to Laika. “I think we should stop. Taka doesn't look good.”

Laika quickened his pace to catch up to them, and looked Taka over. He frowned, but motioned for them to stop, and Saki braced himself against his knees, panting.

“I suppose a few minutes of rest wouldn't hurt,” Laika grumbled finally.

Saki silently cheered for the small break. He opened his water bottle and took a long drink from it. The water was warm, but it was better than nothing. As he closed the lid, Saki noticed that Taka didn't have his water bottle on him.

“Where's your bottle?” Saki asked.

“In...my locker...” Taka wheezed in a small voice. “I...forgot it...”

Saki thought back to earlier. In his effort not to be late and get a scolding, Taka had made a mad dash to get to their meeting place and had probably forgotten all about his bottle in the process.

Feeling pity, Saki offered Taka his water bottle. “Here, you can have some of my water. It's warm, but you look like you need it.”

Taka took the bottle with a grateful look on his face, hurriedly opened the lid, and knocked back the rest of the bottle's contents.

“Sorry...” Taka said as he handed the bottle back to Saki.

“Don't worry about it,” Saki said. “You looked like you needed it more than me.”

After a minute or so, Taka slowly lowered himself to the ground, and pulled his legs close to his chest before he wrapped his arms around them. He really looked unwell, and Saki knelt down to rub Taka's back.

“Are you sure you're okay?”

“No,” Taka mumbled into his knees. “I feel like I want to puke.”

“Maybe we should ask Laika if you can get a ride back,” Saki said. “If I have to, I'll carry you.”

“Don't do that,” Taka whimpered. “You'll just get tired carrying me all the way back.”

“Well, I don't think you should be walking right now, let alone running,” Saki said. “You're clearly sick.”

“Laika won't care,” Taka mumbled dejectedly. “He'll tell me that I'm weak and a quitter and say that he's been through worse.”

Saki felt a flash of anger at Taka's words, but suppressed it. “Let me talk to him, okay?”

Taka gave Saki a tired nod, and Saki stood up again. He marched over to Laika and put his hands on his hips. Laika looked at him.

“Yes?” he asked.

“We need to talk,” Saki said firmly.

“About what?” Laika asked.

“About Taka,” Saki said. He gestured at the boy. “He's clearly not feeling well, so I think he shouldn't do the rest of the run. Maybe someone could come and pick him up—”

“No,” Laika said flatly. “I can't allow him to give up.”

Saki's anger flared up again. “What're you talking about? He's not giving up, he's sick! If you make him run the rest of the route, he'll drop dead!”

“You're exaggerating,” Laika said. “He just needs a few moments to rest. He'll be fine.”

“He's not fine, Laika,” Saki shot back. “He might be really sick. He's pale, and he says he wants to throw up.”

Laika's face darkened for a moment, and he seemed to consider this. After a while, he shook his head.

“Even if he is sick, he should still finish. Pushing himself to his limit will...” Laika's voice faltered. “It will be a good experience for him. He'll understand that he can overcome those limits, and grow stronger.”

Saki clenched his fists at his sides, desperately fighting the urge to punch Laika in the face. “If he drops dead, you're going to have to deal with that. And I don't think his mother is going to accept, 'I was helping him overcome his limits' as a valid excuse for killing her son.”

“He's not going to die!” Laika snapped. “Don't be dramatic.”

Maybe it was the muggy heat. Maybe it was Laika's stubborn refusal to acknowledge Taka's symptoms. Maybe it was the suppression of his own anger. Whatever it was, Saki couldn't handle the situation any longer. He let out a loud, frustrated scream.

“You're impossible! I can't stand this anymore!” Saki yanked out his PET and started dialing the office. Laika reached forward, and yanked the device out of Saki's hands. Saki stared at Laika, his eyes wide with disbelief.

“Finish your run,” Laika said, his voice dangerous. “Wakahisa is _my_ responsibility.”

“Like hell I will!” Saki snapped back. “Even if I have to carry him all the way back, I'm not leaving Taka alone, especially not with you!”

Laika stepped up to Saki, close enough that Saki could feel the man's breath on his cheeks. There was a very dangerous look in Laika's eyes, and he spoke in a low, sharp tone.

“You're very lucky I legally can't lay a hand on you, Tanaka. This kind of insubordination would warrant immediate reprimanding back home.”

Saki glared back. “This isn't the military, Laika, and I'm not a soldier.”

As the two of them continued to glared daggers at each other, Saki could hear Taka slowly moving. Turning his head to look, Saki saw Taka stagger to his feet.

“I'll...finish...” Taka said weakly.

A knot of fear and concern formed in Saki's gut. “You can't! You're in no shape to finish!”

Taka shook his head. “I'm fine. I can...finish...” He smiled, but Saki wasn't reassured by it. “I'm...not a quitter...”

Saki gritted his teeth angrily. He couldn't stand to watch Taka get bullied into overextending himself like this, but there wasn't much he could do. He watched Taka stagger away down the road, and then turned to Laika with his hand outstretched. Laika frowned, but slapped Saki's PET down into Saki's hand.

“This isn't over,” Saki told Laika threateningly before jogging off to join up with Taka again.

For the next leg of the run, Saki stayed at Taka's side. Taka could barely go any faster than a slow jog, but Saki kept giving him encouragement, even as he kept an eye open for warning signs that Taka might collapse. Taka paused several times, panting and gasping, and each time Saki rubbed his back and assured him that he could stop at any time, but Taka would simply shake his head and continue running. The whole thing made Saki's heart ache.

 _Taka's trying so hard, but he really doesn't have to. Laika's just bullying him! He doesn't have to prove anything to anyone, and he certainly doesn't have to put his health at risk either_.

As the end of the route came into view, Saki sighed with relief. Once they finished, Saki could get Taka to the first aid room. He smiled at Taka, and spoke encouragingly.

“We're almost there!”

Taka nodded. He smiled back, and Saki thought he looked a little better.

“I think...I can run the rest...” Taka wheezed. “Go on ahead. I'll catch up.”

Saki hesitated. “Are you sure?”

Taka nodded again. “Go.”

After a moment of wrestling with his conscience, Saki finally broke into a sprint. He looked back and waved at Taka.

“I'll wait for you at the end, okay?”

Taka waved back, and Saki focused on his own running. The idea of a shower at the end of this hell run was so inviting that Saki pushed himself extra hard to get it over with.

_A cold shower...ahh, that would be bliss!_

However, a loud noise alerted Saki that something was definitely wrong. He turned around to see that Taka had collapsed on the side of the road, and was desperately trying to get back to his feet. Skidding to a stop, Saki sprinted back to Taka as fast as he could.

_Shit! I knew I shouldn't have left him!_

Saki made it to Taka's side, and Taka twisted away from Saki, tears streaming down his face. He made a strange gulping sound, and Saki instantly knew what was about to happen. He pulled Taka's bangs out of the boy's face just before he vomited.

 _I knew I shouldn't have let him run the rest!_ Saki thought angrily. _He's clearly sick. I should have insisted that Laika let him stop. I can't believe I let this happen!_

Saki heard the crunch of gravel as Laika skidded to a stop next to them. Saki glared up at Laika, who seemed a little paler than usual.

“Well?” Saki asked angrily. “Are you going to do something?”

Almost meekly, Laika nodded, and sprinted off towards the Ministry of Science, more than likely to get help. Saki sighed, and turned back to Taka, who couldn't seem to stop vomiting.

“Must be heat exhaustion,” Saki muttered. “He pushed himself way too hard.”

Taka coughed, and Saki felt him tremble under his hand. He could barely hold himself up, it seemed.

“Hang in there, Taka,” Saki said. “Help's on the way.”

By the time Laika came back with a couple of people and a stretcher, Taka had stopped throwing up. With Saki's help, Taka was able to get on the stretcher, and was taken directly to the first aid room. Laika trailed after them, looking shaken.

 _I guess he feels guilty_ , Saki thought. _At least he's remorseful. But if he really cared, he wouldn't have pushed Taka so hard_.

The men who had carried Taka to the first aid room made him lay down in the bed, and quickly checked his vitals. One of them said that Taka should probably go to the hospital, since they weren't really equipped to handle heat exhaustion.

“They can give him an IV there,” one of the men told Saki. “We'll call for an ambulance.”

As people bustled around the small room, Saki looked over at Laika, who was hovering in the doorway, his hands in his pockets. Despite Laika's best efforts to keep a neutral expression, Saki could still feel the nervous energy he was exuding. Even though Saki was usually the type of person to try and calm someone down, his main concern at that moment was Taka, and he couldn't even muster the energy to ask Laika if he was okay.

***

After being taken to the hospital, Taka was put on two IV drips: one with saline and one with an antinauseant. The nurse who had helped Taka explained to Saki that they would let him stay overnight for observation, but that he didn't seem to be in any real danger. Saki breathed a sigh of relief.

“The heat is very bad right now,” the nurse continued. “And it's easy to get heat exhaustion if you aren't careful. Make sure he doesn't do anything strenuous for the next few days, and make sure he eats properly, gets lots of rest, and drinks lots of water.”

“I will,” Saki said.

“We're going to contact his parents as well,” the nurse said. “Do you have their information?”

Saki shifted uncomfortably. “Umm, no. But I know that his father passed away a long time ago, and his mother is always at work.”

The nurse's face fell. “Oh, I see...” He rubbed his temple. “Well, we'll still try to get in touch with her.”

“I can probably ask Taka's Navi to send her a message,” Saki said.

“That would be great,” the nurse said. “If you could also pass along these forms to sign, I would appreciate it.”

While Saki was getting a very distraught Axl to send a message to Taka's mother, Saki spotted Netto breathlessly dashing through the hospital's front doors before running through the hospital's waiting room and straight up to Laika. As if surprised to see Netto, Laika got to his feet.

“Can you handle the rest?” Saki asked Axl.

“Sure,” Axl said. He hesitated before adding, “Take care of Taka in the meantime, okay?”

“I will,” Saki said, and Axl disappeared from the PET.

With his responsibilities taken care of, Saki turned his attention back to the waiting room. Curiosity overtook Saki, and he carefully hid himself behind a support pillar that was close to Laika and Netto, who were having a quiet but very heated conversation.

“What were you thinking?” Netto asked Laika. 

Laika looked ashamed, and refused to look at Netto. “I...I wasn't...”

“You sure weren't!” Netto scolded. “Dad's furious right now. The whole office is, actually. We can't afford another problem, not after my screw-up! Not to mention Taka is going to have to rest for a while, so he can't do any tests. It's going to slow down our schedule again.”

“I'm sorry...” Laika said meekly as he tugged on the edge of his glove.

Netto rubbed his forehead. He sighed, and his anger seemed to leave him all at once. His shoulders slumped, and when he spoke he sounded tired.

“I know you...I know that you're not usually like this, Laika.”

Saki leaned out from behind the pillar a little bit more. It was impossible to see Netto's face, since he was facing away from Saki, but the boy had no trouble seeing Laika's troubled expression.

Laika shoved his hands into his pockets. “I don't know what came over me, truly. It occurred to me that I should probably let him stop.” He paused for a long moment. “I didn't want to seem soft. I thought I needed to have that kind of authority for them to listen to me.”

“They're good kids, Laika,” Netto said. “They'll listen to you if you treat them like equals. They just want to be able to talk to you normally.”

A deep sigh escaped Laika. He pulled a hand out of his pocket, and put it over his eyes.

“I suppose I felt like I didn't have the luxury of casual conversation,” Laika said. “They aren't anywhere near ready, but I was given such a short amount of time to train them that I panicked and pushed them too hard. It was my fault that I didn't take more care.”

 _Feeling pressured to produce results isn't an excuse for being a bully_ , Saki thought bitterly.

“I'm not the one you should be apologizing to,” Netto said.

Laika pulled his hand away from his eyes, and chuckled darkly. “It's strange...hearing you speak like that. You sound so... _responsible_.”

Netto sputtered. “What do you mean?! I'm _very_ responsible!”

Laika laughed. “The thought of you trying to act like a grown up gives me hives.”

Netto stomped his foot angrily. “Listen here, you—!”

Laika shook his head. “You'll always be that eager boy whose head was as empty as an onion ring.”

“Yeah, well you'll always be a stuck-up jerk who thinks he's better than everyone else!” Netto countered.

Laika smiled, but it faded quickly. After a moment, he sighed quietly.

“I'll be sure to apologize to Wakahisa once he wakes up. I'll also be sure to apologize to Doctor Hikari as well for all the trouble I've caused.”

Netto crossed his arms. “What are you going to do in the future?”

Laika considered this for a moment. “I suppose I could make more of an effort to communicate with them.” He chuckled. “Tanaka reminds me of myself, actually. He has drive and determination, and a terrible temper. I think he's got potential.”

Saki felt his face flush at the compliments. It was nice to know that his hard work was being noticed.

“What about Taka?” Netto asked.

“He...” Laika paused. “He's got a lazy streak, that one. He's talented, but he tends to rest on his laurels. I wanted to try to motivate him into pushing himself, but it seems I went about it the wrong way.”

“He could learn a lot from you,” Netto said, “But you have to appeal to him. He's not going to take well to pressure. He'll just squirm away from it, like a cat that doesn't want to be held.”

“But I don't know what else to try,” Laika admitted.

“Be yourself,” Netto said. “Like, the _real_ you. And meet him halfway. Try talking to him about stuff he's interested in. He's a kid, you know?”

Laika sighed. “I'm not great with children.”

“Kids are just tiny adults,” Netto said. “Treat them with respect and they'll do the same.”

Laika sighed, and muttered something under his breath. Netto ignored it, and reached into his jacket pocket.

“Look, loosen up for now. You're too tense.” He held out a small package to Laika. “Gum? It'll help relieve stress, you know.”

Laika sighed, and took a stick of gum from the package. “Thanks, I suppose.”

“Think nothing of it,” Netto said. Laika unwrapped the gum and popped it into his mouth. After chewing for a few seconds, Laika's expression changed, and he spat the gum out hastily into its wrapper.

“Ugh! What kind of gum is this?!”

Even though Saki couldn't see Netto's face from where he was, he could imagine the nasty smile that he likely wore.

“Pepper,” Netto replied.

Laika lunged for Netto, who sidestepped him. Laughing, Netto backed up a few steps, and ran smack dab into Saki, who hadn't been able to escape from his hiding spot fast enough.

Laika's eyes widened as he spotted Saki. “ _You!_ ” 

Saki yelped as Laika dashed over and grabbed Saki by his shoulders. “How much of that did you hear?”

For a moment, Saki couldn't speak. A lump formed in his throat, and he tried to swallow a few times to clear it. Saki felt himself tremble. Should he lie? No, it probably wouldn't do him any good. He decided to be honest. 

“A lot...”Saki said in a timid voice.

Laika deflated, and let Saki go. Netto chuckled.

“Spying's a bad habit, Saki,” he warned.

“I wasn't spying!” Saki insisted. “I was in the room and happened to overhear.”

Laika cleared his throat. “Regardless, there's no point in hiding it.” He straightened his back, and folded his arms behind him. “About earlier—”

“I'm sorry I yelled at you,” Saki said, cutting Laika off. “I should have tried harder to control my temper—”

Laika held up his hand. “Stop. I'm the one who needs to apologize.”

Saki blinked in surprise.

“I let my pride get in the way, and disregarded your advice, even though I knew it was correct. I should have stopped the run right then and there.” Laika pursed his lips for a moment. “I've been disregarding his health for some time now, actually. As your superior, it was grossly negligent of me.”

Saki crossed his arms. “The one you really need to apologize to is Taka.”

“Yes,” Laika said. “But he needs to rest for now. We'll speak once he's better.”

“Agreed,” Netto said. He looked at Saki with a sympathetic look. “Let me guess: no one's coming to visit him?”

“I just had Axl contact his mother,” Saki said. “But who knows if she'll even come.”

Laika frowned. “I assume she's rather busy?”

“From what Taka's told me, she's hardly ever home,” Saki said.

“That sounds about right,” Netto said with a sigh. “Enzan said something similar once.” He looked at Saki, and put a hand on his shoulder. “I know it's a lot to ask, but can you stay with him? I can let your Mom know that you're here, if you like.”

Saki shook his head. “I'll call her myself. Don't worry.” He forced himself to smile. “I don't mind staying. Taka will want someone here when he wakes up.”

Netto smiled with relief. “I'll try to stop by later. For now, I have to get back to the office and try to calm things down.”

Laika nodded. “Once Wakahisa is better, we'll have a meeting to discuss how I'll handle things from now on.”

Netto and Laika nodded at Saki, and turned to leave the hospital. Saki quickly called out to Laika, and the man turned to look at Saki with a surprised expression.

“Even if you say that you're not good with kids, you were a kid once,” Saki said. “Don't you remember what it was like to be a kid?”

Laika's hand moved to touch his thigh absently. He looked away, suddenly downcast.

“No,” Laika said. “I don't.”

And with that, he left the building, leaving Saki scratching his head in confusion.

***

Saki called his mother to let her know what had happened. Keiko insisted that she come to the hospital to wait with him, but Saki said that he would be okay. He didn't want to disrupt Michi's routine, especially if he could handle things by himself. Reluctantly, Keiko had agreed, and told Saki that she would come by on her way to work to give him his dinner.

After that, Saki waited. He sat by Taka's bedside for a while, until he felt his eyelids droop. The nurse suggested that Saki should take a nap on a couch in the waiting room, and Saki agreed. As soon as he'd flopped down on the worn-out cushions, he fell asleep almost instantly.

Saki woke a few hours later, and groggily sat up. He rubbed the sleep from his eyes as he checked his PET to see how much time had passed.

 _I should probably check on Taka again_ , Saki thought, getting up from the couch and making his way slowly to Taka's bed.

However, as he approached, Saki spotted a woman at Taka's bedside. Her bright red hair—the same shade as Taka's hair—was pulled back into a tight twist secured by a clip, and her suit was immaculately tailored. Everything about her seemed tight and controlled, and Saki felt slightly uneasy in her presence. As Saki got closer, he noticed the woman slip something into her pocket, and she turned to face him.

“Ah,” the woman said. “You must be my son's friend.”

 _This is Taka's mother then_ , Saki thought. _She's not quite what I imagined_.

“Right,” Saki said, bowing politely. “My name is Saki Tanaka. It's very nice to meet you.”

The woman folded her arms. “I am Tsukiko Wakahisa. I've heard much about you from my son. Thank you for always taking care of him.”

“It's my pleasure,” Saki said.

As if studying Saki, Tsukiko tilted her head. The light of the late afternoon glinted off the silver crescent moon pin in her hair, and Saki squinted as the light blinded him momentarily.

“I don't mind you coming over to play with him. It's good that he has people to talk to. Just make sure you don't go poking around in places you shouldn't be.”

Saki swallowed. _She's pretty intimidating. And seems kind of closed off too_.

“I wouldn't dream of it,” Saki said.

Tsukiko let her arms fall back to her sides. “Good.” She took a step towards Saki, and stared at him with interest. “You strike me as an honest sort of boy. Your gaze is sincere and unwavering.” A small smile tugged at her lips. “I suppose you're not the worst person my son could have picked to become friends with.”

Saki flinched at the backhanded compliment.

“Please continue to support my son. He's a fragile boy, you see, and I can't always be there for him.” Tsukiko leaned in slightly, and spoke her next words in a low, dangerous tone. “Just remember: if you hurt my son in any way, I'll make you wish you had never been born.”

Saki swallowed again, and tried to control the fearful shaking of his body. He could tell that she meant every word.

Straightening up again, Tsukiko glanced at the clock on the wall. “Oh my, it's already this late. A shame.” She sighed. “I have to be going. I'll leave the rest to you then.” She nodded her head at Saki, and walked past him out of the room. Saki waited until she had left before he dared to breath again.

 _Tsukiko Wakahisa...a dangerous woman. Not someone I'd want to cross_.

Saki sat down heavily in the chair by Taka's bedside. He still hadn't woken up, but it was to be expected. Saki reached out and gently brushed some of Taka's bangs out of his face, and Taka stirred. His eyes slowly opened, and he gave a sleepy moan.

“Hey,” Saki said quietly.

Taka blinked a few times before smiling. “Hey,” he said back in a quiet voice.

“How do you feel?” Saki asked.

Taka thought about it for a moment. “Terrible,” he said at last. “My head is throbbing, my stomach aches, and my throat feels like sandpaper.”

Saki picked up the glass of water that had been left on Taka's bedside table, and Taka slowly pushed himself into a sitting position. Saki handed him the glass, and Taka took a grateful gulp.

“Your mother was here,” Saki said. “You just missed her.”

Taka seemed to freeze, his hands clutching the glass tightly. After a moment, he relaxed again, and smiled at Saki.

“Oh, that's a shame.”

Saki frowned. _Did Taka not want to see her?_

“She's...a very _interesting_ woman,” Saki said.

“Oh,” Taka said in a tight little voice, “You spoke to her?”

“Yeah, briefly,” Saki said.

“I'm so sorry,” Taka replied.

“She only threatened me a little bit,” Saki said, half-joking.

Taka sighed, and set his glass down on the table. “I think I've mentioned this before, but Mamma changed at one point. She used to be a lot warmer and kinder, but these days she's kind of cold and distant.” He rubbed his arms. “I don't like it.”

“I see,” Saki said.

“Just...just ignore what she says, okay?” Taka said. “Whatever it was, just ignore it.”

“I will,” Saki lied.

Taka relaxed.

“The nurse said you had heat exhaustion, and to get lots of rest,” Saki said. “Also to eat good meals and drink lots of water.”

Taka pouted. “This sucks. I can't believe I forgot my water bottle.”

“Even if you had remembered it, you probably still would have passed out, given how hot it was and how much you were sweating,” Saki said. “Your salt levels were pretty low.”

“Ugh,” Taka moaned. “Even though I drink sports drinks after every run and workout, I guess it's not enough.”

“You get salt from food too, you know,” Saki scolded. “When was the last time you ate properly?”

“I get enough salt!” Taka countered. “Chips have a lot of salt!”

Saki sandwiched Taka's face in his hands and gently squeezed. “You have to eat real food too! Not just junk food!”

“Okay, okay!” Taka whined. “I get it!”

Saki let go, and Taka flopped against his pillows.

“It sounds like Netto and the others want to wait until you feel better before we continue,” Saki said.

Taka heaved a great sigh. “Great. Now I'm holding everyone up.”

“It's not your fault, you know,” Saki said.

“Maybe,” Taka said. He looked up at the ceiling. “But Laika's right, you know: I don't push myself enough.”

“You still have to take it slow,” Saki said. “You can't do everything all at once.”

“I guess I'm just in a hurry to catch up,” Taka admitted. “You and Zer0 just keep improving more and more, and I feel...a little left behind.”

Saki pursed his lips. He could understand Taka's feelings, but he didn't think that Taka was actually lagging behind them.

“Honestly, I kind of think you have a leg up on us,” Saki said. “You and Axl are so in sync, and you both know your way around a battle. I admire how you can adapt so quickly.”

Taka blushed a little. “Maybe. But we haven't _improved_. We're kind of stagnating.”

Saki sighed, and tugged on a clump of hair near his ear. “We could argue about this all day, but we'll never get anywhere. Let's just agree to disagree.”

“Fine then,” Taka said. He picked up his water glass, and the two sat in silence for a while.

“Laika was here earlier,” Saki said.

“Oh?” Taka asked, looking away.

“He seemed like he was really sorry for what happened,” Saki explained. “And it sounds like he wants to apologize to you when you feel a little better.”

Taka rubbed his thumb against the water glass. “Is that so?”

Saki didn't say anything more. Taka sipped his water, and stared at the wall across from him. Eventually, his glass was empty, and he set it on the side table again before looking at Saki.

“Thank you for sticking up for me,” Taka said. “It...really meant a lot.”

“I was just doing what I thought was right,” Saki said. “It made me really upset, the way he treated you.”

Taka tugged on his bangs. “I guess it's because I haven't had a lot of experience having friends, but I'm not used to people sticking up for me. I kind of just accept that I'm going to get yelled at for stuff.”

Saki frowned. “Taka, does your mother...yell at you?”

Taka shook his head vigorously. “No, she's...” He sighed. “She just gets frustrated with me sometimes. She's tired from working so much, and sometimes I act up. I do bad things, and I get punished for them, that's all.” He averted his eyes. “I'm actually not a very good person.”

Reaching out, Saki patted Taka's head. “I don't think you're a bad person.”

Taka blushed a little, and smiled. “You see? I've already manipulated you into _thinking_ I'm a good person!”

Saki sighed, and ruffled Taka's hair. “Stop that. You can try to convince me that you're bad, but you're just some silly kid who makes mistakes sometimes, and acts out to get his mother's attention. Lots of kids are like that.”

“You talk like an old man,” Taka grumbled. “You're only three years older than me! You're still a kid too!”

Saki felt his face flush. “I...I'm just used to having a younger sister, that's all!”

Taka grinned. “Nah, you're an old man disguised as a kid. You can't fool me.”

Saki crossed his arms. “Fine then. Listen to your elders. Eat proper meals and remember to brush your teeth. Also, don't stay up so late.”

“Make me!” Taka said, and stuck out his tongue.

***

Taka stayed at the hospital overnight, and eventually made Saki go home so that he could rest properly.

“I can't run away,” Taka had said. “I'll still be here tomorrow when you come to get me.”

Reluctantly, Saki returned to his apartment, and fell asleep in front of the television. He woke up the next day, hair messy and clothes rumpled, and checked what time it was.

“Almost nine o'clock...crap.”

Wearing his clothes from the day before, Saki threw some bread in the toaster before he dragged a comb through his hair. Michi had already left, and Saki wondered if she had eaten breakfast. Before he could dwell on it too long, however, his toast popped, and Saki shoved a piece in his mouth before running to put his shoes on. He shoved the second piece in his mouth as he locked the door and ran down the stairs to the street.

By the time Saki reached the hospital, it was half past ten. Saki cursed himself for not having set an alarm before he'd crashed the night before. As he entered the waiting room, he spotted Taka sitting patiently in a chair near the door. His face broke into a smile when he saw Saki, and he stood up, waving.

“Sorry I'm late,” Saki said, panting.

“You look awful,” Taka said teasingly. “Did you sleep in your clothes?”

Saki felt his face heat up. “Leave me alone.”

Taka chuckled. “Well, whatever. You're here now.”

Saki offered Taka his hand. “Shall we?”

Taking Saki's hand, Taka grinned. “To the Ministry of Science!”

Saki frowned. “No way. You're going home to rest.”

Taka pouted. “Look, there's a lot of stuff I want to get out of the way with the others. I can go home afterwards.”

Saki sighed. “Isn't there some way to convince you to go home instead?”

“Nope,” Taka said, dropping Saki's hand and walking to the front doors. “If you won't take me, I'll go by myself.”

Saki sighed in exasperation, and quickly caught up to Taka. Taking the boy's hand, Saki began to march out of the building, and towards the train station. From the corner of his eye, Saki caught Taka's coy smile.

“This is a bad idea,” Saki said.

“It'll be fine,” Taka insisted.

The entire way to the Ministry of Science, Saki kept trying to convince Taka to go home, but Taka stubbornly refused. Even as they got in the elevator to go to the floor the office was located on, Saki was still begging Taka to just go home.

“I understand your concern,” Taka said, “But I have to do this. You can't convince me otherwise.”

With a dejected sigh, Saki finally relented, and agreed to help Taka as long as he promised to go home afterwards. Taka agreed to this readily, and then marched down the hall to poke his head into the office. A quick look around told the boys that Laika wasn't present, and so a search commenced. The Navis asked around the Network, while the boys stopped the employees and asked if they had seen Laika that day. Eventually, they managed to learn that Laika was in the practice room. Laika looked up as they entered, and he put away what he'd been looking at to give them his full attention. Taka stopped in front of Laika, planted his feet and crossed his arms.

“I'm here for my apology,” he said.

Laika sighed. “Couldn't this have waited?”

“That's what I was saying,” Saki muttered.

“No,” Taka said bluntly. “It couldn't.”

Laika seemed taken aback by Taka's resolve. Clearing his throat, he said, “I see.” Laika then straightened his back, and met Taka's gaze before saying, “I am sorry for how I treated you. I was dismissive of your health, and forced you to push yourself past what you were capable of. I take full responsibility for you falling ill.”

Taka didn't say anything for a moment. Eventually, he sighed and said, “Okay, that's nice. Now, what are you going to do about it in the future?”

Laika shifted uncomfortably. “I can only try to be more considerate of your health, and allow you to rest more frequently.”

Taka frowned. “Not good enough. You aren't addressing the actual problem here.”

“Which is?” Laika asked.

“The fact that the way you train us is brutish and badly in need of reform,” Taka said. “And unless you fix how you train us, I refuse to come to practices anymore.”

Saki felt the color drain from his face. Laika seemed equally shocked.

“It would take time to restructure my routine,” Laika said. “And we're all behind schedule as it is.”

“Behind schedule for _what?_ ” Saki asked.

Laika paused. “For the field tests.”

 _Field tests?_ Saki thought. _That's news to me. I didn't know that we'd be training outside the lab. No one said anything to me_.

“Frankly, I don't care,” Taka said stubbornly. “I'll hold you up as long as it takes. I refuse to let me and Saki go through another one of your hellish training sessions.”

Laika sighed wearily. “I already told you that I can try to adjust things around you. That's the best I can offer.”

Taka uncrossed his arms, and planted his hands on his hips. “Look, I don't think you're getting it. I'm willing to drag a legal team into this.”

“Oh please, not that,” Laika muttered, putting a hand over his eyes.

“But, since I'm so nice, I'll do this instead.” Taka pointed at Laika. “I'll battle you. If I win, you have to adjust your regiment. If you win, you can do whatever you want.”

 _You can't do that, can you?!_ Saki thought frantically.

Laika looked at Taka with a haggard expression. “Is this really your solution?”

“I don't want to drag a legal team into this if I can help it,” Taka admitted. “They're not cheap, and it'll be a huge hassle for the Ministry of Science. And if the higher ups catch wind of it, they'll shut down the project for good. I don't want that to happen.” Taka tapped his foot impatiently. “So? What will it be?”

Laika let out a sigh that seemed to come from his toes, and threw up his hands. “Fine. You can battle me if you want. But I'm not going to go easy on you, no matter what. Understood?”

“I wouldn't want you to,” Taka said.

Laika nodded, and motioned towards the table where the Net Battle would take place. Taka took his place, but almost immediately Saki could tell that Taka was pushing himself too hard. The boy's legs shook, and all of a sudden, Taka swayed on his feet. Saki ran to catch Taka, but the boy planted his hand on the table and remained standing. Saki wasn't satisfied, however, and grabbed Taka firmly by the shoulders.

“I tried to tell you that running all over the place was only going to wear you out!” Saki scolded. “You're in no condition to Net Battle!”

“But I _have_ to do this,” Taka said, clearly impatient. “I can't back out now.”

Saki gave a frustrated sigh, and pulled Taka away from the table. “Look, let me handle this, okay? You just rest for now.”

“No!” Taka said. “It wouldn't mean anything if you did it for me!”

“Don't be stupid,” Saki snapped back. “We're in this together.”

Taka looked hesitant, and Saki glanced at Laika, who shrugged.

“I don't mind a substitution,” was all he said.

Having to face the fact that he was in no condition to battle, Taka straightened up the best that he could, and sniffed indignantly.

“I suppose if I must call in a substitution, I will,” he said. “But I won't forgive you if you lose, Saki.”

“I won't,” Saki promised as he led Taka over to a chair near the wall. Taka let himself collapse onto it, and sat back with a resigned sigh.

“You can have your battle with Laika later, okay?” Saki said. “For now, let me do this for you.”

Taka nodded. Saki walked back to the table, and took a deep breath.

 _Remember what you saw when Taka battled Laika before_ , Saki thought. _Use that information to get the upper hand_.

“Are you ready?” Laika asked.

“Yeah,” Saki said, pulling out his PET and plugging Zer0 into the console.

Laika plugged Searchman in as well, and the two Navis met on the battlefield. They stared at each other for a long time, until Zer0 bowed his head.

“I have eagerly awaited a match with you,” he said to Searchman. “I am curious to know which of us will be the victor.”

“I've watched a few of your fights,” Searchman said. “I don't think you're anything I can't handle.”

A small smile crossed Zer0's face. “We shall see.”

The two Navis took their places, and Saki cued up his chip folder before leaning down to give Zer0 some quiet instructions.

“He's a long range Navi, so you'll want to get close,” Saki told Zer0. “But he has that knife on him, so be careful.”

“Understood,” Zer0 said, summoning his saber to his hand.

Saki looked up at Laika, and nervously clenched his hands. Laika was also someone who could Cross Fuse, and more than likely had mastered Full Synchro. It would be a difficult battle, but Saki felt like he had a fighting chance.

 _Zer0's been learning a lot of techniques lately_ , Saki reasoned. _Even if Searchman has seen some of our matches, I'm positive we have moves he's never seen before. All we have to do is keep up the pressure_.

“Okay Zer0, let's do this!” Saki said, signaling the start of the match.

Much like last time, Searchman didn't move from his spot much, instead focusing on laying down a hail of gunfire. Zer0 did his best to slip between the attacks and close the gap, but Laika anticipated this, and barked a command to Searchman.

“Evasive maneuvers.”

“Roger,” Searchman replied. He quickly tossed a grenade at Zer0, who knocked it away. When the grenade exploded, however, the blast was bigger than Saki had anticipated, and Zer0 was caught up in the dust cloud it kicked up.

 _Not good_ , Saki thought. _Searchman can take advantage of the smoke cover to attack us. We need to get into a better position_.

Before Zer0 could move out of the smoke, a shot rang out and a bullet narrowly missed Zer0's left shoulder. The Navi quickly darted away, only to have two more shots hit the ground near his feet.

“He's already set up,” Saki hissed angrily.

The smoke started to clear, and Saki thought he caught a glimpse of Searchman's outline. Without hesitating, Saki operated Zer0 towards the form, sword at the ready.

Through the last of the smoke a thin laser shot out, and Zer0 deflected it with the blade of his saber. Saki cursed quietly at his impatience.

_I forgot all about that satellite of his!_

Zer0 deftly took the satellite out with a well-placed slash, and refocused on finding Searchman. After a quick sweep of the battlefield, Zer0 spotted Searchman, who fired a shot. Zer0 managed to deflect it with his sword before dashing forward. Upon seeing Searchman prepare another grenade, Zer0 grit his teeth.

“Not this time.”

He caught the grenade as it sailed through the air, and flung it back at Searchman, who gave a yelp as he dived out of the way of the explosion. Saki heard Laika mutter under his breath, and couldn't help but smile.

“Nice one, Zer0!”

“Go, go!” Taka cheered from the sidelines. Axl let out a loud whoop.

“He'll try to use the smoke to mask himself again,” Saki told Zer0. “Don't give him an opportunity.”

“Understood.” Zer0 swung wide with his blade, blowing some of the smoke away. Once he could see something resembling Searchman's outline, he dashed in before launching himself into the air and executing a perfect Kuuenzan, which scattered the rest of the smoke. Taken by surprise, Searchman was forced to dodge Zer0's attack and retreat.

“I see,” Laika murmured. “Searchman, switch to attack pattern Gamma.”

“Roger,” Searchman replied, and planted his feet. His gun hummed as energy built up for a moment, and then Searchman pulled the trigger, unleashing a powerful shot at Zer0. The Navi tried to parry the attack, but the blast was too much for him, and he was thrown across the field.

“Whoa!” Saki scrambled to heal Zer0 before Searchman could attack him again. “That one packs a nasty punch.”

“Indeed,” Zer0 said. “Even I am uncertain if I could stop that attack head on.”

“Probably smart not to try,” Saki said. “Let's try using some ranged attacks for a bit.”

Zer0 closed the gap a little, and executed a Shoenzan attack. However, Searchman was faster than the wall of flames, and easily dodged it.

“Perhaps I am not close enough,” Zer0 said.

“Getting closer makes me a little nervous,” Saki said. “But I guess we can't hide forever.”

At that moment, Saki spotted the telltale glow of Searchman's charge attack, and Zer0 dived out of the way in the nick of time. Pushing himself to his feet, Zer0 charged Searchman before using Shoenzan once more. Again, Searchman was able to get away from the fire, but Zer0 had not stopped advancing, and was now in Searchman's personal space. Right on cue, Searchman dropped his gun and pulled out his knife, but Zer0 had been ready for this. As Searchman attacked, Zer0 countered with Gokumonken. Reeling from the counterattack, Searchman managed to grab his gun and retreated.

“I know that move,” Laika said, frowning. “That's one that Blues uses.”

Taka and Axl cheered from the sidelines. “You can do it!” they cried. “Keep it up!”

“Stay on the attack, Zer0!” Saki said. “We've got him now!”

Perhaps Saki had gotten a little too excited, because he almost missed Searchman summoning two satellites to his side. Before Zer0 could land a hit, a rain of lasers forced him to retreat.

“Agh, forgot about them again!” Saki muttered angrily. “Sorry, Zer0.”

“All is not lost,” Zer0 replied reassuringly. “I am starting to understand how Searchman fights, and a plan is forming.”

“Awesome!” Saki said.

“Alas, I am unable to duplicate myself as Colorman can,” Zer0 continued. “However, I believe that if we are careful, we may still trick Searchman into a corner.”

“How so?” Saki asked.

“He is required to drop his rifle when he uses his knife,” Saki said. “If we can separate him from his rifle, then we will be able to overpower him.”

“So if we get in close and force him to use his knife, then force him to abandon his gun, we can take away his main attack and potentially overpower him,” Saki said. “Nice. I think it might work. But how do we deal with those satellites?”

“That I am uncertain about,” Zer0 admitted. “However, I do not think we have the luxury of thinking about that right now, as I am certain Searchman will not waste an opportunity to attack.”

Right on cue, Searchman fired a shot at Zer0, who deflected it away. Sighing, Zer0 launched himself at Searchman once more, and Saki wracked his brain, trying to think of how to get rid of the satellites.

 _I guess we could try destroying them. Zer0 already cut one of them down fairly easily. But it would leave him open to an attack, and give Searchman enough time to charge up his gun again_.

“If only we could take them out from a distance,” Saki muttered. “An attack that wouldn't slow us down.”

Saki looked up at Laika, who seemed unfazed by the battle. There was nothing on his face to betray his next move, and Saki bit down on his thumbnail in frustration.

Zer0 darted into the fray, only to be forced to dance around a rain of laser fire and a storm of bullets before retreating once more.

“He's not throwing grenades,” Saki noted.

“It is likely that he knows that it will not serve as a suitable cover anymore,” Zer0 replied.

“I think the thought of us getting close enough to attack scares them,” Saki said. “Laika reacted when you used Gokumonken.”

“Yes, that is certainly the case,” Zer0 said, deflecting a few more shots from Searchman. “I suppose the only solution will be for me to find a way to attack from a distance and remove the satellites blocking him.”

Saki glanced over at Taka, who was watching the battle with bated breath. Saki knew that he couldn't afford to lose the match, especially not after Taka's brash words earlier.

“What if we somehow made a projectile?” Saki suggested. “Kind of like how you can use Shoenzan to make fire and attack at a distance, but maybe something smaller and faster.”

Saki could see Zer0 thinking the suggestion over in his mind. “Yes, you might be onto something.”

“Are you still trying to come up with something?” Laika asked. “I admire your courage, but you've already lost this fight. Know when to quit.”

Saki gritted his teeth. He had no intention of losing.

“A projectile, a projectile...” Zer0 was still muttering quietly to himself as he dodged bullets, searching for an opening in Searchman's barrage. “Yes, I can see it now.” Skidding to a stop, Zer0 changed the way he held his saber, and shifted his stance. When he started running again, he seemed faster and lighter on his feet. 

“Be as the wind,” Zer0 murmured, and lifted his saber. The blade flashed for a second, and then Zer0 swung downward. Whatever energy had collected on the blade was fired towards the satellites in a blade of green light. As it smashed into one of the satellites, it exploded in a violent blast of air, and the other satellite was caught up in it, and they exploded in a shower of particles. Searchman only had a second to react, as Zer0 came crashing through the wall of smoke with his saber raised, ready to bring it down on the other Navi's head.

 _That's it!_ Saki thought excitedly. _Now he'll drop his gun to get his knife out and—_

But unlike before, Searchman did not drop his gun. Instead, he pointed it at Zer0, and fired it point blank.

There was a loud cry of pain from Zer0, who was sent flying across the field before landing on the ground and rolling a few more feet before coming to a stop. At the exact same time, Saki felt a hot stab of pain rip through his right shoulder, and cried out in agony before falling to his knees. Several shrill alarms on the PET went off all at once.

“I tried to warn you,” Laika said. “You'd already lost. I already knew what you would do, and had a counter ready. Honestly, if you had just listened to me, it wouldn't have come to this...”

Saki clutched his shoulder, trying not to cry. The pain was horrendous. He could only imagine how Zer0 might have been feeling at that moment. With his good arm, Saki pulled himself to his feet, and forced himself to look at the screen. Zer0's shoulder and upper arm were badly damaged, and Zer0 was lying unresponsive on the ground. Saki felt his face go cold and his hands trembled.

“Zer0!”

Saki shouted a few more times, but Zer0 didn't respond. Panicked, Saki plugged Zer0 out of the terminal, and was relieved to find that Zer0 was still operational, albeit not in any shape to continue fighting.

Taka, who had sat in stunned silence after the last attack, was immediately on his feet and at Saki's side. He gently braced Saki against him, murmuring that he'd done his best and not to be too upset. Saki was so ashamed that he couldn't bring himself to make eye contact.

“You put up a good fight, I'll give you that,” Laika said as he plugged Searchman out of the terminal. “I'll admit, you almost had me at the end. Your mistake was thinking that Searchman would pull out his knife instead of using his gun.”

“It never occurred to me that he might fire at point-blank range,” Saki admitted.

“There are many ways to use a gun,” Laika said. “And someone without knowledge of them would naturally make the same mistake that you did. But now you know for next time.” He walked over to Saki and clicked his tongue. “I didn't think that you'd feel that blow quite so strongly. I'll have to teach you how to turn the connection off.”

Taka looked at Laika, and bit his lip. Saki knew what Taka was feeling, and hated it. They'd both tried so hard, only to come up short.

“You won,” Taka said unhappily. “So I'll keep my promise. I won't complain about your regiments anymore.”

Laika sighed. “You're both so dramatic. Just like a certain someone we all know.” He shook his head. “I never had any intention of sticking to my old way of doing things, you know.”

“Huh?” Taka and Saki both said in unison.

“I was trying to tell you that while a complete overhaul of my regiment would be unrealistic, I would be more than willing to make changes to accommodate you both better.” Laika planted his hands on his hips. “I can reduce the number of runs you do in a week, and shorten the distance. I can also add in more breaks, and have you run on a treadmill if the weather is bad. I was also planning on adjusting your weight training to be less aggressive as well.”

“That's...kind of what I wanted, actually,” Taka admitted.

“You see then? We both wanted the same things. I was under the impression that you wanted me to change everything completely.” Laika tried to smile, but it seemed slightly uncomfortable. “I suppose I was right in thinking that we all needed better communication.”

Taka suddenly looked sheepish. “Guess there wasn't any reason for that Net Battle then.”

“One good thing came out of it,” Laika said. “Unless I'm mistaken, Zer0 seemed to come up with a new technique near the end.”

“Yeah,” Saki said. “I guess I'll have to ask him what he'll call it when he wakes up.”

“Kougenjin,” came Zer0's weak voice from the PET. Saki quickly pulled it out to look at his Navi.

“Zer0! Are you okay?!”

The Navi cracked a small smile. “I shall call it...Kougenjin...”

“Hey, maybe you should take it easy,” Saki said. “Your arm is pretty messed up right now.”

“I might have used a bit more force than was necessary,” Searchman admitted. “But it is very difficult to control a shot when it's so close to it's target.”

“I am...fine,” Zer0 said. “You do not need to...concern yourself...with me...Saki-do...no...” At this point, Zer0 slipped into repair mode, and went quiet.

“Idiot,” Saki muttered with a smile. “I guess I'll have Meijin-san take a look at you before I leave.”

Laika sighed. “As dramatic as his Operator, I see.” He shooed the boys with his hands. “Come on, let's get you to the first aid room so I can take a look at your shoulder.” 

“Does it hurt?” Taka asked.

“Yeah,” Saki said. “And it's hard to move.”

“There's probably a sling left over from Netto's broken arm around somewhere that you can use,” Laika said. “Let it rest for a day or so and you'll be fine.”

As they walked down the hall, Saki looked up at Laika and felt like he was seeing someone new, a stranger that he'd never met before.

“You're being strangely gentle,” Saki commented.

Laika glanced at Saki. “Hmm? Oh, I guess something Netto said to me made me realize I might have been...more than a little cold.”

“ _Frigid_ is more like it,” Taka muttered.

“Are you trying to say you're actually a nice guy, Laika?” Saki asked.

Laika shot Saki a look. “I'm not fond of socializing, but it isn't like I can't make friends. I suppose I was just too focused on being your _instructor_ and lost sight of being your coworker.”

“Maybe Searchman should tell more jokes,” Taka said. “It'll help you _break the ice_.”

“Ha!” Axl yelled.

Laika gave Taka a disapproving look. “Don't get any ideas, you're already on _thin ice_ as it is.”

Taka wheezed. “Laika made a _joke! Oh my god!_ ”

Saki snorted. “That one was pretty lame.”

“I don't get a lot of practice making jokes,” Laika said. “So you'll have to cut me some slack.”

“But the point is that you _can_ make jokes!” Taka said. “That means that you're actually not a bad person after all!”

“Since when does making jokes equal being a good person...?” Laika asked.

“In Taka's head, I'm sure everything he says makes sense,” Saki said. “It just doesn't translate to speech very well.”

“So what do people do for fun in Sharo?” Taka asked.

“Try not to freeze to death,” Laika deadpanned.

“What about hobbies. You have a hobby, right?” Taka asked.

“Fencing,” Laika replied.

“Oh!” Saki said, surprised. “I wasn't expecting that!”

“What about a _girlfriend?_ ” Taka asked, a mischievous grin spreading across his face. “Or a _boyfriend_ maybe? Surely a man of such sophistication has a significant other.”

Laika's cheeks flushed, but he said nothing.

 _He's not denying it_ , Saki thought.

“Ooh~! He _does_ have a special someone!” Taka cooed. “I wonder who it is? Are they beautiful? What do they do for a living? Are you two already living together? I'm just _dying_ to know!”

“You should drop the subject,” Laika warned. “I have no desire to talk about this right now.”

“Boo,” Taka said, pouting.

Laika cleared his throat. “Any other invasive questions you want to ask?”

“No, I think I'm good,” Taka said. “Although you're a pretty mysterious guy, Laika. I know almost nothing about you.”

“I would rather it stayed that way for now,” Laika said.

Taka elbowed Saki in the ribs. “Maybe you should ask him out for coffee.”

Saki felt his face heat up. “Wha—?! What are you talking about?”

“Aren't older guys your type?” Taka asked, a nasty grin spreading across his face.

Saki's ears became hot. “D-don't just assume things like that!”

At the first aid room, Laika quickly examined Saki's shoulder, and deemed it to be good enough not to need a doctor, and fitted him with a sling. Saki imagined Netto laughing at him, and felt his face heat up with shame.

“Well,” Saki said, “Now that I've been thoroughly humiliated, let's get Zer0 fixed up, and then get you home so you can rest properly.” 

Taka nodded. “I've put you through enough for one day.”

“And you've both put me through more than enough these last few days, Laika said, pushing the two boys out of the first aid room. “Now go home and rest, and save us all a headache.”

When Saki timidly poked his head into Meijin's office to ask for repairs on Zer0, he found the man wrestling with a literal mountain of paperwork on his desk. When he spotted Saki, however, he brightened up.

“Ah, Saki-kun! Good to see you!”

“Are you busy...?” Saki asked. “I could come back later—”

Meijin dropped a stack of paperwork on the floor. “Not at all,” he said. “What can I do for you?”

Taking a deep breath, Saki approached the desk. “Uh, so, I was just in a battle against Laika and...well...” He rubbed the back of his neck. “Zer0 _might_ have gotten a _little bit_ damaged.”

Meijin raised an eyebrow. “How damaged?”

Saki silently handed Meijin his PET. He studied it for a moment, and then put his face in his hands.

“What exactly did you _do?_ ” Meijin asked.

“Had Zer0 run straight into a point-blank attack from Searchman,” Saki said sheepishly.

Meijin gave a resigned sigh. “You're lucky I'm not busy right now. This is going to take a while to fix.” He shook his head. “You kids, making all this work for me. So inconsiderate.”

“Sorry,” Saki said.

“Leave him here with me overnight. I'll get him back to perfect again before you know it,” Meijin said.

“Thank you, Meijin-san, I don't deserve you,” Saki said, bowing.

“No need for formalities,” Meijin grumbled. “Now go home and rest that arm.”

Saki quickly left the room before Meijin could change his mind.

Taka gave Saki a curious look as he left the office. “Everything okay?”

“Yeah,” Saki said, taking Taka by the hand. “Let's get you home before anything else goes wrong today.”


	18. Dog Days

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> It's summer! Things heat up as plans are made to hit the beach! Saki runs into some trouble when he makes a delivery to a mysterious manor...

The rainy season passed, and with it summer was officially ushered in. Saki and Michi sat under the air conditioner, doing their best to stay cool in the sweltering afternoon heat. Saki tugged at his t-shirt, cycling air under his clothes, and Michi gave a deep sigh.

“It's hot,” she said.

“Sure is,” Saki agreed.

“I miss the rain,” Michi said.

Saki pushed his bangs back, only to have them flop back into his eyes. “I don't. The humidity was awful.” He recalled Taka's bout of heat exhaustion, and grimaced. Even though Taka had recovered fully, the current heat was probably not doing him any favors.

 _I should go over there soon_ , Saki thought. _I bet he's eating junk food again, even though I told him not to_.

“I wish we could go to the beach,” Michi said sadly.

“Well, don't give up just yet,” Saki said. “Mom said she's going to try really hard to get a few days off, so that we can all go together.”

Michi's face brightened. “Are you coming too?”

Saki smiled weakly. “I'll...do my best.”

In all honesty, Saki didn't really like the beach: it was hot, and ridiculously crowded. He hated the thought of going in the water, so the only things he could do with Michi were build sandcastles and play with the beach ball. And since the summer was usually a busy time at work, Saki barely had time to go anyway. But as much as he disliked the beach, Saki hated letting Michi down more. 

_I just have to deal with noisy crowds and getting sunburned_ , Saki thought. _Tough it out so that Michi has a good time. I'm capable of that much_.

Saki looked up at the air conditioning unit. It was struggling to keep up with the heat, so he had pulled out the old oscillating fan earlier in the day. The fan clicked rhythmically as it swung back and forth, blowing warm air around the room. The two siblings sighed in unison.

“It's too hot,” Michi moaned.

Saki got to his feet. “I'll get us some ice water.”

“Thank you, big brother,” Michi said gratefully.

As Saki opened up the cupboard to take out the water glasses, the phone rang. Saki quickly answered it.

“Hello?” he said.

“Hello!” said a familiar voice. “Is this Saki-kun?”

“It is!” Saki replied.

“It's Sato-san, from the ramen shop,” said the voice over the phone. “It's good that I was able to speak to you.”

 _I wonder what he wants to talk about?_ Saki thought.

“I'm calling to ask you for a favor,” the ramen shop owner said. “Do you recall that small shack on the beach?”

“The one that gets rented out every year?” Saki asked. “I think I remember that it's usually rented out by the place that makes snow cones.”

“That's right,” the owner said. “However, for some reason, this year they weren't able to rent the building, and so I decided to rent it for the summer.”

Saki blinked in surprise. “That's great!”

“Yes!” the owner said. “However, I have a small problem. I don't have quite enough staff to run both the store _and_ the stand at the beach.”

 _Uh oh_ , Saki thought. _I know where this is going_.

“So I was wondering, would you be interested in helping out at the stand?” the owner asked. “Naturally, I would compensate you for your trouble. I'll also work with your schedule, so you're not overwhelmed.”

“That's a very kind offer,” Saki said, “But I'm afraid that I was already asked to work at Maha Ichiban over the summer as a delivery person.”

“Hmm...” The owner seemed to think about this. “Maha Ichiban...I'm not familiar with that restaurant.”

“It's a curry place in Akihara,” Saki explained. 

“Oh, I see!” the owner said. “Hmm, I wonder...” After a few moments of silence, the owner said, “I wonder if they'd agree to a collaborative effort.”

“A collaborative...? You mean like the two of you work together?” Saki asked.

“Isn't it a grand idea?” the owner said. “If we both pitch in, the rent will be much cheaper. Plus, ramen and curry are very different foods, so we won't be in direct competition. And that way, we can pool our staff!”

Saki considered the proposal. Pooling staff meant that there would be more people to help out, and it would take some of the stress off, even during a rush. Plus, if both restaurants teamed up, Saki wouldn't have to feel guilty about choosing one over the other. The more Saki thought about it, the more he felt like it might be a good idea.

“I'm not sure if they'd agree to it, but I think it's worth a try,” Saki said confidently. “I can give you their number, if you'd like to give them a call.”

“Splendid!” the owner said. “Does that mean you'll give us a hand?”

“Sure thing,” Saki said. “For old times' sake.”

After giving the ramen shop owner the number for Maha Ichiban, Saki wished the man good luck, and hung up the phone. Michi was looking at him curiously.

“Who was that?” she asked.

“The owner of the ramen shop,” Saki said. “You know, the one we always go to?”

“Oh!” Michi's eyes lit up. “How is he?”

“He seems well,” Saki said. “He was actually calling to ask if I'd help out, since he's going to be renting the shack on the beach this summer.”

Michi gave Saki a serious look. “Didn't you promise not to take another job, big brother?”

Saki winced. “We compromised. He's going to ask if the curry shop I'm working at will partner with him, so that we can all help each other.”

Michi thought about this for a moment. Then, she smiled. “I guess ramen at the beach would be nice!” Then her face fell. “Oh, but then you wouldn't be able to go with us because you'll be working.”

 _Oops_ , Saki thought. He put up his hands, and tried to give Michi reassurance.

“It's okay! He said that he could work around my schedule! I promise that I'll spend time with you and Mom at the beach this summer, just like I said I would!”

Michi looked unconvinced. “If you're lying, then you have to swallow one thousand needles,” she told Saki in a grave tone.

“I'm not lying!” Saki insisted. “I made a promise, and I intend to keep it!”

***

“It's hot,” Taka whined. “I don't want to be at work when it's this hot.”

“No one does,” Laika grumbled. “You'll just have to deal with it.”

Across the table from Saki, Enzan looked particularly miserable. He'd loosened his tie, his pale bangs clinging to his forehead. Every now and then, he would fan himself with a piece of paperwork that he was filling out.

“You don't have to wear a suit in this heat,” Saki said.

“My office at IPC has air conditioning,” Enzan grumbled.

“Shouldn't the Ministry of Science also have air conditioning?” Saki asked.

“It does,” Enzan said, “But with it being unseasonably warm, and with the amount of equipment running all the time, the cold air can barely keep up.” He swiped at his forehead with the back of his hand and sighed. “It's part of why everyone was so frantic to get things finished before summer. The heat means we can't run the equipment as long or as often.”

“Ugh, this sucks,” Saki moaned.

Netto chose this moment to enter the break room, a huge smile plastered across his face. “I agree, being here sucks. Thankfully, I have a plan to help us escape for a few days, and also get some training in as well.”

Saki narrowed his eyes, suddenly suspicious of Netto's words. There had to be a catch.

“What are you planning?” Laika asked.

“Before I answer that,” Netto said, pointing at Enzan. “Do you have a summer home? Possibly by the sea”

Enzan frowned. “No, not by the sea.” He narrowed his eyes. “Why do you ask?”

Netto grinned. “I just thought all rich families had a seaside house they could vacation to in the summer.”

“That is a gross over-exaggeration of a stereotype,” Enzan retorted. “You can't just assume anyone who happens to have money will own a beach house, just because the manga you read say so.”

“ _My_ family has a beach house,” Taka said.

 _Of course it does_ , Saki thought bitterly.

“See?! Even Taka has a beach house--” Netto suddenly seemed very interested, and immediately latched onto Taka's arm. “You have a beach house! That's great!” His eyes sparkled. “Taka, does your family use the beach house?”

Taka seemed to think this over for a while, making thoughtful noises and tapping his lip with his index finger. “Well...we haven't used it for a long time. Mamma's always so busy with work, so we never go anymore.”

“Can we use your beach house, Taka?” Netto asked. “Just for a day or two?”

“I don't think Mamma would be opposed to us using it.” Taka said. “But I'll ask, just to be safe.”

“Yes!” Netto whooped excitedly, clapping his hands together. “This is great! Once we have permission, we can go through with the rest of the plan.”

“Which is?” Enzan asked.

Netto grinned. “A summer training camp.”

“Summer training camp?” Meijin asked, poking his head into the room. “Is that a go then?”

“Not quite,” Netto said. “Taka needs to ask permission for us to use the beach house, but once that's settled, we're good to go.”

“Understood,” Meijin said, giving Netto a thumbs up. “I'll go ahead and pretend we do, and start setting everything up.” Meijin gave a small salute, and left the room.

“A training camp?” Laika asked.

“Yes,” Netto said.

Laika gave Netto a questioning look. “Is this really a training camp?”

“Of course it is,” Netto replied firmly. “It'll be just like the last one!”

“Last one?” Saki asked.

“The one from seven years ago that Enzan and Laika couldn't go to because they were busy,” Netto explained. “Which is a real shame. They really missed out.”

 _Missed out on what exactly?_ Saki wondered. _Sand sprints?_

“It's not like I can go this year either,” Enzan said. “My schedule is even more full now than it was seven years ago.”

“And I just hate the idea of going,” Laika added.

“It's too bad,” Netto said, a mischievous grin spreading across his face. “I already called your secretary, Enzan, and told her to schedule a small vacation for you.”

Enzan seemed to grow paler than usual. “You did _what?_ ”

“And Laika, you're obligated to come, since you're the one in charge of Taka and Saki's training,” Netto continued.

Laika gave an irritated sigh.

Saki raised his hand. “Umm, I probably will have to work—”

“I'll take the time to call your jobs personally, and explain the situation to them,” Netto said cheerfully. Something about Netto's expression made it very clear to Saki that Netto wasn't going to allow _anyone_ to escape his training camp.

“Beach trip!” Taka cried happily, throwing his hands into the air. “I can't wait!”

“Anyway,” Netto said, “Make sure you guys pack your bathing suits!” He grinned. “You know, for the _training camp_.”

A cold shiver ran up Saki's spine. He had a terrible feeling about this.

***

Yuichiro looked up from his work when Meijin knocked on the door and poked his head into the office. “Something wrong?”

“Ahh, no,” Meijin began, “But I wanted to let you know that Netto has a training camp planned, and it's likely that it will happen sometime soon.”

Yuichiro's hands stopped moving for a moment. “A _summer_ training camp?”

“Right,” Meijin grinned. “A summer training camp. Wakahisa-kun has volunteered his family's vacation home, so we'll be doing it there.”

Yuichiro adjusted his glasses thoughtfully. “I suppose I should make an appearance...”

“No need,” Meijin replied cheerfully. “Netto-kun has it under control this year.”

“N-Netto does...?” Yuichiro replied in amazement.

“So there's no need to trouble yourself, Doctor Hikari,” Meijin continued, turning to leave the office. “After all, I know how terribly _busy_ you are with work.”

“But—!” Yuuichiro began.

“Don't worry, you can depend on us!” Meijin said, giving Yuuichiro a small salute before closing the door behind him.

“But...” Yuichiro whispered to the closed door, “But the sea...”

***

As soon as Saki entered Maha Ichiban, Madoi ran up to him, her face filled with excitement.

“Hey Saki-kun, we just got an offer from some business named Chorori asking if we wanted to co-rent the shack at the beach for the summer.”

“Yeah,” Saki said, “I told him to call you guys about that.”

“You know the owner or something?” Madoi asked.

Saki nodded. “The owners are friends of the family. I used to work for them until recently.”

Madoi grinned. “Cool, cool. Well, then it's a good thing I said yes!” She put her hands on her hips. “Oh man, we haven't done a beach stand in _years!_ This is going to be great!”

“The owners actually wanted me to help them,” Saki explained. “But since I'm already working here, they suggested partnering up instead so that I could do both, and that way no one had to be short-staffed.”

“Moving our shop to the beach is such a great idea.” Madoi put her hand to her cheek and sighed dreamily. “Now I can break out my bikini again!”

“No one wants to see you in that,” Hinoken growled.

Madoi stuck out her tongue at him. “As if your opinion matters! I'll have you know I have plenty of men clamoring when they see me in my swimsuit.”

“Clamoring to get away,” Hinoken muttered.

Saki sighed. “Please don't cause trouble for the owners of Chorori. I don't want you to give them a bad impression.”

“Don't you worry,” Madoi said, patting Saki's shoulder. “We'll be on our best behavior.”

Maha exited the kitchen, and regarded the others with a serious expression. “Shall we discuss the menu for the beach then?”

“I think simple dishes are better,” Saki suggested. “Maybe the house curry and something else? The kitchen at the shack is pretty small, and you'll be sharing it.”

“Indeed,” Maha said. “A small menu would be best.”

“What if...you both collaborated on a dish?” Saki suggested. “Curry ramen might be really good.”

Maha nodded slowly. “Something to consider.”

“What about shaved ice?” Madoi suggested. “That went over well the last time we tried it.”

“Still not sure why,” Hinoken said with a sigh. “Curry shaved ice sounded like an awful idea to me.”

Saki shuddered. Curry shaved ice sounded like a culinary nightmare.

“I'm sure we could get some syrups,” Saki said. “Something cold and sweet will be super popular on a hot day, so it'll be really successful.”

“A little investment for a large return,” Madoi said, rubbing her hands together. “I like it.”

“I'm going to end up being the one running the damn machine, aren't I?” Hinoken asked, frowning.

“Think of it as training!” Madoi said.

“I'm sure I can handle deliveries,” Saki said.

“And I'm sure I can convince some young strapping lad to operate the machine while you're away,” Madoi told Hinoken with a wink. Hinoken didn't look convinced.

“Now that we know what we are doing, I suggest that we begin packing,” Maha said. “We have no time to waste.”

“Can I get you to help us with the packing, Saki?” Madoi asked. “I know it's not what you usually do, but—”

“Don't worry,” Saki said. “You can count on me.”

***

Keiko brushed some of her hair out of her face. “Goodness, you sound like you'll be quite busy this summer!”

Saki sighed. “I'm sorry, Mom. I know I promised you and Michi that I'd go with you, but it's starting to look like it might not happen right away.”

Keiko shook her head. “Don't worry! We can always drop by on a day you're working!”

“No way!” Saki waved his hands. “That wouldn't be very fun for either of you!”

“I don't mind,” Michi said.

Saki looked at Michi. “You don't have to go along with things if you don't actually feel that way,” he told her. “You're allowed to think it's unfair.”

“But I really don't mind,” Michi said. “I was going to ask my friends to come with us.”

“Even Ken-kun?” Saki asked.

Michi nodded. “Even Ken-kun.”

Saki pursed his lips. He didn't really know how he felt about Ken being around his sister, especially since he'd bullied her before. In fact, Saki wasn't sure how he felt about boys being around his sister in general.

“Well, I for one want to have food on the beach with you two,” Keiko said firmly. “We can have ramen for lunch and curry for dinner!”

“Why go to the beach just to eat?” Saki asked. “Shouldn't you go to—oh, I don't know— _have fun?_ ”

“I can do both,” Keiko said confidently. 

Saki sighed. “Please just let me ask for a day off so we can all go together.”

“Big brother promised he would go with us, and he doesn't want to have to swallow needles!” Michi explained.

Keiko laughed. “Oh, is that so? Hmm, I guess we can't have that!” She grinned at Saki. “Okay, we'll wait for you to have a day off.”

Saki's shoulder's sagged in relief. “Thanks, Mom.”

“Work hard!” Keiko said. “That way, you can treat us to food!”

“Treat us to food!” Michi parroted.

“Sheesh,” Saki said, “You guys are so demanding!” Despite his complaints, he was smiling.

***

Just as Saki had feared, the beach was crowded and noisy. The sun's hot rays reflected up off the sand, and even though he was wearing sunscreen, Saki was convinced that he had a sunburn already. He adjusted his sun visor, and glanced around the shack. All the tables were full of hungry guests enjoying their meals. Madoi was frantically making bowls of shaved ice in between taking orders, and Sato-san was preparing bowls of ramen like a machine. Saki had been helping by taking the orders of people who couldn't sit down inside the shack, and carrying them out to them. So far, there had been no hiccups. Saki prayed that it would continue to go smoothly.

“I wasn't sure how to feel about working with another restaurant,” Hinoken said as he turned the huge wheel on the ice machine, “But it turned out better than I expected.”

“The shaved ice is a huge hit,” Madoi said gleefully. “I can barely keep up with the orders!”

Saki turned, and nearly smacked into Dingo, who had an armful of dirty dishes.

“Oops, sorry!” Saki said.

“No worries!” Dingo said. “There's hardly any room to move in here!”

Saki moved out of the way, and picked up a few dishes from an empty table. He was glad that Dingo had been able to lend a hand, and there was no danger of him getting lost inside the shack. But even with all hands on deck, it had been difficult to keep up.

“Saki-kun!” Sato-san called. “Can you come here for a moment?”

“Sure thing.” Saki set the dirty dishes in his hands down, and made his way over to Sato-san.

The man smiled. “I hate to tear you away from what you're doing, but I just got an order over the phone. Apparently, they're staying somewhere nearby and would like their order delivered to them.”

“Oh!” Saki felt himself get excited. He hadn't really left the shack much that day, and a walk sounded nice. “I can deliver it for you!”

“Thank you,” Sato-san said gratefully. He handed Saki a metal take-out box and a slip of paper with an address written on it. “We'll hold down the fort here until you return.”

“I'll be back as soon as I can!” Saki promised. He turned and quickly left the shack, and looked down at the address.

“Zer0, can you plan a route for me to take?” Saki asked.

Appearing on Saki's shoulder, Zer0 read the address. “Understood,” he said, and a moment later a small screen popped up in front of Saki. “I have plotted the fastest route. Is it to your liking?”

“Looks good to me,” Saki said. “Let's finish this delivery fast so that we can come back and help the others.”

Saki took off at a brisk walk, being careful not to shake the delivery box too much. He took the closest set of stairs up to the street, and then followed it for a while before turning onto a side street. Here, there were many houses close together, and Saki made mental notes on his surroundings so that he wouldn't get turned around on his way back. The road slowly started to turn into a hill, and Saki did his best to walk quickly even as the sun sapped his stamina.

“I can see why someone wouldn't want to come all the way down to the beach,” Saki said, panting. “This hill is awful.”

“Thankfully, our goal is at the top,” Zer0 said. “It will not be long now.”

As Saki reached the top of the hill, he let out a huge sigh of relief. It was short-lived, however, once he saw the home that he was supposed to deliver to. Behind a tall iron gate, Saki could see a long driveway which ended in a courtyard with a large fountain in the center. The building behind the courtyard was larger than anything he'd ever seen in his life. It made Taka's spacious house seem small in comparison.

“I don't like this,” Saki muttered under his breath before looking around for some way to open the gate. “I don't like this one bit.”

Eventually, Saki found a button next to a large screen. He pressed it, and waited for a response. The screen lit up, and a young woman answered.

“Yes, how may I help you?”

“Uhh, hello,” Saki said. “I believe someone here placed an order for ramen?” He lifted the delivery box to prove that he was telling the truth.

“Oh, of course!” the young woman said. “Please wait one moment while I open the gate for you.”

After a few seconds, the huge iron gate swung open, and Saki took a deep breath before stepping into the property. He reassured himself that everything was going to be okay as he walked down the long driveway towards the huge house at the end.

 _It's just a delivery_ , Saki told himself. _Once you give them their food, you can leave_.

After what felt like an eternity, Saki arrived at the front doors to the manor. He reached up to knock, but the doors opened before he had the chance. Blinking, Saki peered inside and spotted several maids, all dressed in blue uniforms with frilly white aprons. One of them approached, and bowed to him.

“The young miss is expecting you. Right this way, please.”

“Uhh,” Saki began, but the maid was already walking away. With a small sigh, Saki followed after her.

“It's not really necessary for me to bring it all the way in,” Saki said.

“I'm sure the young miss will appreciate you delivering it yourself,” the maid replied, smiling kindly.

 _I highly doubt it, but okay_ , Saki thought wearily. _Who knows, maybe I'll get a good tip out of it_.

The maid led Saki down several hallways, and finally they walked through a set of glass doors out into a lovely garden. Over the fence, far off in the distance, Saki could see the ocean.

 _It's a nice view_ , Saki thought.

He turned his head to see the maid approach a woman in a pink swimsuit, who was lounging in a deck chair. As the maid spoke, the woman sat up slightly, and lifted her dark sunglasses before fixing an icy stare on Saki.

“Are you the delivery boy?” she asked in a haughty voice.

“Y-yeah,” Saki said, swallowing. She didn't seem to be in a good mood.

The woman got to her feet, walked over to Saki, and studied him intently. She took his jaw in her hand, and turned his face this way and that, making thoughtful noises under her breath. Then she let go of Saki's face, and walked all the way around him, studying him almost as if he was a piece of cattle. Finally, she smiled.

“He's perfect.”

Saki blinked. “Pardon?”

The woman put a hand on her hip impatiently. “You're perfect for my latest project.”

Saki shook his head, confused. “Your latest project? I don't understand.”

The woman glared at Saki. “Do you know who I am?”

Saki studied the woman. Her blond hair was pulled back from her large forehead by a red hairband, and fell over her slim shoulders in a cascade of waves. She seemed to be dressed in a very expensive swimsuit, and Saki was certain he'd seen her sandals in a high end boutique that Taka had dragged him to. She didn't seem familiar, and if she was a celebrity of some sort Saki couldn't recall ever seeing her on television or in a magazine.

“No, ma'am,” he said.

The woman sighed, and flipped her hair irritably. “I am Yaito Ayanokoji, CEO of GABGOM. Burn it into your memory so you don't forget it next time.”

 _Yikes_. Saki tried not to look as scared as he felt. _I feel like she'd have me arrested if I so much as looked at her funny_.

“Umm, Miss Ayanokoji? I don't mean to interrupt, but I'd like to be able to finish my delivery and get back to work.” Saki indicated the box in his hand. 

“Oh, that,” Yaito said, sighing. “Just put it on the table.”

Saki approached the glass-top table Yaito had motioned to, and carefully unpacked the ramen from the box. Once he was done, he turned to leave.

“Just a moment,” Yaito said, stepping in front of Saki.

Saki frowned. “If this is about your 'project', I'm not really interested.”

Yaito smirked. “Please understand, I simply _must_ have you assist me! You're absolutely perfect, exactly what I was looking for.”

Saki crossed his arms. “I still don't know what you mean.”

Yaito tapped her foot. “You're perfect to play the part of the male lead in my latest game,” she explained.

“Huh?” Saki asked.

“The right height! The perfect build! The way you move! You're exactly the way I envisioned the prince!” Yaito put a hand to her cheek. “It simply wouldn't do to have someone else do it, oh no! It has to be you!”

“Sorry, I really can't right now,” Saki said, trying to remain polite even though he wanted to escape as fast as possible. “I already told you, I'm very busy with work right now.”

Yaito tilted her head. “I'm willing to pay you, of course.”

Some little demon inside of Saki began whispering very loudly at the mention of money. Yaito was clearly loaded, it said, so whatever she paid was probably going to be a lot more than Saki had ever seen. Saki struggled with himself for a moment.

“What...exactly do you need me to do?” Saki asked, against his better judgment.

Yaito's eyes glinted. “Nothing too serious. I just need to wear a special suit, and act out what the Prince would do so that we can record your movements, and use them later.”

 _Sounds easy enough_ , Saki thought. _But I doubt that could be finished quickly_.

“I'd love to do that some other time,” Saki said, “When I'm more available. But they really need me to get back and help with the orders—”

“Is that all?” Yaito said. She clapped her hands twice, and the maid from before appeared at her side. She curtsied and asked, “How may I help you, young miss?”

“Would you be so kind as to return the delivery box to the restaurant?” Yaito said. “Oh, and do be a dear and give them a hand while I'm 'borrowing' their employee.”

“Yes miss, right away miss,” the maid said, and took Saki's delivery box from him before she left the garden.

“H-hang on!” Saki said. “I never agreed to—!”

Yaito let out a shrill laugh. “Don't be silly! Of _course_ you'll help me out! I won't take no for an answer!”

Saki groaned. _She's exactly like some spoiled rich girl in a manga, right down to that stupid laugh!_

Before Saki could escape, Yaito grabbed him by the wrist, and started to drag him inside the manor.

“Don't worry, it'll be fine!” she insisted. “It'll be over before you know it!”

“Zer0!” Saki hissed. “Go get help! Tell someone I'm being kidnapped!”

Without a word, Zer0 exited the PET, and made his way into the manor's network, intent on finding help, but was suddenly blocked by a tall Navi. Zer0 jumped back and reached for his sword, ready for a fight.

“Please, sir, I must ask that you stay,” the Navi said. “The young miss would be most displeased if you left early.”

“I will not allow you to block me,” Zer0 said. “Step aside.”

The Navi sighed. “I had hoped that we could settle things peacefully. Won't you reconsider?”

Zer0's eyes narrowed. “Your words will not sway me. I will leave, even if I must cut you down in the process.”

“I see,” the Navi said. “Very well, if I must.” he fixed Zer0 with a serious gaze. “I am Glyde, Miss Yaito's Navi and personal assistant. If you will not come quietly, then I will be forced to make you.”

Zer0 took out his saber, and pointed it at Glyde. “I am Zer0, and I shall not let your master do as she likes. If you would stop me, then I shall have to make you see reason.” And with those words, he flung himself at Glyde.

***

While Zer0 was dealing with Glyde, Saki was dragged into a large room with plain gray walls and large floodlights. There were several cameras set up, all being operated by maids. Two of the maids rushed over when Yaito entered the room, and bowed.

“We've prepared the suit for you,” one of them said.

“Very good,” Yaito said, and pushed Saki towards the girls. “Get him ready as quickly as possible.”

“Of course, miss!” they said, and dragged Saki towards a curtained off corner of the room, which Saki assumed was a makeshift changing area.

“No way!” Saki said, and dug in his heels.

“It won't take long!” one of the maids said. “Don't worry about a thing!”

“There's no way I'm letting you dress me!” Saki insisted, feeling his face heat up.

“There's nothing to be concerned about,” the other maid said. “I assure you, we're professionals.”

Saki protested loudly, and eventually managed to shove the maids out of the changing room. He looked at the outfit he was supposed to put on, and sighed.

“You can't seriously expect me to wear this!” Saki said.

“Just put it on!” Yaito said. “And be quick about it! We don't have all day!”

With a grumble, Saki put on the bodysuit that he was expected to wear, and stepped out of the changing room.

“What is this...?” he asked, poking one of the large round balls on the bodysuit.

“A motion capture suit,” Yaito explained. When you move, the cameras will track your movement, and it will become data that we can use to make the game models move.”

The maids stuck several more sensors to Saki's face, and Saki winced.

Yaito trotted over to Saki, and pushed a script into his hands. “Make sure you memorize your lines. You can't be holding that script when you act, after all.”

“I'm not an actor,” Saki said. “I've never acted before in my life.”

“Just do your best!” Yaito insisted. “I'm sure you'll be great.”

Saki looked down at the script with a deep sigh. It seemed as if the fastest way to escape the situation was just to do what Yaito asked of him. As he read the lines, however, he frowned.

“The writing on this is horrible,” Saki said. “It's like something out of a young girl's diary.”

Yaito's face flushed crimson. “I'll have you now that _I_ wrote that.”

 _Great_ , Saki thought, _Now I've managed to insult her. If she doesn't kill me, maybe she'll toss me out_.

Yaito cleared her throat. “I-it needs a little polish, I'll admit.”

 _I guess for now I'll just try my best to edit this as I read_ , Saki thought. 

A maid led Saki over to his mark, and Yaito sat down in a director's chair nearby. She picked up a small bullhorn, and spoke into it.

“We'll start with the scene where the Prince confesses his love to the main character.”

Saki looked over the script, trying to memorize as much of it as he could. Aside from the juvenile writing, the grammar and spelling seemed good, so he did his best to arrange the words in his head in a way that he thought would sound more refined.

 _Acting is just playing the character_ , he rationalized. _I just have to speak and act the way that they would. It's no different than trying to think the way a poet would, or see things from the perspective of the protagonist in a novel. I just...have to become the character_.

“Are you ready?” Yaito asked.

“I think so,” Saki said. A maid came and took his script from him, stepping off to the side and away from the cameras. Finally, Yaito motioned to start recording.

“And...action!”

Saki took a deep breath, and started speaking. “My dear maiden...I am overjoyed that you have come.” He put a hand to his chest. “Your arrival fills me with endless joy—”

“Cut!” Yaito yelled. She stood up, and walked over to Saki. “This is a confession of love, right?”

“Right,” Saki replied.

“Well then, why don't I believe it?” she asked. “My heart isn't fluttering wildly at your confession, and neither will anyone playing the game.”

“I'm just supposed to be doing the motions,” Saki said. “No one told me I had to be a convincing actor.”

Yaito wagged her finger in Saki's face. “Your conviction comes through in your body language. If you act halfheartedly, then everyone will be able to tell.”

Saki frowned. “Well then, why not get a real actor to do this?”

“Argh, you don't get it!” Yaito said, stomping her foot. “If you could see what I see about you, you'd understand!”

A sigh escaped Saki. “I guess I'm just having trouble connecting to the character.”

“Haven't you ever confessed before?” Yaito snapped.

Saki hesitated. “Once...but it didn't really go so well.” He turned his face away. “A-and besides, it was just some dumb crush anyway.”

Yaito crossed her arms. “You have to think of the one you love more than anything. You have to imagine yourself telling them how you feel, pouring out your emotions for them! This isn't some crush, this is true love! Love without limits!” She pumped her fists. “Make me believe that your true love is standing right in front of you!”

Flustered, Saki scratched his head. Who on Earth would he profess his undying love to? It certainly wasn't Netto anymore. And he didn't have anyone else that he was currently crushing on.

 _I don't really have anyone I could call my 'true love'. I guess I could try thinking of a family member. No, that won't work. Trying to confess this kind of love to a family member would be awkward_.

The image of Taka flashed through Saki's mind, and he froze. Why had he thought of Taka? Saki pondered it for a moment. Taka was easy to talk to, and someone Saki liked to hang around with. He felt like family, but not in an awkward sort of way.

 _My feelings for Taka are nebulous enough that I might be able to pretend I was confessing to him_ , Saki thought. _It's certainly worth a shot_.

“Let me try again,” Saki said.

Yaito grinned. “Show me what you've got.” She took her place in the director's chair, and motioned to the cameras again. “And...action!”

This time, Saki thought of Taka, and the words came easier to him. He imagined Taka listening to him intently, a calm expression on his face. He would lean on his hand, smiling every now and then if he found something amusing. Saki could see it so clearly in his mind that he could even see the tiny freckles on Taka's cheeks.

“Your arrival fills me with endless joy...”

He imagined Taka giving him a tiny smile, something coy and playful. Saki's chest tightened unexpectedly.

“How long have I waited? Time seemed eternal without you here.”

Saki put his hand to his chest. His throat seemed to tighten, and he swallowed before continuing.

“But I knew that you would come. I knew that nothing would stop you, not mountains high or oceans deep. No monster could withstand your light. And now that you are here...”

The image of Taka's expectant expression made Saki's chest clench.

“Now that you are here...I cannot bear to stay silent. My love gushes forth, like a fountain.”

Yaito sat, transfixed by Saki's acting. She seemed to be hanging onto his every word.

“Every part of me yearns for you. If you would only say you will be mine, I would give everything to you. Please, maiden...won't you give me your answer?”

A heavy silence settled over the room. Saki found himself too afraid to move. Everyone was staring at him almost expectantly, and Saki felt his body tremble. Then, without warning, Yaito began to clap.

“Bravo!” she cried, leaping to her feet. “I don't know where that came from, but it was wonderful! I really felt your emotion!” She ran over, and grasped Saki's hands in hers. “A truly moving performance.”

Saki's knees gave out, and he sank to the floor, relieved.

“Okay, that's one scene down!” Yaito said, turning to the others. “Set up for the next scene!”

 _I'm not sure I can handle doing another scene_ , Saki thought.

At that moment, a beep came from Yaito's PET, and she picked it up to look at it.

“What is it, Glyde?” she asked.

“My apologies, Miss Yaito,” Glyde said, “But I'm afraid our guest's Navi has left.”

She frowned and clicked her tongue angrily. “Didn't you try to stop him?”

“I did,” Glyde insisted. “But unfortunately, he was too skilled. He overpowered me and made his escape.”

 _Good job, Zer0!_ Saki thought triumphantly.

“Whatever. I suppose there wasn't anything we could have done about it,” Yaito said. “In the meantime, Glyde, I want you to set up the security system. Something tells me that we're going to be having visitors very shortly.”

“As you wish,” Glyde said.

 _Security system?_ Saki thought. _That doesn't sound very good_.

Saki cleared his throat. “Hey, what do you mean by 'security system'?”

Yaito gave Saki a nasty smirk. “Why, just what I said. The Ayanokoji security system, designed to trap and befuddle any intruders that I did not invite.”

Saki felt the blood leave his face.

“You needn't worry,” Yaito continued. “Anyone caught in the security system will be promptly taken care of, and escorted off the property.”

 _Damn it, I can't warn anyone!_ Saki felt slightly disheartened. _Whoever comes is going to be walking straight into a trap!_

“Well, let's not worry about that,” Yaito said. “Let's move onto the next scene.”

“I need a moment,” Saki muttered.

***

Yaito forced Saki to act out a few more scenes, including a few fight scenes—which he managed to fumble his way through fairly convincingly—and a strange scene where Yaito played the role of the heroine in the story, and Saki had to hold her as she died dramatically in his arms. As Yaito pulled him in for a kiss, Saki somehow managed to wiggle free. Every minute trapped in the studio with Yaito felt like an eternity. He couldn't shake the fear of someone coming to his rescue, only to get caught in some dangerous trap.

 _The sooner I finish doing what this crazy woman wants, the sooner I can leave_.

“Okay, that's good,” Yaito called. “Take five, everyone!”

Saki sank to his knees, grateful to be able to rest. One of the maids brought him a glass of water.

“Thanks,” Saki said, taking the glass and gulping the water down.

“You're doing wonderfully,” the maid told Saki encouragingly. “Don't take what the young miss says too hard. She's just very passionate about her projects.”

“'Passionate'...sure.” Saki sighed. “The last time I checked, it was against the law to kidnap people.”

“Yes, well...” The maid seemed flustered. “The young miss isn't always right, but there's very little anyone can do to stop her.”

Saki shook his head. _How does that saying go? 'Absolute power corrupts absolutely'? She certainly seems like someone that people would have a hard time saying 'no' to_.

“She seems a little young to be running a company,” Saki noted. “But then again, Enzan seems kind of young too...”

“The young miss is indeed young,” the maid replied. “But she isn't really running the entire company.”

Saki perked up. “So she was lying then?”

The maid seemed uncomfortable, as if she'd said too much. “Miss Yaito is...merely filling in while her father is away.”

The gears in Saki's brain started to turn. He wondered if he could use what the maid had said as a means of escape.

“If I confront her, maybe she'll throw me out,” Saki murmured hopefully.

“Okay, everyone!” Yaito said, clapping her hands. “Break time's over! Back to your places!”

Saki stood up, and waited until Yaito looked at him before crossing his arms.

“Do you have something to say to me?” Yaito asked.

“Yes, actually,” Saki said. “It's more than a little suspicious that you're making me do all this work without formal employment.”

Yaito seemed slightly rattled. “What are you talking about?”

“If I'm not mistaken, you were planning to pay me under the table,” Saki said. “But if this is work that can be used in the industry, legally I have to be employed by the company and enrolled in a union. If you don't, then you're forcing me to work illegally, and I have every right to sue you.”

Yaito grew pale. “What? Illegally? I would never—!”

“And,” Saki continued, “I heard that you're not even the CEO of GABGOM, so what's to say that this isn't just a huge scam?”

Yaito looked back and forth nervously. “That's not true! I absolutely _am_ the CEO—!”

“Then prove it,” Saki said firmly. “Prove to me that you're who you say you are, and make this work official.”

For a moment, Saki wasn't sure if Yaito would agree to his demand. She fidgeted for a bit, and refused to look at him. Finally, however, she straightened her back, and met Saki's gaze.

“Fine then!” She snapped her fingers. “Glyde! I need the paperwork for hiring employees.”

“But Miss Yaito—” Glyde began.

“Don't argue with me, Glyde!” Yaito interrupted. “Just do it.”

“Right away, Miss Yaito,” Glyde said.

Yaito fixed Saki with an icy glare. “You said you're not an actor, but you're insisting on being employed.”

“I might not be an actor,” Saki replied, “But I'm _very_ familiar with workers' rights. I'm not going to get used for free labor.”

Saki trembled, unsure of how to feel. On the one hand, his bluff had worked, but on the other, he didn't want to suddenly be employed by GABGOM, no matter how much he might make.

 _At the very least, I've stalled her for a moment_ , Saki thought. _Now I just have to think of some way out of this!_

As Saki wracked his brain, Yaito was going over the documents on her PET. After a few minutes, she turned to Saki.

“Done. All you have to do now is sign them.”

Saki swallowed. He'd run out of time.

Yaito yanked the stylus out of her PET and held it out to Saki. Timidly, Saki stepped forward, and took the stylus from Yaito. He let his hand hover over the screen for a long moment, unable to bring himself to actually sign.

“What are you waiting for?” Yaito asked, her foot tapping with irritation. “We don't have all day, you know.”

“I'm...reading the documents first,” Saki said. “I never sign anything I don't read.”

Yaito sighed, and threw her hands up. “Just get it over with!”

Saki read the contract, line by line, still trying to come up with some way of escaping.

 _If I try to run, I'll just get caught in her security system_ , he thought. _The only way I can get out safely is to get her to have me thrown out. But I have to be really careful not to make her too upset, or she might have me arrested, or worse_.

Saki read every line of the contract before an idea ever came to him. As he glanced at Yaito's irritable expression, he knew that he really couldn't afford to stall any longer.

 _This is it, then_ , Saki thought miserably. _Once I sign this, she'll probably work me until I drop dead_.

Just as the stylus in Saki's hand was about to touch the screen, the door to the room was thrown open, and several breathless figures stumbled inside before falling to the floor in a heap. Yaito seemed particularly upset by the intruders, and started yelling.

“Security! Where is my security?!”

One of the people got up off the floor, and Saki recognized it as Netto.

“What's wrong, Yaito?” Netto asked. “Aren't you happy to see your friends?”

The other two got up off the floor, and Saki recognized Dingo and Enzan.

 _I'm saved!_ Saki's heart leaped with joy.

“Wh-what are you doing here?” Yaito asked, pointing at Netto. As she spotted Enzan, however, her eyes grew wide, and a strangled yelp escaped her.

“Hello, Yaito-san,” Enzan said, brushing himself off.

Yaito seemed unable to speak coherently for a minute. Finally, she turned away, her face crimson.

“Enzan!” she yelped. “Wh-what are you doing here?!”

“We heard that Saki got kidnapped, and thought we should come rescue him,” Netto explained. “We'd have been faster, except that Dingo got here before we did, and we had to save him from one of your traps.”

“Yes, but what's _Enzan_ doing here?!” Yaito asked, clearly panicked.

“I gave Netto a ride,” Enzan explained calmly. 

Yaito sputtered a little, and seemed to be looking around frantically. Finally, she seemed to collect herself, cleared her throat, and turned to face the others.

“I don't know what you mean by 'kidnapped'. This boy was helping me with one of my projects. He agreed of his own accord.” She smirked. “In fact, we were just finalizing his employment.”

Enzan raised an eyebrow. “Oh? Is that so.”

Yaito seemed rattled again.

“I was under the impression that you weren't allowed to finalize anything without a _certain someone's permission_ ,” Enzan said. He wore a smug smile as he pulled his PET out of his pocket. “Isn't that right, sir?”

Yaito went pale as a sheet as a screen on Enzan's PET popped up, and a gentleman with a furious expression pointed at Yaito.

“YAITO AYANOKOJI!” he roared.

“D-DADDY!” Yaito screamed, terrified.

“What have I told you about going behind my back to make your silly little projects?!” Yaito's father bellowed. “You know that you can't make any final decisions without my consent!”

“But Daddy!” Yaito cried. “I'm so close to finishing Strawberry Princess VII! I was going to show it to you when you got back, I promise!”

“Don't you 'but Daddy' me! I've told you countless times not to waste the company's budget on your own personal projects!”

Netto snickered as Yaito's father continued to berate his daughter. Enzan simply shook his head.

“Thanks for the rescue,” Saki said to Dingo gratefully. “I really didn't know what to do there for a while.”

“Sure thing!” Dingo said. “I'm not about to leave a friend when they're in trouble!”

“But how did Netto and Enzan know that I needed help?” Saki asked, confused.

“Zer0 found us!” Netto said. “He'd already told Dingo about what had happened, and came looking for us after that. It's a good thing that Enzan had the helicopter with him, or we never would have got here fast enough!”

Saki sighed with relief. “I'll have to thank Zer0 later.”

“When I heard it was Yaito-san giving you trouble, I knew I had to make an appearance,” Enzan explained. “For some reason, I seem to be one of the few people able to talk sense into her.”

 _It's probably because she has a huge crush on you_ , Saki thought.

“So what now?” Dingo asked. “We can't really come back the way we came, not with all those traps.”

Enzan gave Dingo a tiny smile. “Once Ayanokoji-san finishes scolding Yaito-san, I'm sure she'll be more than willing to let us leave.”

Right on cue, Yaito started to bawl loudly, and her father turned his attention back to Saki before clearing his throat. “Right then, I'm sure my little princess understands what she did. I'll be certain to talk things over with her properly when I get home. But for now, please accept my sincerest apologies for the trouble she's caused you.”

Saki sighed. “I appreciate the apology, sir. I'm sure Yaito-san didn't mean any harm, but she still inconvenienced me quite a bit.”

“Again, my sincerest apologies,” Yaito's father said. “I'll be sure that you're compensated for your trouble.” He looked at Enzan. “I hope there are no hard feelings between us?”

Enzan smiled. “No, sir. I understand how difficult Yaito-san can be sometimes. I'm just relieved that no one was hurt.”

“Excellent,” Yaito's father said. “I'd hate for something like this to damage our company's working relationship.”

Saki looked at Yaito, and saw Netto's patting her on the head and reassuring her that everything was going to be okay. Enzan ended the call, and put his PET away with a small sigh.

“I guess your companies work together?” Saki asked.

Enzan nodded. “There has always been a rivalry between GABGOM and IPC, but we also value a good working relationship, since IPC develops some of the hardware that GABGOM runs their games on.” He shook his head. “Yaito-san and I have always had a... _tedious_ relationship. She seems convinced that we're bitter rivals, and that she has to show everyone that she's better than me.”

“Sounds tough,” Saki said.

“It can be,” Enzan admitted.

“So I get how you know Yaito-san,” Saki said. “But what about Netto? How does he know her?”

“They were in the same grade once,” Enzan explained. “Yaito moved away to Kingland about seven years ago, however I had heard she moved back to Japan recently.”

“So Yaito-san is Netto's age, huh?” Saki asked.

Netto shook his head. “Yaito's actually a genius who skipped two grades to be in the same class as me.”

Saki felt the color drain from his face. _You mean she's my age then?! No wonder she's such a spoiled brat!_

“She's really shy because of that,” Netto continued. “She comes across as pushy and selfish because she's scared of other people judging her.”

“Oh,” Saki said, “I thought it was just because she's a spoiled rich girl.”

Yaito dried her eyes, and looked at the others sheepishly. “I'm sorry. I didn't mean to make trouble for everyone.”

Saki crossed his arms. “Maybe if you had just listened to me when I said I couldn't do it right away, this wouldn't have happened.”

“I didn't have time to wait!” Yaito insisted. “Daddy was coming home tomorrow night, and I needed to have a working demo of my game by then. If he saw it in action, he'd just have to say yes!”

“I'm sure whatever you had finished to that point would have been good enough,” Dingo said.

Enzan crossed his arms. “But what are you doing here, Yaito-san? I thought your home was farther inland.” He frowned. “Don't tell me you have two identical houses.”

Yaito laughed. “Don't be ridiculous! This is the Ayanokiji house! I simply brought it with me to the beach!”

Enzan looked as confused as Saki felt. 

Netto simply sighed, and shook his head. “You turned your house into a giant robot and flew it down to the beach, didn't you?”

Yaito grinned. “Why leave home when you can take home with you?”

 _That's the most ludicrous thing I've ever heard in my life_ , Saki thought. _I bet Taka would be super excited to hear about this, though_.

The thought of Taka caused Saki's chest to tighten, and he paused, even more confused.

“You alright?” Dingo asked.

“Yeah,” Saki said. “I'm probably just tired.”

“Let's get back to the shack,” Dingo said, jerking his head towards the door. “All this running around has made me hungry.”

“Oh man, some curry ramen would hit the spot right about now!” Netto said eagerly.

***

Yaito walked everyone to the front door, and waved as they left. Once they had cleared the mansion's front gates, Saki zipped up his hoodie, and heaved a huge sigh.

“This only confirms that rich people are crazy,” he said.

“Yaito's a nice girl,” Netto insisted. “She just a slightly skewed perception of things, that's all.”

“Even so, she needs to learn that her actions have consequences,” Enzan said.

Dingo folded his arms behind his head. “Having that kind of money really makes you think that you can do anything, huh?”

“It's why I despise wealth,” Saki grumbled. “A few people with all the money is a recipe for disaster.”

Netto cleared his throat. “Anyway, let's put this behind us. Some good food and good company will cheer us all right up!”

“You're right,” Saki said. “Besides, I have to apologize for disappearing.”

As they reached the shack on the beach, Saki saw Madoi waving to them, and they waved back.

“Welcome back,” she said. “Good to see you're all in one piece.”

Sato-san came over to pat Saki on the shoulder. “Ahh, I'm glad that you're alright.”

“I'm sorry I didn't come back when I said I would,” Saki said, bowing.

“Don't worry about it,” Sato-san said warmly. “The young lady who came by explained everything to us. She even assisted us with the last of the rush.”

“I'm surprised that Dingo managed to find you without getting hopelessly lost!” Madoi said with a laugh.

Dingo frowned. “I can find my way around just fine, thanks!”

“It seems like whenever Dingo needs to be somewhere, he always ends up there at just the right time,” said Netto, thoughtfully.

“Everything worked out this time,” Enzan said. “So I say that we should be thankful, and just enjoy our meal.”

“Here, here!” everyone else cheered.

As Sato-san and Maha prepared everyone's food, Saki looked at the sun slowly sinking towards the horizon, dyeing the sky striking shades of purple and pink. He smiled, despite himself.

 _Wait until I tell Michi about the day I had! Oh, and Taka too. I bet he'd think it was really hysterical_.

Saki scratched his head. He'd been thinking about Taka a lot more lately, and he couldn't figure out why.

 _Maybe I'm just concerned about him_ , Saki thought.

“Hey!” Netto's voice broke through Saki's thoughts. “Saki! Get over here, before your food gets cold!”

Saki smiled. “Coming!” He gave the setting sun one last look, and ran back inside the shack.


	19. Summer Training Camp

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Everyone goes to the beach! (It's for work, though.)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> _This chapter's a little longer than usual, oops! Some of my long-time fans might even recognize this chapter. If that's the case, I promise that it's a little different than you remember!_

Taka was able to get permission to use the beach house fairly quickly, and by Saturday morning Saki was on the train with Taka, headed out to the Wakahisa's vacation home in Izu.

“It's a long trip,” Taka had warned everyone a few days before. “Make sure you're up early. Oh, and bring money for food and activities!”

Taka had not been joking. The ride was nearly three and a half hours long, and Saki was eager to try the train's special Nagoshi bento that Taka had recommended. He was not disappointed. The mix of beef and seafood created a pleasant balance of briny and earthy flavors that complimented the mixed vegetables perfectly. There was even a tiny jelly for dessert!

“It's so nostalgic,” Taka said with a soft sigh. “We used to get this lunch every time we went to the beach.”

Saki watched Taka poke at the vegetables in his box with his chopsticks, and smiled. “This place must have some wonderful memories attached to it.”

Taka returned Saki's smile with one of his own. “It sure does! It's where I first learned to swim, and where Shin and I would watch the stars together. And after we'd played in the ocean all day, Mamma would always have a warm meal ready for us.”

“Sounds nice,” Saki said.

Taka nodded, and looked out the window at the scenery rushing by. “It was.”

Saki closed the lid on his bento box, and set it aside. “I'm curious: why are we taking the train all the way to Izu? Why not use the car?”

Taka shrugged. “Mamma always insisted on taking the train whenever we went. She said it was faster. Plus, I've memorized the train route, so I'm confident that I won't get lost.”

Saki scratched his head. “Sounds more like she didn't want to drive.”

Taka laughed. “Maybe. But when Mamma lived in Kingland, she said she took the trains everywhere. Something about appreciating the view from a train window.”

Surprised, Saki tilted his head. “Your mom's from Kingland? I didn't know that.”

Taka grinned. “Yup, northern Kingland. Apparently, her and Papa met while he was on a business trip, and they fell in love immediately. He convinced her to come back to Japan with him, and the rest is history.”

“Sounds like the kind of romance you only read about in books,” Saki said.

Taka leaned forward. “So what are you going to do first when we get there?” he asked eagerly.

Saki shrugged. “Put my things down, maybe take a nap.”

Taka crossed his arms, and pouted. “No way! You can't just sleep when the sea is _right there_ , begging to be swam in!”

“I'll pass, thanks,” Saki muttered.

Taka gave Saki a suspicious look, but said nothing.

***

Since everyone was coming from different directions, they all rendezvoused at the train station. Netto seemed the most excited, and him and Taka jumped up and down as soon as they were next to one another. Laika gave Netto a suspicious look.

“I don't see any equipment with you,” he said.

Netto wagged his finger. “Don't you worry. Everything has been accounted for.”

Saki frowned, unsure of what Netto was talking about.

Taka got everyone's attention by clapping his hands together. “Okay! From here, we get on the bus. After we get off, it's just a short walk to the beach house.”

“I'm so excited!!” Axl yelled.

Netto grinned. “I've never been to Izu before! I can't wait to explore the area!”

“It says here that Izu is famous for its mild climate, beautiful coastlines, and scenic mountains,” Rockman said.

“Correct!” Taka said. “It's also known for its hot springs! In fact, there's a pretty famous onsen nearby called Shirahama. Mamma says it has a fantastic view of the ocean.”

Out of the corner of Saki's eye, he spotted Enzan shifting nervously. When Saki turned to look at him, Enzan blushed a little, and muttered, “It sounds nice.”

A coy grin spread across Saki's face. “Do you want to go, Enzan?” he asked.

Enzan's face flushed darker, but he didn't say anything else.

“We can explore later,” Laika said gruffly. “Right now, let's focus on getting to the house.”

“Right!” Taka said, pointing to a nearby bus stop. “Follow me!”

***

The shrill cry of a seagull echoed across the open expanse of ocean far below the cliffs the beach house was located near. Saki shielded his eyes from the bright summer sun, and looked out towards the horizon, where the clear sky met the cerulean ocean.

“It's a nice view,” Saki admitted.

Taka juggled his bag and a set of keys as he tried to open the door to the house. “The last time we used this place was before my brother died.” Saki registered the quick look of sadness on Taka's face, but it was gone as quickly as it came.

Saki looked up at the beach house itself, an imposing structure that was nearly as large as the Wakahisa's family home. Saki thought it was completely unnecessary to have such a large vacation home, but he supposed that doing things excessively was just how rich people were. The white exterior of the house gave it a fresh, clean feel. There were a few glass globes strung up in fishing nets around the entrance, and a wreath of driftwood and shells adorned the front door. Despite his reservations about the house's size, Saki thought the look of it was very charming.

Finally, Taka found the right key and unlocked the door. “It's gonna be a little dusty inside,” he warned, “But it's fine, really.”

One by one, everyone entered the house, and set their things down. As Saki set his bag down on the floor, he noted the fine layer of dust on the nearby furniture. There was also a fine layer of sand on the hardwood floor, and Enzan swept at it with his foot.

“Charming,” Enzan muttered dryly.

“I like it,” Netto commented warmly. “It really feels lived in, despite not having been used for so long.”

Saki had to admit that the place felt comfortable. From the entryway, Saki could see a large sitting room, with large windows that faced the sea. There was also a kitchen, and a stairwell that led upstairs. The furniture in the house was all weather-worn but well cared for, and light filtered in through the cream-colored curtains, adding to the comfortable atmosphere.

“The sand on the floor is unavoidable,” Taka said. “I apologize for the mess.”

“It's fine,” Saki said. “When you said it was dusty, I was expecting it to be way worse.”

“It builds up pretty fast,” Taka admitted. “Mamma sent someone to clean in here a few months ago, but I couldn't get anyone in on such short notice.”

“That's understandable,” Saki said.

After a moment, Taka put his hands together and looked thoughtful. “Saki,” he said, pointing to the kitchen, “Can you put the food in the fridge?” Saki nodded, and hauled the small cooler to the kitchen before opening the fridge to stuff all the perishables inside.

“This place has air conditioning and electricity,” Saki commented. “I wasn't expecting that.”

“We switched that on the other day,” Taka commented. “We don't leave it on all year, that's just wasteful.”

Laika looked around the entryway, and seemed to study the photos on the walls.

“Are these of your family?” he asked Taka.

Taka nodded. “That one is of the trip we took when I was four. It's one of the first trips I remember clearly: Shin got in trouble for bringing me over to the area the surfers use, and Mamma was furious. She forgave him at some point though. It was also the first time I'd gotten to try shaved ice.” Taka pointed at the picture. “One of the people who worked at the stand took the photo. That's Mamma there, and that's my older brother, Shin.” Saki heard the hesitation in Taka's voice as he continued. “Don't be fooled by this photo: normally, he was always goofing around and trying to make me laugh.”

Saki entered the entryway, and looked at the photo in question. The family was sitting at an outdoor table. Tsukiko, Taka's mother, was grinning from ear to ear, and was holding her sunhat down with one hand while waving with the other. Shin'ichiro was holding up his fingers in a peace sign, and Taka—very much a tiny child—was seated between them, shoveling a scoop of shaved ice into his mouth.

“It's a good picture,” Netto said, nodding.

“Yeah,” Taka said, dreamily. “It certainly was.”

Silence fell, and Saki suddenly felt awkward standing around. Everyone else seemed restless as well.

“Where do we put our stuff?” Netto asked.

Taka seemed to snap out of a daydream, and looked at Netto with surprise. “Huh? Oh!” He pointed to the rooms past the stairwell. “The bottom floor has a few spare rooms. There's a large bed in each one. My bedroom is upstairs. You'll know it's mine because it has two single beds in it. The master bedroom has a really large bed, if two of you want to share.”

Netto and Enzan glanced at each other. After a moment of silence, Laika picked up his bag, and marched towards the bottom floor room without a word to the others.

“Looks like he made his decision,” Enzan said.

“That reminds me, where's Meijin-san?” Saki asked Netto.

Netto shrugged helplessly. “He said he was going to be a little late, but not to wait for him.”

“I sent him the address and map coordinates for the beach house earlier in the week,” Taka explained. “I even included the route to take. He shouldn't get lost or anything.”

“That's good,” Saki said.

“We'll leave the other downstairs room for him,” Netto said. “Saki, you share Taka's room. Me and Enzan will take the master bedroom.”

Taka chuckled. “Fu fu fu~ I suspected that you might.”

Saki frowned. “Are you okay with me sharing your room?”

Taka let out a short laugh. “Of course I am.” he smiled. “Although, Shin's bed hasn't been used in a long time. You might have to air out the blanket.”

Laika came back out of the bedroom, and put his hands on his hips. “When do we start training?”

Netto looked at the others, and ignored Laika's comment. “I guess we should get changed then!”

Taka perked up. “I can give you a tour too! And once we're ready, I can lead you to the beach.” He motioned for the others to follow him before he walked over to a window in the sitting room. He pushed the drapes aside, and pointed to the seaside far below. “The beach is there. It's private, so we shouldn't have anyone stopping by unexpectedly.” He pointed to a place up the coast slightly. “And over there is the cave.”

“Cave?” Netto asked, leaning forward to look.

Taka nodded. “Mamma never let me go down there as a kid, but I suppose I'm not really a kid anymore.”

 _I have bad news for you_ , Saki thought.

“We should give the cave a look,” Netto said. “I mean, just to see what's up with that.”

“It's not really necessary for training, is it?” Laika asked, arching an eyebrow.

“Of course it is!” Netto replied cheerfully.

Enzan's face became troubled.

“Anyway,” Taka said. “You should put your stuff down in your rooms. I can give you guys the full tour afterwards.”

“Might as well change too,” Netto said, returning to the entryway to pick up his bag before heading up the stairs.

Enzan followed after Netto, and Taka took Saki by the hand.

“Follow me!” he told Saki.

The upstairs hallway was also full of pictures, some so old and faded that it made it hard to tell who they were of. Taka pointed to the left, where the hall turned a corner.

“Master bedroom is down there. It has its own bathroom.” Taka then pointed to the right. “My room is down there, as well as another bathroom. There's also one downstairs.”

Netto and Enzan made their way to the master bedroom, and Taka led Saki to the room that he used to share with his brother. As soon as Saki stepped inside, he knew exactly which side of the room belonged to which brother. On the right side of the room, there was a side table and a dresser, the tops of which were filled with different shells and a few dried starfish. There was a small globe with a model of a coral reef inside next to the mirror on a small vanity, and the bedspread was covered in stars. On the left side of the room, the walls were covered with magazine pictures of surfers, and an old surfboard was propped up in the corner. On top of the dresser was a small bronze trophy depicting someone surfing, and a small statue of a space shuttle was sitting next to it. The bedspread was more mature, and was a soft blue color with a few white stripes that ran horizontally across it.

Taka plopped his things down on his bed before plunking himself down beside them. He took in a deep breath and sighed.

“It smells just like how I remember it,” Taka said.

Saki set his bag down on Shin'ichiro's bed, and looked towards a door near the old surfboard.

“What's that?” he asked.

“The door to the patio,” Taka explained. “You can also get to it through the master bedroom.”

As Taka opened his bag and rummaged around for his swimsuit, Saki carefully examined the small space shuttle statue on the dresser. Flipping it over, he saw a sticker on the base that read, “Official NAXA merchandise, Cape Canaveral.”

“Did you visit Cape Canaveral?” Saki asked.

“A long time ago,” Taka said. “We took a tour before Shin applied to NAXA.”

 _It's odd that Shin'ichiro would keep this at the beach house_ , Saki thought. _Shouldn't he have kept this in his room?_

Saki heard the sounds of Taka yanking off his shirt and stayed facing the dresser, out of modesty. As Saki waited for Taka to finish changing, he curiously picked up the trophy and read what was engraved on it.

“Third Place, Tatadohama Beach.” There was also a date, and a quick calculation told Saki that it was almost nine years old.

“Shin was really proud of that trophy,” Taka explained as he changed into his swimsuit.

“He must have been good,” Saki said, setting the trophy back down on the dresser. 

“The only thing Shin loved more than surfing was space,” Taka explained. “When he wasn't studying, he was surfing. Mamma used to get so mad at him!”

Saki glanced over his shoulder, and saw that Taka had finished changing. Turning around, Saki reached for his bag, and then froze.

“What's wrong?” Taka asked. “Aren't you going to change?”

Saki felt his face heat up. “Uhh, maybe I'll go change in the bathroom.”

Taka gave him a puzzled look. “You can change here, I don't mind.”

 _I do_ , Saki thought.

After a moment of uncomfortable silence, Taka walked towards the bedroom door.

“I'm going on ahead,” Taka told Saki. “When you're ready, meet us downstairs.”

As the door shut behind Taka, Saki let out a sigh of relief.

 _I don't really know why the thought of changing in front of Taka makes me so anxious, but it does_.

Quickly, Saki yanked off his clothes, and changed into his swimsuit. He threw his hooded jacket on, and grabbed his towel before exiting the bedroom.

***

While giving everyone the tour of the house, Meijin had finally arrived. He apologized for being late, explaining that he'd had to take care of something he had to take care of before he could leave. With everyone accounted for, Taka eagerly led everyone down the steep, winding path to the beach.

Small waves lapped at the brown sand, and the tall cliffs on either side gave them partial shade from the sun. The piercing cries of seagulls mingled with the sounds of the ocean, and the sounds were both peaceful and unnerving to Saki. He had no desire to go anywhere near the water.

Taka, however, could hardly contain his excitement, and hastily spread his towel down on the sand before dropping his bag and PET on it and yanking off his sandals. With a loud whoop of joy, Taka made a beeline for the water.

“Hey!” Saki yelled. “Be careful!”

Taka didn't seem to hear him. The boy's feet hit the water, and he giggled as cold droplets of sea water splashed up and onto his arms and face. 

“It's cold!” Taka cried. He reached down, and splashed at the water with his hands, sending it spraying out towards the open water. The droplets caught the light and shimmered like stars for a brief moment, and Taka let out a gleeful laugh.

Saki sighed. There was a rolling fear in his stomach of the ocean, despite how beautiful and calm it looked. Saki glanced over at Netto, who had set up a beach chair under an umbrella, and was calmly opening up his laptop to look over some things.

“Is this really training?” Laika asked again, dubiously.

“Of course it's training!” Netto insisted.

“We're here for work,” Meijin added calmly.

Laika didn't seem convinced, but he said nothing. Some thirty paces away, Enzan wore the same expression. Laika walked over to Enzan's side, and sat down, looking defeated.

“I think I was lied to,” he muttered.

“Clearly we were hoodwinked,” Enzan agreed. He popped open a tube of sunblock, and began applying it to his bare arms and face. “Don't forget to wear sunscreen. You don't want to burn.”

Laika grunted, and pulled the hood of his sweatshirt over his head. His face was calm, but his eyes were angry, so Enzan didn't say anything else.

Saki laid out his towel next to Taka's, and sat down on it. Reaching over, Saki flipped Taka's PET upright, and Axl appeared, looking rather melancholy.

“I wish I could swim too,” he said, sighing.

“There's nothing fun about swimming,” Saki said.

From the water, Taka called out to Saki. “Come on Saki! The water's nice!”

Saki shook his head. “That's fine, I'll stay here and watch our stuff.”

Taka pouted. “Don't be a downer! Come on, come swim with me!”

“Ask someone else,” Saki called back.

Taka turned and yelled at Netto. “Hey Netto! Come swim with me!”

“Can't!” Neto called back. “I have work to do!”

Taka turned and yelled at Enzan and Laika next. “What about you two?”

Enzan shook his head, and Laika pulled the drawstrings on his hoodie tighter, obscuring his face.

Taka looked at Saki again. “See?” He motioned for Saki to approach. “Come on!”

“No, really, it's okay,” Saki insisted.

Taka marched out of the water and over to Saki, putting his hands on his hips with an irritated huff. “Saki, you'd better come swim with me! If you don't, you're practically wasting the swimsuit I bought you.”

Saki's face heated up, and he tried to hush Taka. “Don't go around telling everyone that!” he hissed. “I don't want them to know you keep buying me things!”

“No one cares, Saki,” Taka sighed, “So get up and get in the water.”

“I can't,” Saki replied firmly.

“Why not?” Taka asked. “Are you scared or something?”

“N-no,” Saki lied, feeling his cheeks burn with shame.

Suddenly, something registered with Taka, and his eyes widened. “Ohh!” he said. “Oh, so that's it!” He laughed, and pointed at Saki. “You can't swim, can you?”

Saki reacted as though he'd been physically hit. His face felt like it was on fire, and he tried to look away from Taka.

“That's not—!”

For a long moment, Saki waited for the mockery to come, and when it never did, he looked back at Taka with confusion.

Taka calmly looked at Saki. There was no mockery to be found. Instead, he looked sort of guilty, and Saki was even more confused.

“I guess I just assumed, you'd have learned in school,” Taka admitted. “That's my bad, I'm sorry.” He clasped his hands in front of him in an apologetic gesture. “But I'd really like to teach you, if you'll let me.”

Saki considered it for a moment, wrestling with his fear and shame as well as his overwhelming desire to make Taka happy, if only to keep things from becoming unbearably dramatic. In the end, he allowed Taka to drag him down to the water's edge, but upon feeling the cold water against his toes, Saki immediately began to backpedal, and tried to run away, back to the safety of the towel.

“Nope, I've changed my mind!”

“C'mon Saki! It's okay! I'll make sure you don't drown!” Taka insisted. “We'll only go in up to your waist at first!”

“No!” Saki wailed. “I changed my mind! I can't do it!”

Saki pulled, trying to escape Taka's grasp, but Taka yanked back, and, with a yelp of terror from Saki, the two of them tumbled into the water.

Enzan watched the scene unfold with a sigh. His gaze flickered back to Netto, who was calmly pecking at the keys of his laptop. Meijin also seemed preoccupied with something, but their lack of desire to do any real training seemed to make Enzan deeply suspicious.

“What do you suppose he's planning?” Enzan asked.

“He's probably planning on wasting the whole day here, instead of doing any real work,” Laika muttered back. “Any time I ask him what we're doing, he just replies, 'It's work!' and changes the subject.” Laika furrowed his brows. “It's infuriating.”

“It reminds me of someone,” Enzan murmured. “My guess is that Netto has some big, elaborate plan we don't see yet.”

“The fact that Meijin-san is helping him makes it even more suspicious,” Laika admitted.

At that moment, Meijin sneezed loudly.

Enzan capped the sunblock tube, and put it back in his bag. “If nothing else, maybe we should just enjoy the experience. It can be nice to relax every now and then, right?”

Laika sighed. “I could be doing work right now.”

Enzan didn't reply at first, and then, thoughtfully, he said, “It's a shame we didn't go last time. I heard that Princess Pride went.”

Laika's face flushed slightly.

“She might have been in a swimsuit,” Enzan added.

“Did you decline the offer on purpose?” Laika probed, trying to deflect Enzan's statements.

“Maybe,” Enzan replied, “But I really _did_ have work.”

Laika heaved a sigh, and watched Saki struggle to keep his head above water while Taka tried to teach him to use his legs to swim. “Maybe we should just train Tanaka to swim.”

“You'd probably have to learn yourself,” Enzan joked. “I don't think you get much practice in Sharo.”

“What about you?” Laika challenged. “I don't think swimming through paperwork counts either.”

Enzan's eyes flashed dangerously. “Is that a challenge?”

“It might be,” Laika calmly replied.

Enzan stood up. “To the cave inlet and back. Last one back does dishes tonight.”

Laika stood up as well. “You're on.” He gave a small smirk as he shrugged off his sweatshirt. “Remind me to get you a handkerchief for when you lose.” 

“I'd give you a handkerchief, but I doubt you are even capable of crying,” Enzan retorted. He pulled off his own sweatshirt, and tossed it down on his bag. With the air of competition between them, the two of them took off running, and as soon as they were far enough out in the water they started to swim with broad, professional strokes. Taka paused to watch them, and even Saki stopped his weak swimming to take the race in.

“I'm surprised you can keep up!” Laika called between breaths.

“I swim ten miles a day,” Enzan replied. “With weights.”

“Only ten?” Laika called back. “Child's play.”

Taka watched as the two older boys swam off towards the cave, and sighed. “If they keep talking like that, they're going to swallow a bunch of water and drown.”

It wasn't long before Laika and Enzan were swimming back, and stumbled out of the water at the same time. They collapsed on the sand, breathing heavily, and eyed each other up.

“I won,” Enzan insisted.

“I made it back first,” Laika argued.

Taka sighed. Saki wrung the seawater out of his ponytail, and clicked his tongue disapprovingly.

“You both tied, so get over it,” Saki told them. “You can both do dishes.”

“I won't accept a tie!” Laika yelled. “We have to settle this somehow.”

“Agreed,” Enzan said. “I'm open to suggestions.”

“I brought a watermelon,” Taka said. “We could try cracking it.”

“That's a thing people actually do?” Saki asked in surprise. “I thought it was just a gag for manga.”

“Well, yeah,” Taka admitted, “But we really did make a game of it back when I'd come here with my family for vacations.”

 _Rich people_ , Saki thought.

“But maybe that's a bad idea,” Taka continued. “I mean, who's to say that Laika-san wouldn't use a gun?”

“Where would I hide a gun?” Laika replied dryly.

“Who knows?” Taka replied vacantly.

Saki shook his head. “I don't think splitting a watermelon will work. But I'm sure we'll come up with something.” 

Laika pouted slightly. “I won't be satisfied until we have a resolution.”

“Why not play a different game then?” Taka asked.

“What _kind_ of game?” Laika asked.

“I think we have a beach ball packed,” Taka explained. “Wanna try a game of volleyball?”

Enzan looked at Laika, who looked eager, and the two nodded. 

“Okay, let me go get it then,” said Taka, and he ran to fetch the ball from his things. Digging around in his bag, Taka finally pulled out a deflated beach ball, and ran back to the others. He held it out to Saki, looking expectant.

“What?” Saki asked.

“Can you blow it up?” Taka asked. “Your lungs are so much bigger than mine!”

Saki grumbled, but obliged. After what felt like an eternity, the ball was fully inflated. Saki's lips were numb, and his cheeks hurt.

“I'm not doing that again,” he muttered.

“Now we need a net,” Taka said, looking around. “Hmm, what do we use to make one?”

The beach was remarkably clean of trash. Even though everyone searched, no one found anything resembling a net. Eventually, Taka dragged a few long pieces of driftwood over.

“We could use these as some kind of posts,” he explained. “We'll have to pretend there's a net between them, though.”

“That could work,” Enzan said. We can use them to judge the height of jumps and spikes, and draw a line between them to separate the courts.

“What about a referee?” Laika asked.

“I nominate Saki,” Taka said. “He's pretty impartial.”

Saki shrugged. “Sure, I can do that.”

“And I'll keep score!” Taka said.

“This could work,” Laika said, nodding.

Enzan cracked his knuckles. “Are you prepared to lose?” he asked Laika.

With a fierce look, Laika replied, “It won't be me losing today.”

Saki took his place near the driftwood poles, and Taka plunked himself down in the sand next to him, drawing a scoreboard in the sand with a stick.

“Who gets to serve first?” Enzan asked.

“You do it,” Laika said. “I don't mind.”

Taking the ball from Saki, Enzan took his position, and served the ball into the air. It sailed over the 'net', and Laika quickly came in to hit the ball back.

As the game wore on, Saki could see that Laika had the advantage on blocking since he was a little taller, but Enzan was faster and able to recover the ball far easier. The two continued to hit the ball back and forth in a brutal battle of willpower and endurance. The score remained close, with neither one gaining any real lead. Eventually, Saki called for time out, and both Enzan and Laika collapsed on the sand, completely exhausted.

“Who's winning?” Enzan asked, panting.

“Score's tied,” Taka said.

Both Enzan and Laika groaned loudly.

“This isn't getting us anywhere!” Laika exclaimed. “Let's try something else.”

“Rest first,” Saki said. “You've been at this for hours.”

Everyone retreated to the shade, and Netto walked over, pressing a cold bottle of water to Enzan's forehead. Startled, Enzan jumped, and Netto laughed.

“Good work out there!” he said cheerfully, handing out more bottles of water.

Saki looked at the water in surprise. “When did you get these?”

“While you were all playing volleyball, Meijin-san and I got the cooler from the house,” Netto explained. “Hydration is important on a hot day.”

“Can't have anyone collapsing,” Meijin added. Laika looked ashamed, and Taka squirmed uncomfortably before taking a drink of water.

“Thank you,” Saki said. Everyone else echoed him.

“I've been watching you guys, and I might have a suggestion for a competition,” Netto said. 

“What's that?” Enzan asked.

“You could try Capture the Flag,” said Netto. “That's a contest of speed and reflexes, and it would also let Taka and Saki participate.”

Taka groaned loudly. “No, not running!”

 _I knew it, sand sprints were inevitable_ , Saki thought.

“I still want to break the watermelon!” Taka said.

“Watermelon would be really good right about now...” Netto admitted, wiping away a small trickle of drool from his chin.

“We could just go back to the house, and I could slice it up for us,” Saki said.

“No,” Taka replied stubbornly. “I want to break it open.”

Saki sighed. “Fine. Let's go get it then.”

Taka and Saki walked back up to the house to retrieve the watermelon, as well as a bandanna from Taka's room, a clean towel from one of the bathrooms, and a wooden broom handle that Taka pulled out of the closet in the entryway. With everything in hand, they made their way back to the beach, where Enzan and Laika were still arguing over how they would prove who was the better of the two.

Once the towel was laid out, and the watermelon was placed on top of it, everyone decided on who would go first. It was unanimously decided that Taka would, since it was his house and his watermelon. After putting the blindfold on, Taka was spun in circles a few times to make him dizzy and disoriented. Finally, he set off across the sand, searching for the elusive watermelon.

“Go left more!” Axl yelled.

“No, too far!” Netto called.

Taka tried to adjust based on what the others were saying. Eventually, he felt like he had found it, and raised his stick above his head before bringing it back down, and whacking the sand as hard as he could.

“Nice try,” Saki called.

Taka lifted his bandanna, and realized how far off he had been. With a groan, he trudged back to the group.

“Let me go next!” Netto said.

After being blindfolded and spun, Netto set off to hit the watermelon. Everyone called out, trying to direct him, but Rockman was the loudest of all.

“NETTO, GO RIGHT!” Rockman screamed. “OR YOU'LL PASS IT!”

Netto turned right, just as Rockman had told him to, but he also missed the melon with his swing. Rockman sighed loudly, and buried his face in his hands.

“Hopeless,” he muttered.

“It's hard to Operate a human, huh?” Saki joked.

Enzan and Laika also tried to hit the melon, but without success. Even with Searchman's precise directions, Laika still managed to get himself turned around, and Enzan was so far away from the watermelon that it was almost embarrassing.

“Everyone's terrible at this game,” Taka observed.

“That's because the others are yelling false information to throw people off,” Saki replied. “Everyone wants to be the one to hit it, after all.”

“I wouldn't do that to you!” Taka said with wide-eyed innocence.

 _I don't believe that for a second_ , Saki thought.

It was finally Saki's turn, and as he tied the bandanna over his eyes, he felt a stab of panic in his gut. As everyone spun him in circles, that feeling only got worse.

 _It's fine if I miss_ , he reassured himself. _Everyone else did_.

Slowly, Saki stepped forward. He thought he was moving in the right direction, but couldn't be sure.

“You're doing great!” Taka cried.

“Do not falter,” Zer0 yelled. “Even if you move slowly, you will reach your goal eventually.”

 _He's right_ , Saki thought. _I don't have to rush_.

One step at a time, Saki moved forward. He could feel the temperature differences in the sand, and use it to know when he was in the shade and when he wasn't. 

_The melon's in the direct sun_ , he thought. _I'm definitely close_.

“You are close now!” Zer0 called out.

“Don't listen to him!” Taka yelled. “It's still a little bit further!”

Saki ignored Taka, knowing that he was trying to throw him off. Zer0 was more likely to speak honestly, and his words were all that mattered to Saki.

As Saki took another step, he felt an uneasy sensation, as if there was someone standing in front of him. He frowned. There shouldn't be anyone near him. What could the sensation mean...? Slowly, it dawned on him that he might be close to the melon.

_Do I swing now? I might not be close enough..._

He took another step, and the feeling of someone or something in front of him got a little stronger. He felt confident in taking a swing. Lifting the stick, he tried to recall his training at the dojo, and swung with conviction.

The stick connected with something hard, and vibrated in his hand. At the same time, there was a sharp crack, and everyone burst out in loud cheering.

Saki ripped his blindfold off. He stared down at the broken watermelon, and broke into a grin.

“I did it!”

“That was amazing!” Taka said as he ran over to Saki and hugged him tightly. “It was like you knew exactly where it was!”

Saki felt his ears heat up. “I didn't, really. I just guessed.”

Everyone else made their way over, and congratulated him. Meijin gave Saki a pat on the back, and Netto playfully punched Saki's shoulder.

“I had no doubt that you could hit your target,” Zer0 said.

“Thanks, Zer0,” Saki said. “I couldn't have done it without you.”

“Let's eat some melon!” Taka said, pumping his fist in the air.

***

After they had eaten the entire watermelon, Netto made a flag using a stick with Taka's bandanna tied to it. After that, Saki, Taka, Enzan, and Laika played Capture the Flag, with the Navis loudly cheering them on. Saki even managed to win once, which he considered a miracle. After a while, Saki realized the sun was starting to move towards the sea, and asked Zer0 what time it was.

“It is after four,” Zer0 replied.

“I'd better head back to the house, and start making food,” Saki said. He turned to look at Taka. “I have to use your kitchen, is that okay?”

“Just put everything back where you found it, so Mamma doesn't have a fit!” Taka replied cheerfully.

“What are you making?” Enzan asked.

“Curry,” Saki said.

“Netto's going to love that!” Taka said.

Saki looked around, suddenly keenly aware of the fact that Netto and Meijin were nowhere to be seen. “Speaking of Netto, where is he?”

Everyone else looked around, and shrugged their shoulders.

“He couldn't have gone far,” Laika said reassuringly.

“Maybe he went back to the house,” Taka said. 

“Maybe,” Saki said, but he felt doubtful.

Regardless, Saki picked up his PET, bag and towel, and started back towards the house. Behind him, Saki could hear Enzan and Laika starting up another round of Capture the Flag.

As Saki climbed up the path to the house, he looked off towards the sea, and noticed something near the cave. Squinting, he thought he could make out two human-shaped figures.

 _Is that Meijin-san and Netto?_ he wondered. Shading his eyes, Saki studied the figures, but couldn't make them out completely. Feeling defeated, Saki continued walking up the path. 

_I wonder what they're doing out there? No, better to not think about it. It's probably nothing good_.

***

By the time everyone entered the beach house, Saki was almost done with dinner, and its warm fragrance filled the entryway. Saki heard Netto take a deep breath and sigh happily.

“It smells so good in here~!” Taka said.

Netto tore into the dining room, and slid into a chair at the table. “Curry~! Curry~! Curry~!” he chanted loudly. 

From the kitchen, Saki gave an angry grunt. “Keep it down! I'm going as fast as I can.” 

Setting the food on the table, Saki began serving the portions, even as Netto tried to steal spoonfuls off of the plates that Saki was still preparing. Enzan slapped Netto's hand away, and sat down in his own chair.

“If I didn't know any better, I'd think you stopped aging at eleven,” Enzan told Netto.

“At least I didn't hit middle age early, like _some people_ ,” Netto retorted.

“Did you ever settle the tie?” Saki asked.

“No,” Taka admitted glumly. “It got to the point where they would grab the flag at the same time and then argue, and it wasn't going anywhere really. They'd still be at it if I didn't drag them back for dinner.”

“Oho!” Netto chortled, raising an eyebrow. “Now who's eleven?”

Enzan rolled his eyes, and Laika reached across the table to flick Netto's forehead. “Pick one insult and stick with it. Otherwise, it just shows how childish you really are.”

“No fights at the table,” Meijin interrupted, putting himself between Laika and Netto to ensure a swift end to the argument. “It makes it hard to digest properly.”

“I still fail to see how any of this is training,” Laika replied icily.

“It's training!” Netto replied.

“We're here for work,” Meijin added firmly.

Laika rolled his eyes and seemed to give up.

Netto stuffed his face full of curry, and Saki briefly wondered if he was going to be okay, but the worry was unwarranted, because the next second Netto swallowed, and immediately asked for seconds.

“It's really good!” Netto said. “I guess working at Maha Ichiban has given you some ideas!”

“A few,” Saki admitted. “But I had a good base to work from.”

“It's really well-balanced. I definitely rate it among my top five,” Netto commented happily, starting on his second plate of food. 

Saki felt his cheeks heat up, but tried to pretend like it was nothing. “Only in the top five? I guess it's not that great then.”

“Well,” Netto admitted, “Nothing could beat my Mom's curry, so it's more like a top four.”

As everyone ate, Taka spoke up. “Where did you go earlier, Netto? We were looking for you.”

“Earlier, Meijin-san and I went to go see that cave you pointed out to us,” Netto explained between bites of food.

“No need for formalities,” Meijin muttered under his breath.

“So, as we were walking down to the cave entrance, we ran into an old man who lives in the area, and he told us that the cave is a very simple one.” Netto seemed excited, and his eyes shone when he spoke. “It has one path, straight to the back of the cave, with a small bridge near the end. Once you cross the bridge, there's a small shrine. The man said once a year, people used to leave offerings there, as a way of making sure the sea didn't come and swallow them all up.”

From Netto's PET came a small whimper, and at first, Saki thought he had been hearing things.

“So it occurred to me that the cave would be a perfect place for a test of courage,” Netto finished.

Enzan pursed his lips, as if he'd just realized something unpleasant, but said nothing.

“A test of courage?” Taka repeated nervously. “Well, it _is_ summer, I suppose...”

“That could be the answer,” Laika mused. “We could use that as our tie-breaker.”

“You're not suggesting we go into that cave,” Saki asked, his voice pitching with concern. “All jokes aside, a cave is full of dangerous situations, and if we get hurt, it might be a long time before we get help.”

“Are you afraid, Tanaka?” Enzan asked, clearly enjoying Saki's discomfort. “It's not like there are _ghosts_ in there or anything.”

Another whimper resounded from Netto's PET, and Taka shot Netto a worried look.

“I'm not scared, but Taka would probably get so scared he'd pass out,” Saki retorted.

Taka made a face. “Would not!”

Netto laughed. “Don't be silly! It's not hard! All we have to do is walk to the back of the cave, leave an offering, and then walk back out. It's super easy!”

“It's not much of a test of courage if it's easy,” Enzan muttered.

“It's not my fault that the cave is all there is in the area,” Netto pouted. “Last time we did a training camp, there was a haunted house conveniently nearby!”

“So you intend to try to scare us?” Laika asked, clearly not impressed.

“I would _never_ do that!” Netto replied innocently.

Laika shot Meijin a look as well, but Meijin whistled and looked away.

“Do we even have a choice?” Saki asked.

“Well, I mean, sure!” Netto replied. “You could choose not to. But then you'd be considered a total coward for the rest of _forever_.”

***

The path to the cave was smooth and well-worn, wide enough for two people to walk abreast comfortably. A small sign at the entrance to the cave stated that while the cave was safe to enter, it was advisable to watch out for any cave-ins or flooding. Saki looked at the sign and hesitated.

“I still don't like this idea,” Saki admitted to Taka.

“Why?” Taka asked. “Netto said it was safe.”

“It's not that, it's just...” Saki hesitated. “Something isn't sitting right with me.”

It was hard to put into words what Saki was feeling. Even from a young age, he would often feel as though he was being watched or followed. Keiko had jokingly said that Saki was sensitive to the paranormal, which only served to make Saki even more paranoid. He didn't like messing with things like yokai or kami, since they might decide to mess with him in retaliation. And something about this cave made the hair on Saki's neck stand straight up. He just wanted to get the whole thing over with as quickly as possible.

Taka looked concerned, but said nothing, choosing instead to give Saki's hand a reassuring squeeze. 

At the cave entrance, Netto was going over the rules of the test of courage.

“Use your PET flashlights, so you don't trip or anything,” he said. “And when you get to the shrine, put the offering down, and come straight back. You'll probably run into each other on the way back out.” Netto pointed at Laika and Enzan. “You'll be group one, and Saki and Taka are group two.”

“What about you?” Taka asked.

“Me and Meijin will stay right here, just in case,” Netto replied, giving his PET a reassuring pat.

“What do we use as an offering?” Saki asked.

“These,” Netto told him, and handed each of the four boys a small red bean bun wrapped in plastic. 

Saki made a face. “Did you get these as snacks for the trip down?”

Maybe,” Netto said.

“Are you okay with letting us use them?” Taka asked. “I mean, you probably wanted to eat them.”

“I'll live,” Netto said.

“Are you sure this will work?” Enzan asked.

Netto shrugged. “It'll work. It's not like the offering has to be specific or anything.”

“As far as you know,” Enzan muttered.

“I'll send in team two ten minutes after team one goes in,” Netto told them. That should be enough time for team one to meet them halfway on the return trip.”

“First one to crack loses,” Laika murmured to Enzan as they stepped into the cave.

“You're on,” Enzan replied, flicking on the flashlight of his PET.

Saki and Taka watched Laika and Enzan disappear into the darkness. They waited patiently, but nothing else happened. Not a single sound could be heard from the cave, only the tapping of Netto's laptop keys, and the soft lapping of the waves on the rocks.

“It's too quiet,” Meijin noted.

“I'm not too concerned,” Netto stated. “Like I said, it's really simple. Laika could handle anything, and Enzan's too analytical to be scared by something as silly as ghosts.”

Taka seemed to get more and more nervous the longer he stood there waiting. Saki gave Taka's shoulder a soft pat, and smiled reassuringly.

“I'm pretty sure there are no ghosts in the cave,” Saki whispered. 

“I know,” Taka whispered back. “But it wouldn't matter anyway.”

Before Saki could ask what Taka's cryptic words meant, Netto called them over.

“Ten minutes have gone by,” he said. “It's your turn.”

Saki entered the cave first, turning on his flashlight, with Taka right behind him, fumbling to turn his own flashlight on. When Taka stumbled and bumped into Saki, the older boy took Taka's hand in his own.

“Just so you don't get lost,” Saki explained, his ears heating up.

Taka said nothing, but held Saki's hand firmly as they walked further in.

It wasn't long before Taka made an uneasy noise, and Saki gave Taka's hand a soft squeeze.

“It kinda smells,” Taka admitted.

“It's a cave,” Saki reasoned. “Cave's smell.”

“Yes, but,” Taka replied, “It's not really a sea smell, it's more like a stale air kind of smell.”

Saki snorted, but didn't reply. Taka might have been overthinking things, but even Saki had to admit there was a strange smell in the air.

The two walked in silence for a while longer, until Taka made another worried noise.

“What now?” Saki asked.

“Shouldn't we have run into Enzan and Laika by now?” Taka asked timidly. “It seems like we should have...”

“How long has it been, Zer0?” Saki asked. 

“It had been approximately five minutes since we entered the cave,” Zer0 replied. 

_Taka's right_ , Saki thought. _We should have come across Enzan and Laika by now_.

“Maybe they're taking a bit longer,” Saki reasoned.

“Maybe,” Taka replied.

Silence fell again, and then Taka spoke, in a tiny voice.

“I read about something like this once, in a manga,” he admitted. “There was a cave, just like this one, with a path into a cave and a bridge and a shrine, just like this cave.”

“What happened?” Saki asked, despite himself.

“Well,” Taka said, “People started disappearing once they got to the shrine.”

The hairs on Saki's neck stood up.

“It turns out it was magic, but that doesn't make it any better,” Taka admitted. “Magic or ghosts, it's still kind of creepy.”

“Laika and Enzan did not disappear,” Saki told Taka firmly. “You'll see, they're probably just taking their time at the end, that's all.”

Taka didn't reply right away. “There was another one where couples would go into a cave, and if you made it to the other end, your relationship was said to last forever. Except the cave was full of all kinds of horrible things, and on the bridge at the end of the cave, ghosts would try to pull the couple apart, and drag them off into the abyss.”

“Why do you keep reading such horrible manga?!” Saki asked.

“It's not my fault!” Taka insisted. “That one was from a gag manga!”

“Why is there such a creepy theme in a gag manga?!” Saki growled. “Your reading choices are questionable at best.”

“Don't make fun of my reading choices!” Taka pouted. “I'm sure the books you read have some pretty questionable content too! Just try to prove me wrong!”

Saki was about to reply, when he noticed something strange. Something wet and slimy touched his neck. His heart stuttered, and he reached up and brushed whatever it was away in a hurry.

“Aughh!” Taka shrieked. “What was that?!”

Saki checked his hand, and found a piece of some wet plant on it. His heart slowly returned to its normal rhythm. “Seaweed,” he muttered. “Must be one of Netto's pranks.”

Taka visibly relaxed. “Oh, that's good.” He breathed deep a few times. “I wasn't scared, really.”

“Uh huh,” Saki grunted. “Come on, let's keep going.”

The two held hands again, and ventured further into the cave. Before long, however, Taka yelped and clung to Saki.

“What?” Saki asked, his voice tense.

“S-something brushed my arm!” Taka insisted.

Saki flashed his light at the wall near Taka's arm, and spotted a fake skeleton rigged with wires. He gave a grunt of disgust. “He's not even trying...” Saki gave the skeleton a shove, and it rattled against the wall.

“It's not that scary, really,” Taka muttered, and Saki gave a small smile as he took Taka's hand once more.

A few more steps into the cave, and a ghostly wail echoed through the tunnel. Saki paused, and Taka grabbed onto Saki's arm.

“Wh-what was that?” Taka asked.

“Dunno,” Saki admitted. “But it won't help us to just stand here.” He gave Taka's hand a little tug. “We have to keep moving.”

“Right...” Taka agreed, and nervously followed after Saki.

By this point, the cave was getting very, very dark. The light of the flashlights could barely illuminate the floor in front of them, and there was a strange cold that seemed to seep in from somewhere, chilling them to their very core. Taka shivered slightly, and rubbed his arm with the hand holding his PET.

“Why is it so dark?” Taka muttered. “It wasn't this bad earlier...”

Saki said nothing, but he gave Taka's hand a squeeze. “It'll be fine,” he said at length. “I think we're almost there.”

At that moment, the flashlights came upon a dark they could not pierce, and a fog that hung low against the floor. Saki inched forward, and played his light along the ground, looking for any clues as to safe footing.

“Hey Zer0,” Saki asked. “How far into the cave are we?”

But Zer0 didn't answer. Saki looked at his PET screen, confused, but Zer0 was nowhere to be seen.

 _Weird_ , Saki thought. _Where did Zer0 go?_

“Axl...?” Taka asked, but got no response. Like Zer0, Axl wasn't where he was supposed to be.

“Maybe they went to find Enzan and Laika,” Saki said hopefully.

Taka sniffled a little, but when Saki looked, Taka rubbed his nose and looked embarrassed.

“The cold is making my nose runny,” Taka admitted.

Saki relaxed. But as he turned to look back at the path in front of them, Taka gave a startled yelp. Saki whirred back around to see something eerie in the darkness behind them.

“What is that?” Taka whispered hoarsely. “I can barely make it out.”

“It's probably Netto, trying to scare us,” Saki told Taka, trying to seem brave. He stepped forward, and brandished his PET at the figure in the darkness. “See? It's nothing to be scared of--”

In that moment, Saki felt something brush past him, and his arm felt numb and icy. Gasping, he turned just in time to see the figure rush towards Taka, who took a step back, startled. There was the sound of gravel crunching, and Taka yelled fearfully.

“TAKA!” He sprang towards Taka, reaching out to grab his friend before he fell.

Taka tried to regain his footing, but his body was already tipping backwards. In the darkness, he had misjudged the distance between himself and the edge of a cliff. Taka reached out towards Saki, but he didn't seem like he could reach.

Then, just as it seemed that Saki wouldn't be able to save him, Taka suddenly stopped falling. For a long, agonizing second, Taka seemed to hang in midair. Without stopping to think about it, Saki reached out and wrapped his arms around Taka's body, yanking them both backwards to safety. Saki held Taka tightly to his body, his face buried in Taka's shoulder, and trembled like a leaf.

“Saki...?” Taka said weakly.

“Thank goodness...” Saki choked out. “Thank goodness that you're alright.”

A small sob escaped Taka, and he hugged Saki back tightly.

“You saved me...” he whispered.

Saki shook his head. “I thought I was going to miss you entirely. I don't know how, but I made it to you in time.”

Taka took a deep breath. “I saw him. I saw my brother. I saw Shin.”

Saki looked up slowly, his eyes searching Taka's face. Seeing how serious Taka was, Saki frowned.

“But...he's dead, Taka.”

“I know,” Taka said. “But I saw him. He grabbed my arm. He saved me from falling until you got to me.”

Neither boy spoke after that. They simply looked around in confusion and awe as the fog lifted Suddenly, they realized that they were very close to the bridge, and that the cliff wasn't that large at all. There was a river they hadn't seen in the darkness, running under the bridge with a quiet gurgle.

“I know what I saw,” Saki insisted quietly. “I know that this wasn't here before.”

“Do you think it was a ghost?” Taka asked.

Saki said nothing, but looked at Taka fearfully.

It took a few minutes for their legs to stop shaking, and once they were able to stand, the two held hands and walked over the bridge together. They approached the small shrine, and saw that there were already two red bean buns resting on the tray at the front.

“They were already here,” Saki muttered.

“Maybe we didn't run into them because that ghost did something,” Taka added.

The boys hurriedly unwrapped the bread and set it on the tray in front of the shrine before giving a small prayer and a thank you for their safety. Then they made their way quickly back across the bridge and back through the cave.

Nothing surprised them on the way back, and they came out of the cave without further incident. When they arrived, however, they noted that Netto looked rather panicked, and Enzan ran up to them with a concerned expression.

“Where were you two?!” he barked. “We were worried!”

Taka looked upset. “I'm sorry we worried you,” he told Enzan, “But we went into the cave, like we were supposed to. But then it got really dark, and a fog rolled in, and then there was this figure, and I almost fell off a cliff, and--”

Enzan held up a hand to silence Taka, and then turned to Netto. “It's okay, they're safe.”

Netto looked relieved, and hung up a call that he was in. Laika approached the boys as well, his face stern.

“Do you know how long it's been?” he asked them.

“Twenty minutes?” Saki guessed.

“ _Forty-five_ ,” Laika corrected them.

Taka and Saki looked astonished. Saki found his voice first. “B-but our clocks said it was twenty minutes--!” Suddenly Saki remembered Zer0 and Axl disappearing without warning. “But there was a bit where Zer0 and Axl weren't responding...”

“We were with you the whole time,” Axl said. “Honest.”

“Yes,” Zer0 said, “We did not leave your side.”

“We came out after twenty minutes, and we hadn't passed you on the way,” Enzan explained. “We were all ready to yell at Netto for his stupid pranks, but he got concerned when you never came out. He wanted to go in after you, but Rockman was in hysterics and Netto had to calm him down. We were organizing a search party when you showed up.”

Taka looked very pale. “You mean, that wasn't a joke or anything? All that stuff really happened?”

“You mean the fog and the cliff?” Enzan asked. “I don't remember that happening to us.”

“There was some dumb stuff first,” Saki explained. “Like a piece of seaweed, and a fake skeleton, and a creepy wail.”

“The seaweed and the skeleton I remember,” Laika said. “The wail was Rockman crying, apparently.”

“There was also a stupid sheet ghost, and a couple of projections,” Enzan added. 

“We never saw the sheet ghost or the projections,” Saki admitted.

It was Enzan's turn to look pale. “And you're sure there was something else in there with you?”

“It charged at me,” Taka said. “And I almost fell off a cliff. Saki caught me...” He seemed like he was about to mention Shin'ichiro, but thought better of it and pursed his lips together.

“I'm just glad you two are safe,” Meijin admitted. “If you'd both gotten hurt, I'd never have heard the end of it.”

“I'm just glad this whole thing is over,” Saki groused. “I want to go to sleep now, and forget this whole thing even happened.”

“Shouldn't we look into this?” Enzan asked.

“Why?” Saki asked. “Whatever it was is probably long gone by now. You didn't see it leave, there weren't any places to hide inside the cave, and we didn't see it on our way back.” He sighed and shook his head. “Whatever it is, it probably wants to be left alone, and I'm more than happy to oblige.”

And with that, the group made their way back up to the house, chatting about this and that the whole way. But Taka and Saki hung back a little, and held each other's hand all the way back, just in case.

“I'm glad Shin was there for me,” Taka whispered.

Saki laughed quietly. “I never saw him myself, but I believe you.” His eyes were warm and kind. “It definitely was kind of miraculous how you teetered there for a moment until I grabbed you.”

“You think he's watching over me?” Taka asked.

“Sure, why not,” Saki shrugged. “Does it bother you?”

Taka shook his head, and smiled. “No, it makes me really happy.”

***

The next morning, before the sun had fully risen, an angry yell shattered the silence. Tearing out of his room, Netto ran down the stairs, his face covered in shaving cream. In the entryway, Enzan and Laika calmly watched Netto charge towards them, slipping a can of shaving cream and a feather behind their backs. Netto gave an angry yell, and pointed at Enzan and Laika with a foamy hand.

“You guys--!”

“It's training!” Enzan chirped.

“We're here for work,” Laika added.

The two high-fived, and Netto angrily declared, “Just you wait! I'm going to get you guys back for this!”


	20. Heat Haze

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> With the end of the camp looming, everyone decides to check out the hot spring.

The second day of the 'training camp' dawned, and by nine o'clock, everyone was slowly making their way into the kitchen for breakfast. Saki, who had been up since eight o'clock preparing food, greeted each person in turn as they sleepily stumbled into their seats.

“What's for breakfast?” Taka asked, rubbing his eyes.

“Rice and egg,” Saki said, setting a bowl of steaming white rice with a raw egg on top down in front of Taka before doing the same for everyone else at the table.

“There's something beautiful about simplicity,” Netto said as he mixed the egg and rice together vigorously with his chopsticks.

“I thought about something more traditional,” Saki said, “But bringing everything I would need would take up too much space. So I opted for something simple.”

Laika gave the dish a hesitant glance before mimicking Netto, and stirring the egg into the rice.

“I haven't had this dish before,” Taka admitted. “Mamma used to make porridge for us most mornings.”

“It's one of the few things I can make by myself,” Enzan said. “It's hard to get wrong.”

Netto finished off his bowl before Saki could even prepare his own dish, and held it out to Saki for seconds. Grumbling, Saki refilled Netto's bowl.

“It's...certainly not what I expected,” Laika said.

“The texture is nice though,” Taka added.

Finally, Saki was able to sit down with his own bowl of food, and everyone ate in silence for a few minutes. Eventually, Netto became restless and spoke up.

“So, does anyone have anything they wanted to do today?” he asked.

“Train?” Laika said hopefully.

“We could go to the beach again,” Taka said.

Enzan seemed as though he wanted to say something, but remained quiet. Saki took note, and turned to Netto.

“There's a hot spring in town, right? I think some of us wanted to go there.” 

Netto's eyes lit up. “Ooh! Good idea!”

Meijin, who had been silent since he'd gotten up, raised his hand. “It might be a nice way to soothe everyone's tight muscles.”

Enzan's expression became hopeful, and he sat up a little straighter.

Saki couldn't help but feel amused. _Enzan's usually so vocal about stuff...I wonder why he's being shy about wanting to check out the hot spring?_

“I wanted to look around town myself,” Netto said, “But I guess we can check out the hot springs too.”

Laika, who seemed utterly defeated, simply sighed and flopped back in his seat. “Do whatever you want,” he muttered.

“Then we're in agreement?” Netto asked.

One by one, the others nodded, and Netto grinned before saying, “You're our guide, Taka.”

Taka gave them all a mock salute. “You can count on me!”

***

The small town the beach was located near, Tatadohama, didn't have many things to do for fun, but it did have a rather nice market. Items made by the locals were on sale, as well as local produce and a bookstore. Closer to the beach, there was a small cafe and hot dog stand, and tucked away in a quiet corner of the town was a small massage parlor, which Meijin seemed interested in.

“Maybe next time,” he said quietly.

The group finished their tour of the town, and Taka shrugged helplessly.

“It's a pretty small town. I'm sorry there wasn't much to see or do.”

Saki shook his head. “It's about what I'd expect from a place like this.”

“And we did find some pretty neat things in the market,” Netto added. “I bet Mom's gonna love this lace handkerchief I bought.”

“I suppose we could eat,” Enzan said. “It's close to noon, after all.”

“I agree,” Laika said. “It's too early in the day to go to the hot spring.”

Netto grinned. “I bet the view at night is amazing.”

“Can't say for sure, since I've never been there myself,” Taka said, “But all the reviews I've read online said the view of the ocean is pretty amazing.”

Saki checked the map of the area he had displayed on his PET. “There aren't a lot of places to eat here. It's fine, though, since there's food back at the house.”

“I bet the cafe would be nice,” Enzan said, completely ignoring Saki's comment.

“Hmm, that _does_ sound lovely,” Meijin agreed. “Eating by the sea sounds quite relaxing.”

“The sound of the waves, the wind in your hair,” Taka said dreamily.

“The sand in your food,” Saki grumbled.

“If we're here anyway, we might as well do everything,” Enzan said to Saki. “If I'm being forced to take a vacation, then I might as well enjoy it.”

Laika snorted. “That's what this little excursion is, after all. A vacation. Not a single ounce of training to be seen.”

“But we _are_ training, Laika!” Netto insisted. “Yesterday, we did endurance training, practiced locating targets while blind, and worked on our hand-eye coordination!”

Saki blinked in surprise. Netto wasn't _lying_ , but it was certainly a stretch.

“And after all that hard work,” Meijin said, “We're taking today to relax and de-stress. That's just as important as training, you know.”

“Yeah,” Netto agreed. “Your body will break down if you never give it time to rest. It's like running a motor nonstop. Eventually, one of the part with wear out, and the whole thing will shut down.”

Laika sighed. “You make a good point,” he said.

“We're also not going to get much done at the office anyway,” Meijin said. “Giving the machines a break in this heat is certainly a better alternative to having everything break down and need to be repaired.”

 _I get the impression that Meijin is just looking for an excuse to escape his work_ , Saki thought.

With Laika convinced, Netto led the group to the small cafe near the beach that they had passed earlier. A mailbox outside the cafe read “TSUBOYA”, and a friendly cat lounged near the door. Saki stopped to give it a pet before going inside.

Most of the meal consisted of Netto and Enzan rating their food and comparing it to other places they had visited, while Taka agonized over which sweet he wanted to get. Overall, Saki felt that the service and food were pretty good, and felt a lot better about splurging. After the meal, Saki lounged in his chair as he finished his glass of water, and Taka leaned his head on Saki's shoulder.

“I like this place,” Taka said.

“I like it too,” Saki said. “Any place with a cat is pretty good in my book.”

Taka perked up instantly. “There's a cat?” he asked.

“Yeah, outside,” Saki said, and before he could say anything else, Taka jumped out of his chair, and ran to pay for his meal before running outside to play with the cat Saki had pet earlier. Everyone else took this as a sign to leave as well, and one by one they got up to pay for their meals.

“That was nice,” Netto said once they were all outside. “Now what?”

Taka looked up from playing with the cat. “We could probably make our way up to the hot springs now. It seems to be a short bus ride from here.”

“I suppose we can look at the scenery on the way,” Meijin said.

Taka gave the cat one last pat before standing up, and when the cat meowed loudly, Saki gave it a sympathetic look.

“We have to go now, Neko-san,” he said. “You be good, okay?”

Taka tugged on Saki's arm, and laughed. “C'mon, the others are already leaving.”

Saki's face felt a little warm as he took Taka's hand, and jogged to catch up with the others.

***

The road to the hot spring ran along the mountains, and the view from the bus windows offered a spectacular view of the forest-filled valleys below the cliffs. Saki felt as though he'd never been able to see so much unspoiled nature before, having grown up in the city, and eagerly watched the scenery as they passed by. Taka took a few pictures, and showed them to Saki.

“Souvenirs,” he said.

Next to them, Laika stared gloomily out the window, and every so often, he would sigh.

“What's wrong?” Saki asked.

“I didn't budget for this,” Laika explained.

“Oh,” Saki said, sympathizing. “Come to think of it, neither did I.”

They both sighed in unison.

Meijin leaned in close to Netto. “Maybe we can write it off as a business expense,” he whispered. 

Netto nodded.

Taka frowned at Saki. “Why are you worrying about money? You know I'll cover you.”

“I can't ask you to pay for everything,” Saki said, feeling guilty. “There's a limit to how much you do for me.”

“I can afford to pay for our trips to a hot spring, Saki,” Taka said patiently. “What's the point of having money if I don't spend it?”

Netto squirmed closer to Enzan. “Say, Enzan...? I don't suppose you'd be okay with spotting me this _one time_ —”

Enzan gave Netto a sidelong glance. “I won't always be there to help you. You should really learn to budget better.”

“I'm good at budgeting!” Netto insisted. “I just wasn't prepared this time, and—”

Enzan sighed. “I'll add it to your tab,” he said.

“You're the best~!” Netto cheered.

Taka bounced excitedly in his seat. “What do you think it'll be like?”

“I imagine it'll be pretty straight-forward,” Saki said. 

Taka's eyes sparkled. “Do you think they'll have hot spring eggs?”

Saki stared at Taka, confused. “Huh?”

“Hot spring eggs,” Taka repeated impatiently. “You know—”

“Not every hot spring has those,” Saki said. “Don't get your hopes up.”

“But I wanna try a hot spring egg!” Taka whined. “I heard they taste amazing!”

Saki massaged his temple. He couldn't follow Taka's train of thought sometimes, and it honestly gave him a headache.

***

The hot spring, Shirahama, was a traditional building surrounded by high trees. Saki was hit by the smell of the sea the moment he stepped off the bus, and Taka took a deep breath and sighed.

“The sea breeze meeting the earthy scent of the trees, what a lovely combination,” Taka said with a smile.

“I guess the thing about being able to get a good view of the ocean was true,” Saki said.

Netto punched the palm of his left hand with his right fist. “Okay, are we ready for this?”

“As ready as I'll ever be,” Laika muttered.

“Remember to conduct yourselves in an orderly manner,” Enzan said, giving Taka an especially long glance. Taka crossed his arms and pouted.

“I don't know why you're looking at me,” he said. “I'm always on my best behavior.”

“Shouldn't we be more worried about Netto?” Saki asked.

“Who, me?” Netto asked. “I would never cause a scene.”

“I think we're all capable of acting like adults,” Meijin said. “Now let's focus on why we came here in the first place.”

“The hot spring,” Enzan said.

Saki sighed. _It's a good thing the air is cooler up here in the mountains, or the idea of getting into a hot bath on a summer day would sound pretty awful_.

“Remember the basics,” Netto told the others. “Always be modest, don't annoy any of the other guests, and don't run.”

“Cover up your tattoos,” Saki joked.

Upon entering the building, Saki saw many pairs of shoes that were neatly lined up in the entryway. He slipped out of his own shoes, and placed them in an empty spot near the wall.

“Must be busy,” Netto noted.

“We might have to wait,” Meijin added.

Saki looked around the reception area. A single woman in a plain kimono was manning the front desk, and off to the side was a small souvenir shop. Taka immediately made a beeline for the shop, and glanced around as if searching for something.

 _He can look all he wants_ , Saki thought, _But I'm pretty sure they won't have what he's looking for_.

Enzan approached the woman at the desk, and they had a quiet conversation. When Enzan returned, he looked hopeful.

“She said we can probably head inside in a few minutes,” he told the others. “A large group is leaving.”

“Lucky!” Netto said.

Saki plopped himself down on a bench, and waited patiently. Before long, a small group of people entered the reception area from the hallway that led inside, and Saki guessed that this was the group the receptionist had mentioned.

Most of the people in the group had fair features, and Saki briefly wondered if they were tourists. The group all bowed respectfully to the receptionist as they exited, and even said 'thank you' in Japanese.

 _At least they're polite_ , Saki thought.

As the last of the group exited the building, Taka trudged back over to Saki, looking disappointed.

“They didn't have any?” Saki guessed.

Taka nodded. “Not that I could tell. I guess I could ask one of the staff if they know anything.”

“Good luck,” Saki said.

Finally, Saki and the others were ushered into the main part of the hot springs. An employee directed them to the change rooms, and explained that their towels were in the baskets offered for storing your belongings.

“They must have just replaced the used ones,” Saki guessed.

“I suppose they did,” Enzan said.

Taka looked at the signs above the changing room doors. “Split baths. I guess that was to be expected.”

“I don't know many places that have mixed baths,” Saki admitted.

As Saki finished speaking, a woman came out of the baths, sighing contently. As soon as Netto saw her, his eyes widened.

“Mariko-sensei?!” he said, surprised.

The woman looked at Netto, equally shocked. “Netto-kun?”

“It _is_ you!” Netto said excitedly.

Mariko smiled. “Goodness, what a coincidence meeting you here!”

“Someone you know?” Saki asked.

“Mariko-sensei was my teacher in elementary school,” Netto explained. “She's also an avid fan of hot springs.”

“Oh, I'm not your teacher anymore,” Mariko said with a small laugh. “Just 'Mariko-san' is fine.”

“So, you came to use the hot spring then?” Taka asked.

“I did,” Mariko said. “his place has been on my wish list for a while now.”

“If you're here, that must be a good sign,” Netto said. “I bet they're really great.”

“Definitely in my top ten,” Mariko said.

A moment later, Tohru came out of the men's side of the baths, and became excited upon seeing the others.

“You're here too, Tohru?” Netto asked.

“Me and Mariko-san are in the same Hot Springs Enthusiasts Club,” Tohru explained. “When she said she was going to visit Shirahama, I thought it might be a good idea to tag along.”

“It's just like old times,” Mariko said.

“If you've come to use the hot springs, I won't keep you,” Tohru said. “But it was great to run into you again!”

“We're here visiting my family's beach house,” Taka explained. “You should stop by before you leave.”

“I wish I could,” Tohru said. “But me and Mariko-san are on a hot spring tour, and the bus leaves pretty soon.”

 _A tour?_ Saki wondered. _Don't tell me they're going into another hot spring right after being in this one!_

“Sounds fun,” Netto said. “I'll email you, then, and we can organize that meetup I promised at my birthday.”

“I can't wait!” Tohru said. He waved at Saki. “Have fun, everyone!”

“I hope we get to see each other again!” Mariko added.

“Next time, let's catch up,” Netto said.

Mariko and Tohru waved as they left, and Saki and the others entered the changing room.

“Pretty crazy, running into Mariko-san again,” Netto said.

“Yes, Netto-kun certainly caused her no end to problems,” Rockman said.

“I wasn't _that_ bad,” Netto said.

“You terrorized her all the way through fifth grade,” Rockman said.

“'Terrorized' is a strong word,” Netto replied.

“ _Netto-kun_ ,” Rockman said, crossing his arms.

“Okay, maybe I gave her a _few_ gray hairs,” Netto admitted.

“A few?” Rockman said, giving Netto a disapproving look.

Netto sighed. “Okay, fine, I was a monster, and I'm sure she was relieved to be free of me.” He looked at the others. “But I've become much more mature.”

Laika and Enzan gave Netto skeptical looks.

“She seemed friendly enough,” Taka said, peeling off his shirt.

“We were always on good speaking terms outside of school,” Netto said, opening one of the baskets, and pulling the towels out. “Besides, I'm sure she wouldn't still hold a grudge about the things I did in fifth grade.”

Saki stuffed his clothes into his basket. “It's an odd coincidence, running into those two.”

“Whenever I go near a hot spring, they always seem to be there too,” Netto said. “It's always been like that.”

Saki washed his hair and body down, eager to get some of the sand out of his hair that he'd missed during his shower the day before. Taka asked for Saki to help wash his back, and he obliged.

“Let me wash yours too!” Taka said.

“Sure,” Saki said before registering what had just happened.

 _This feels strangely casual_ , he thought. _I guess I really do think of Taka as family_.

At the end, Saki filled his wooden pail with cold water, and dumped it over his head. It felt refreshing, and he sighed happily.

 _I probably needed to cool off. It's too bad I'll be getting into a hot spring right after_.

“My skin's looking a little dry lately,” Taka mused out loud. “Maybe the hot spring will help.”

“You're skin's fine,” Saki said. “You don't need to stress out.”

“Being beautiful is hard work!” Taka said, pouting. “Especially since I have terrible eating and sleeping habits!”

“You just admitted that you're awful at taking care of yourself!” Saki scolded. “Fix that first!”

In retaliation, Taka dumped his own pail of cold water over Saki's head.

Sputtering, Saki wiped the water out of his eyes, and scowled. “What was that for?”

Taka gave Saki an angry glare. “You completely missed the point!” And without clarifying any further, he turned away from Saki with a small huff of frustration.

 _What...just happened there?_ Saki wondered. _All I did was tell him the truth_.

While Saki tried to figure out what Taka was angry about, Taka finished rinsing off, and entered the hot spring as quickly as he could. Saki gave a deep sigh, wringing the water out of his hair before tying it up and out of the way. After that, he grabbed his towel before entering the bath.

Even with how warm the afternoon was, a fair amount of steam still rose off the water, and made it hard to see anything. Saki carefully made his way to the edge of the large pool of water, and eased himself in before plopping his towel on top of his head for safekeeping.

Taka had retreated to the far edge, and was looking out at the view of the sea. He didn't say anything or acknowledge Saki when he approached, and Saki decided to give Taka some room. As he took in the view, he felt his breath hitch. It was certainly worth the visit.

Nearby, Netto was excitedly chatting with a frail boy that Saki didn't recognize.

 _Must be another friend of his_ , Saki reasoned. _He sure has been running into a lot of them_.

“I didn't expect to see you here, Mamoru!” Netto said. “Have you been well?”

“Yes!” Mamoru said happily. “The surgery was a success, thanks to you, and I've been improving ever since then. I can even walk around without my chair now.”

Netto's eyes lit up. “That's amazing! I'm so happy that you're feeling better.”

 _Was Mamoru sick at some point?_ Saki wondered. _It sounds like it was a pretty serious illness_.

“Maybe we can finally play soccer together!” Netto said.

“Maybe someday,” Mamoru promised.

“What are you doing out here?” Netto asked. “This is a long way from Yokayoka.”

“My aunt brought me here,” Mamoru explained. “She said it was good to try other hot springs, just in case one was more effective than the others.”

 _Aren't they all about the same?_ Saki thought.

“Your aunt, huh?” Netto asked. “I guess we'll run into her eventually.”

“I'm sure you will,” Mamoru assured Netto.

Saki looked over at Laika, who seemed content to soak by himself. However, Laika's flushed cheeks told Saki that he should probably keep an eye on him, just in case.

“Has Rockman been to the Steam Server yet?” Mamoru asked.

“Steam Server?” Netto replied.

Mamoru nodded. “Yes, it's a place for Navis to experience the steam and heat of a hot spring for themselves. I've heard it's quite popular.”

“I guess I'll have to tell him about it,” Netto said. “Thanks for the tip!”

“It's my pleasure,” Mamoru said. “I often hear tidbits of information, and like to share them with other people whenever I can.”

Enzan, who had been quietly sitting next to Netto, gave Mamoru a sidelong glance.

“Tidbits of information, huh?” Enzan muttered. “I wonder...”

A cool breeze blew in from the sea, and the steam scattered a little bit. Saki closed his eyes to enjoy the wind against his face, and when he opened them, Taka was staring at him intently.

“What?” Saki asked.

“Do you know why I got mad?” Taka asked.

Saki shrugged. “Not really. I just told you the truth.”

Taka gave an irritated sigh. “Saki, you'll never get a boyfriend with that attitude.”

“Huh?” Saki asked, confused.

Taka gave Saki an annoyed look. “You were supposed to tell me, 'You don't need to worry about your skin! You're already beautiful! You don't need to do anything else.'”

Saki frowned. “Why?”

“Even boys like to be told that they're pretty,” Taka said firmly.

Saki sighed. “You're mad that I didn't butter you up?”

“Flattery gets you everywhere,” Taka said.

Saki rolled his eyes. “I'm not really interested in propping up people's fragile egos.”

“And that's why you'll never find a boyfriend,” Taka said irritably.

Netto made his way over to Taka and Saki, and draped his arms over their shoulders. “Nice view,” he said.

“Isn't it?” Taka replied.

Saki glanced over at Mamoru, who was talking to Enzan in a low voice. No matter how hard he tried, Saki couldn't hear any of their conversation.

“I think this has been a pretty successful training camp,” Netto said.

“It kind of fails to be a 'training camp',” Saki pointed out.

“I'm just continuing the fine Hikari family tradition,” Netto said.

“Of what?” Taka asked. “Slacking off?”

Netto seemed hurt. “I'll have you know that I actually did get work done while I was here.”

“Uh huh,” Saki said, unconvinced.

“Like what?” Taka asked.

“I think I've figured out how to make the PDG smaller,” Netto said proudly.

Saki raised an eyebrow. “Really?”

“There's no point in having a 'portable' generator if it isn't really portable,” Netto said. “My goal is to get it down to the size of a PET.”

“So how do you plan on making it smaller?” Taka asked.

Netto grinned. “By swapping out the electrical motor for a solar powered one.”

Taka seemed puzzled. “A solar powered battery won't have the same output as an electrical one,” he said. “You'd see a significant drop in power.”

“True,” Netto said. “It's not a perfect solution. But a solar powered battery is much smaller. It's also more convenient, since it recharges itself over time. No need to plug it into a wall socket.”

“Is solar power really that good?” Saki asked.

“It's worth exploring, at least,” Netto said. “I've been kind of fascinated by solar power for a while. It's free energy, and readily available. And large scale solar panels can collect enough power to run entire cities, so I figured a small one might be enough to power a small device, although it might only work for a few minutes.”

“If it doesn't last long, what's the point?” Saki asked.

Netto leaned in. “Science is just as much about failing as it is about success. I won't know if it'll work unless I try it.”

Saki crossed his arms. “Okay, so you made a little progress on the PDG. What else?”

Netto tapped his chin thoughtfully. “I managed to scare someone with the haunted cave.”

Taka whacked Netto angrily. “Not funny!”

 _In other words, nothing important_ , Saki thought.

Suddenly remembering Laika, Saki looked over his shoulder. Sure enough, Laika seemed to have fallen asleep, and Saki quickly went to wake him up.

“You can't sleep here,” Saki said as he shook Laika's shoulder.

“Huh...?” Laika woke up, looking dazed. “What happened...?”

“You fell asleep,” Saki told Laika. “You should probably get out before you overheat.”

Laika put a hand to his head. “Good idea,” he said. Quietly, Laika left the hot spring, and disappeared into the changing area.

“It looks like Laika couldn't take the heat,” Netto said.

“He's probably just not used to it,” Enzan said.

“Doesn't that mean you finally beat him at something?” Taka asked.

Enzan's eyes widened with realization. “It does, doesn't it?”

“It wasn't a very fair contest,” Saki said. “Enzan really loves hot baths.”

A small smile graced Enzan's face, but he didn't say anything.

“Funny,” Netto said, frowning. “Enzan always takes such cold showers.”

It was at this moment that Saki finally noticed Meijin through the steam. He seemed to be staring at the bamboo wall that obscured the women's side of the bath from view quite intently, although he didn't get close enough to touch it. Curiosity got the better of Saki, and he made his way over to Meijin.

“What are you staring at so intently?” Saki asked.

Meijin didn't answer right away. After a moment, he turned to look at Saki.

“Structural integrity,” he said.

Perplexed, Saki looked at the partition. It seemed to be pretty structurally sound to him. “Is something wrong with it?”

“No,” Meijin replied. “I was just making sure.”

Saki gave Meijin a suspicious look. “You weren't...trying to _peep_ , were you?”

Meijin shook his head. “I would never think of doing such a thing,” he said firmly.

Saki crossed his arms. “Sure.”

“But,” Meijin continued, “There are more than likely a lot of young men who come through here...I'd hate for there to be a hole or a tear that they could exploit.”

Saki doubted Meijin's words more and more. “How is that your problem?”

“It isn't,” Meijin said.

“Then...don't worry about it,” Saki said.

Meijin sighed. “I suppose you're right. Besides, the staff more than likely performs maintenance frequently. Perhaps I'm overthinking this.”

 _I can't decide if Meijin-san was looking for a peephole or not_ , Saki thought. _He's pretty hard to read_.

“For an adult, you're really weird,” Saki told Meijin.

“And for a child, you're remarkably responsible,” Meijin replied.

“Is that a bad thing?” Saki asked.

“Sometimes,” Meijin said.

“What's that supposed to mean?” Saki asked.

But rather than answer, Meijin simply shuffled away to the other end of the pool.

Saki made his way back over to Taka and Netto, and Taka tilted his head curiously.

“Do you think Meijin-san has a hard time seeing?” he asked.

Saki thought about it for a moment. “He _was_ wearing his glasses.”

“I bet they get really fogged up,” Taka said.

“Now that you mention it,” Netto said, “I've never seen Meijin-san without his glasses before.”

Everyone became quiet. It was almost as if someone had said something they shouldn't have.

“Now I kind of want to see what's behind his glasses,” Saki said quietly.

“I saw an episode of an anime like this once!” Taka warned. “It's not worth it, no matter how curious you are.”

“We-we're probably just overreacting,” Netto said, laughing nervously. “I'm sure he just needs his glasses to see...”

“But even someone who really needs their glasses would take them off in a hot spring,” Saki said.

They fell quiet again.

“We could just ask him to take them off,” Netto said.

“Guys, I'm pretty sure this isn't a big deal,” Taka insisted.

“Taka's right,” Saki said. “Maybe we should just drop it...”

“No,” Netto growled. “I have to know!”

While Taka and Saki tried to convince Netto not to pursue the idea of trying to see what Meijin looked like behind his glasses, Mamoru stood up.

“I should be going,” he said. “I've been in here for a while now. Besides, my aunt is waiting for me.”

Netto's focus immediately snapped to Mamoru. “Oh, then we'll go with you.”

“Oh, it's quite alright,” Mamoru said. “You should stay and enjoy the hot spring more.”

“It's no trouble,” Netto said. “We should check on Laika anyway.”

“My fingers are getting pretty pruney,” Taka said. “I should probably get out.”

“Yeah, I've probably soaked for long enough,” Saki admitted.

One by one, everyone got out of the hot spring, and made their way into the changing area. Laika wasn't anywhere to be seen, but his basket was empty except for his used towel.

“He must have gone outside for some air,” Netto said.

“I do hope he's okay,” Mamoru said.

“I'm sure he's fine,” Enzan said.

Saki hurriedly patted himself dry, and changed back into his clothes. He poked his head out of the changing room, and scanned the hallway for Laika, but didn't see him.

“Let's go check the entrance,” Taka said.

“Good idea,” Saki said. He made his way down the hallway towards the reception area, and spotted Laika laying down on one of the benches. Saki breathed a small sigh of relief.

“Looks like he passed out,” Taka said. “I almost don't want to wake him up.”

“We can let him sleep a few more minutes while Netto says goodbye,” Saki said.

Turning around to walk back down the hallway, Saki nearly bumped into Netto, who had come up behind him. Mamoru gave Saki a kind smile, and Saki nervously smiled back.

“My aunt is probably going to be a few more moments,” Mamoru explained. “Would you all like to wait outside with me?”

“Sounds good,” Netto said.

“Someone's going to have to wake Laika up,” Saki said.

Netto, nodding seriously, walked over to Laika, and lightly slapped his face a few times. “Hey, wake up.”

 _He's crazy!_ Saki thought. _I bet Laika's going to be in a horrible mood!_

However, Laika sat up, and gave Netto a sleepy wave.

“Have a nice nap?” Netto asked.

“Can't complain,” Laika said.

“He took that surprisingly well,” Taka said.

“He's probably pretty relaxed from being in the hot spring,” Enzan said.

“Oh, did your friend pass out?” a woman's voice from behind Saki asked.

Saki was so startled that he felt like he'd jumped out of his own skin. Turning, Saki saw a tall, lanky woman in a red haori standing behind Mamoru, calmly sipping a bottle of milk.

“Oh!” Taka seemed surprised. “Are you Mamoru-san's aunt?”

“The woman grinned. “That's me! You can call me Tamako.” She ruffled Mamoru's hair affectionately. “Thanks for taking care of him.”

“Tamako-san!” Netto called out, running over to greet her. “How have you been?”

Tamako's smile grew even wider. “Netto-kun! It's been a while.”

 _Netto just knows everyone, I guess_ , Saki thought in exasperation.

“I can't really complain,” Tamako said. “Business has been pretty steady, and Mamoru is looking much better these days. The only thing I really miss is a heated Net Battle!”

Netto laughed. “I can understand that feeling.”

“So how 'bout it?” Tamako asked. “You up for a battle?”

Saki was surprised by Tamako's bluntness. Netto, however, simply gave Tamako an apologetic shrug.

“I would, but I don't want to hold everyone else up.”

Tamako seemed deflated. “Aww, what a shame. Maybe some other time.”

“Let's not crowd the entryway,” Enzan said. 

“Good thinking,” Tamako said. “We can take the rest of this conversation outside.”

Tamako herded the others outside, and everyone found a place to sit on the benches near the entrance. Once they were settled, Mamoru bowed his head.

“I apologize for not introducing myself properly before. My name is Mamoru Urakawa. It's very nice to meet you all.”

“Likewise,” Saki said.

“And I'm Tamako Shiraizumi, Mamoru's aunt.” She gave everyone a huge grin. “Any friend of Netto's is a friend of mine.”

One by one, everyone introduced themselves. Tamako seemed especially interested in Saki.

“You look like a guy who likes to battle,” she told him confidently. “How about you and me have a go?”

Saki blinked. “Like, right now?”

“Sure!” Tamako said. “Right now!”

Saki quickly tried to think of an excuse. “Uhh, sorry, but we're on a bit of a tight schedule right now. Maybe some other time.”

“Alright,” Tamako said, seemingly satisfied. “We can battle some other time.”

Netto leaned in close and whispered into Saki's ear. “Watch out, she really means it. She won't rest until you battle her.”

Saki swallowed nervously.

“Anyway, if you're all fans of hot springs, you should come to the Ura Inn,” Tamako said. “It's some of the best in all of Japan! You won't be disappointed.”

“My family runs it,” Mamoru explained. “It'd be lovely if you could come visit some time.”

“I think I've had my fill of hot springs for a while,” Laika said. “But I'm sure the others would be quite eager to take you up on your offer.”

Tamako laughed, and slapped Laika on the back. “Aww, don't say that! The only way to get better at handlin' heat is to get used to it!”

Laika gave Tamako an irritated look.

“So what brings you here, Netto-kun?” Mamoru asked.

“We're visiting the beach house that Taka's family owns,” Netto explained. “Having a summer training camp.”

Laika grumbled something unintelligible.

“That sounds great!” Tamako said. “Nothing like training to get your blood pumping!”

“No punching rocks though,” Netto said.

Tamako laughed. “I'll leave that up to Metalman.”

“Your trip does sound like a lot of fun though!” Mamoru said. “I only wish I could have come along.”

“Next time, I'll be sure to invite you,” Netto said.

“Do you really mean that?” Mamoru asked.

“Of course!” Netto said.

“Where are you going after this?” Enzan asked. “Back to Tatadohama?”

“Nope,” Tamako said. “There's a place nearby that we're staying at. Then we're heading back to Yokayoka in the morning.”

“It's a shame we can't spend more time together,” Netto said. “We have so much catching up to do.”

“For sure,” Tamako said. “But there's always next time.”

Taka's shoulders slumped. “I never did find out if they sell hot spring eggs here.”

“Oh!” Tamako's eyes widened. “They don't make 'em here, but we make 'em back home at the Ura Inn! When you come visit, you can try one there!”

“Just my luck,” Taka said miserably.

“They sell milk here, though,” Saki said, trying to cheer Taka up. “It's pretty good after a hot bath.”

“Yeah, drink some milk!” Tamako said. “It'll help you grow big and strong!”

“Are you making fun of me?” Taka asked angrily.

Tamako laughed. “I would never do that!” She ruffled Taka's hair. “Don't worry, you'll hit your growth spurt soon!”

Taka let out an angry bellow, and snatched at Tamako's hand. She simply laughed, and nimbly jumped away.

“Get back here!” Taka yelled.

“Can't!” Tamako said, pointing at a bus that had just pulled up. “Our bus is here!”

Mamoru waved. “See you all again soon!” He hurried to catch up with Tamako, and the two ran across the street to catch their bus.

Netto sighed. “She's the same as ever.”

Enzan seemed to think for a moment. “I think I recall her being in the N1 Grand Prix,” he said at last.

“She was!” Netto said. “I ended up taking her out of the tournament.”

“I do recall that she was a fierce competitor,” Enzan said.

“I'm surprised you were paying such close attention,” Netto said, smiling.

Enzan looked hurt. “I always study my opponents carefully.”

“So she's really tough?” Saki asked.

“She's good at two things,” Netto said, “Talking you into a sale, and tossing you around in a Net Battle.”

Saki shivered. “Sounds like I'm in for a rough fight.”

Out of the building stepped Meijin, a bottle of milk in his hand. Netto froze, staring at Meijin so intently that Saki could almost feel it.

“Something on my face?” Meijin asked, popping open his bottle of milk.

Netto clenched his fists, and seemed to work up the courage to ask, “Meijin-san, why do you always wear your glasses?”

Meijin froze, the bottle of milk inches from his lips. Slowly, he lowered the milk, and looked at Netto with a serious expression.

“Why do you want to know?”

“It's just that...we've never seen you without them on,” Netto said. “And we're very curious.”

The tension between everyone was stifling, and Saki squirmed uncomfortably.

“Do you really want to know what I look like without my glasses?” Meijin asked.

Netto nodded vigorously.

Meijin seemed to consider this. “Very well then,” he said. “I'll show you what's behind my glasses.”

Saki watched Meijin with breathless anticipation. Netto seemed like he might burst with excitement, and Taka clung to Saki's arm. Even Enzan and Laika seemed to be watching intently.

Meijin slowly reached up, and grabbed the arm of his glasses. With a quick movement, he yanked them off, revealing...

Another pair of glasses, exactly the same as the first.

The shock nearly made Saki fall over. Netto let out a loud, frustrated scream.

“Are you _kidding me?!_ ”

Meijin smirked. “Maybe one day I'll show you. But today's not that day.”

“How did he do that?!” Taka whispered hoarsely. “That was magic, I know it was!”

Saki sighed. “Sleight of hand, probably. He might have anticipated that we'd ask.”

“We weren't exactly being subtle in the hot spring,” Taka admitted.

Enzan sighed. “It's not anything to be disappointed about.”

 _He's disappointed about it_ , Saki thought.

“I don't know what I even expected,” Laika grumbled.

Meijin calmly sipped his milk. It seemed like he was completely unfazed by the whole thing.

“Still,” Taka said, “Today's been a really great day. And this whole trip has been a total blast!”

“It has,” Saki said, smiling. 

“I've had a really great time,” Netto said.

“It wasn't as horrible as I thought it would be,” Enzan admitted.

“Even I'll admit that I had fun a few times,” Laika said.

“It's such a great summer memory!” Taka said. “I can't wait to add it to the rest of the beach house collection!” Yanking out his PET, he waved everyone over. “Come on, let's take a picture together!”

Everyone crowded in, and Taka stretched out his arm as far as he could to get everyone inside the camera's frame. He put up his fingers in a peace sign, and grinned.

“Cheese!”

The PET clicked loudly, and Taka quickly checked the photo to see if it was good.

“Everyone looks great!” he said. “I can't wait to put this on the wall in the beach house!”

“We'll have to do this again next year!” Netto said. “And every year after that!”

Taka looked up at the others, and smiled more sincerely than Saki had ever seen before. Saki felt his heart flutter a little.

“I'm so glad we're all friends,” Taka said warmly. He looked at Saki, and smiled a little bit wider.

Saki felt his face heat up, and he looked away nervously.

***

The last supper at the beach house was leftover curry, and everyone ate it while laughing and sharing stories with each other. It was a truly warm atmosphere, and Saki felt glad that he had agreed to come. Being able to be part of a group and make summer memories together was something he had not done in a long time, and he knew that it would mean a lot to him in the future. And the same seemed to be true for everyone else, especially Taka, who would not stop gushing over the photo that he'd taken at the hot spring.

“It's going to be a bummer going home tomorrow,” Taka said with a sigh.

“Back to work for me,” Enzan said, and Saki caught a small hint of unhappiness in his tone.

“I'll have to get serious about everyone's training regiment when we get back,” Laika said. “To make up for what we missed.”

“Can't wait to go back to a stuffy office,” Meijin griped.

“Personally, I'm excited to head back and try some of my ideas out,” Netto said. “The thought of a possible breakthrough has got me so riled up, I don't know if I'll be able to sleep.”

“You'll be fine,” Rockman said. “Trust me.”

“What about you, Saki?” Taka asked. “Don't you have work when you get back?”

“Yeah,” Saki said glumly. “I still have to help out at the beach shack. And I have evening shifts at Argenterie.”

“You're _still_ working there?!” Netto asked. “Ugh, just quit working at that place already!”

“The tips are good!” Saki said stubbornly.

“You're going to spend lots of time with Michi-chan, right?” Taka asked.

“Of course I am,” Saki said. “She's on summer break right now, and I promised that I'd spend lots of time with her over the summer. I'm not going to break my promise.”

“You'd better not,” Taka threatened. “Or I'll come and steal Michi-chan away, and she can be _my_ little sister!”

“No way!” Saki growled. “Besides, you're not big brother material!”

“I take offense to that!” Taka said.

“Taka is _clearly_ a little brother,” Netto said. “He's got all the qualities of one!”

“I have to agree,” Enzan said. “I don't have siblings, but even I can tell that Taka is a little brother type.”

“He's certainly as obnoxious as a little brother would be,” Laika said.

Taka whined loudly. “Stop picking on me!”

“There's nothing wrong with being a little brother,” Meijin said reassuringly. “After all, you get to look cute and use it to have your way in an argument!”

“Weaponized cute,” Saki said. “Yeah, I've been the victim of that before.”

Netto tilted his head. “Hey, speaking of little brothers, how's our pet project coming along, Enzan?”

“It's getting there,” Enzan promised. “I've been finishing up the last of the coding in between clients.”

“Nice!” Netto said, giving Enzan a thumbs up. “I'm pretty close on my end too. I just have to tweak a few last-minute things.”

Saki gave Enzan and Netto a curious look. “What are you two up to?”

Netto put a finger to his lips and smiled. “It's a secret~! But I promise you'll get to see it when it's all done.”

“Ooh, I love surprises!” Taka said, clapping his hands together.

“It'll be the best surprise ever!” Netto promised. 

“Just don't overwork yourselves,” Saki said, concerned. “You've already got a lot on your plates as it is.”

“Don't worry, we've got it under control!” Netto reassured Saki.

“Hopefully, there will be a break in this heat soon,” Meijin said. “I've been up to my neck with helping Doctor Hikari fine-tune the Dimensional Area. Once everything's in place, we can resume the testing.”

“I'll probably end up leaving most of it up to you and Dad,” Netto said, his voice sad.

“You don't have anything to worry about,” Meijin said. “Just focus on the things that you can do for now.”

“I almost forgot what it's like to Cross Fuse,” Taka said. “I can't wait until we can start practicing again.”

“Me too,” Saki said. “With all the training me and Zer0 have been doing, we're bound to see a difference.”

“Don't slack off now, just because you've made some progress,” Enzan warned.

“Wouldn't dream of it,” Saki said.

“I hope this isn't the last fun thing we do this summer,” Taka said wistfully.

“It probably won't,” Netto said. “Summer's only just getting started!”

“We might not be able to come back here, but we can always go to the beach closer to home,” Saki said. “And there's probably going to be all kinds of festivals and events in the next few months.”

“Ahh~! I can't wait!” Taka cried gleefully.

“I know, let's make a promise!” Netto said. “Let's promise to make even more summer memories with each other!” He held out his hand. “As a team. And as friends.”

“That's so sappy!” Saki teased. But he put his hand on top of Netto's anyway. “But I want to keep making memories too.”

“I'm in!” Taka said, practically slapping his hand down on top of Saki's. “Whenever, wherever! I'll be there in a flash, ready to have buckets of fun!”

Enzan put his hand down on top of Taka's. “I can't always be ready at a moment's notice,” he said, “But I'll do my best.”

Laika hesitantly put his hand on top of Enzan's. “Look,” he said. “I'm not really into this super friendly dynamic, but...it can't hurt to have fun every now and then.”

Meijin put his hand down on the top of the pile. “I'm always up for a good time. Count me in.”

Netto laughed. “Then it's settled! We're going to make even more memories this summer!”

Everyone raised their hands into the air, and laughter broke out. It was an almost giddy atmosphere, and Saki couldn't help but smile.

“I don't know why,” he said, “But I have a good feeling about the rest of this year.”


	21. A Hair-Raising Experience

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Saki makes a promise to Michi to spend more time together with her, and Madoi asks for help with a small problem

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> _I want to apologize for how long it took for this chapter to go up. Not only was I incredibly busy the week before getting ready for my wife's birthday party this last Saturday, but we ended up going to the hospital a few times earlier this week because she developed an abscess in her inner ear. As a result, it was very hard for me to sit down and do any writing, and I was kind of exhausted when I did. I finally was able to finish the end of the chapter today, so I might end up holding off writing and publishing another chapter until two weeks from now. Don't worry: I have no intentions of stopping! Things are already going back to normal, so hopefully my schedule will too._

It was late afternoon when Saki finally got back from his trip to the beach house. Upon entering the house, Michi immediately ran to meet him, and threw her arms around his waist.

“Welcome home!” she cried happily.

“Thank you!” Saki said, patting Michi's head. “What a warm welcome! You must have missed me.”

Michi looked up into Saki's face. “I did.”

Saki felt a little guilty. “I'm sorry that I couldn't take you with me.”

Michi shook her head. “It's okay, I understand. It was for your job.”

 _Even though, in the end, no actual training was done_ , Saki thought bitterly.

Michi finally let Saki go, and he entered the apartment, heading to the bedroom to put his things away.

“Were you a good girl, and made sure to listen to Mom while I was gone?” Saki asked.

Michi nodded. “Uh-huh! I also made sure to keep the house tidy, and helped Mamma with dinner.”

Saki gave Michi a thumbs up. “Good job!”

As Saki unpacked his bag and threw his dirty clothes in the laundry basket, Michi sat next to him, and started asking him questions about his trip.

“Was it nice?” she asked.

Saki nodded. “It was! The area we went to was really clean and quiet, and the weather was perfect the whole trip.”

Michi sighed. “I wish I could have seen it.”

Saki felt even more guilty, and stopped talking. Michi, however, continued to ask Saki questions.

“Did you go anywhere besides the beach?” she asked.

“There was a hot spring...” Saki said.

“A hot spring!” Michi said, her eyes widening. “That must have been nice!”

“We'll all have to go to a hot spring one day,” Saki said. “There's apparently a good one in Yokayoka.”

Michi nodded enthusiastically. “I bet Mamma would really love it.”

“It'd be really great for her hip,” Saki added.

Michi rocked back and forth a little, smiling. “Our list of things to do and see one day keeps getting bigger! I get excited thinking about them!”

“We'll definitely do them all one day,” Saki promised.

“Speaking of things we have to do,” said Michi, giving Saki a serious look, “You promised that we'd go to the beach this summer.”

Saki gently slapped his forehead, pretending to have forgotten. “Ahh, you're so right! I suppose I'll have to organize that trip next.”

“Yippee!” Michi said, throwing her hands into the air excitedly. “The beach, the beach!”

“I'll talk to Mom, and see what days she's free,” Saki said. “And then I'll try to arrange for that day off of work.”

“I wanna play in the ocean!” Michi said. “And I wanna build a _huge_ sand castle, and eat ice cream!”

“The shack at the beach has shaved ice,” Saki said. “We could—”

Saki paused, mid sentence. _Oh no, I should probably send them a message, and let them know that I'm back from my trip_.

“What's wrong?” Michi asked.

“I just remembered that I need to send a few emails,” Saki admitted. “But it can wait until I'm done unpacking.”

“Okay,” Michi said. 

Saki smiled at Michi. “You know, we could walk down to the convenience store after this, and get some ice cream. Does that sound good?”

“Yeah!” Michi cheered, and then giggled happily.

 _I have to be better about making good memories with Michi_ , Saki thought. _She spends so much time by herself most of the year, and summer is one of the few times that we can spend all day together. Besides, if I didn't make an effort, Taka and the others would get mad at me_.

After he finished unpacking his bag, Saki quickly sent an email to both Sato-san and Madoi, letting them know that he was back. After that, he shoved his PET back into his pocket, threw on his shoes, and exited the house with Michi for an expedition to the convenience store to buy ice cream.

“What kinds of things do you want to do this summer?” Saki asked.

Michi seemed to think about this for a while. “Well, I definitely want to go to the beach. Maybe the amusement park? Oh, and I want to see fireworks!”

“Mmm, all very good summer activities,” Saki said. “Anything else?”

Michi squeezed her eyes shut as she thought hard. “I want...I want to tell ghost stories with you, big brother!”

“Ghost stories?!” Saki asked. “Won't you be scared, Michi?”

She shook her head. “Not if you're there!”

 _She's too cute to say no to_ , Saki thought. _Even if I'm not a fan of ghost stories myself. Maybe that event at the beach would be a good story to tell..._

“We'll have to invite more people if we're going to tell ghost stories,” Saki said.

“Let's invite everyone!” Michi said.

“Who's 'everyone'?” Saki asked.

“Rika-chan and Hana-chan and Ken-kun, and all your friends from work!” Michi said. “And also that nice man who gave you your Navi!”

“Meijin-san?” Saki asked.

“We need lots of people,” Michi said seriously, “So everyone has to come.”

“Maybe I'll ask them sometime,” Saki said. “But I don't know if they'll all say yes.”

The siblings walked hand-in-hand for a while. Finally, Saki broke the silence.

“Why did you suggest telling ghost stories?” Saki asked.

Michi squeezed Saki's hand a little. “Well...it's because I wanted to become brave.”

“I think you're already very brave,” Saki said.

Michi shook her head. “My friend says that I should get stronger, so I thought that if I became braver, I could get stronger too. And then I wouldn't have to rely on you and Mamma anymore.”

Saki gave Michi a bemused smile. “It's okay to rely on us, Michi. We're your family, and that's what family is for.”

“I know,” Michi said.

Saki stopped walking, and knelt down to be eye level with Michi. “You know, we put a lot of responsibility on you, and it's not right.” He held her hands in his own, and gave them a squeeze. “We leave you all alone while we're off working, and that's not good.”

Michi slowly shook her head. “It's okay. I know you and Mamma work very hard, and that if you didn't, things would be very hard. That's why I have to take care of the house while you're away.”

Saki felt his heart breaking. Michi was so strong and brave, and did more than she should ever have to.

“But you're eight,” Saki insisted. “And it's not good to leave someone your age all by yourself.”

“I can go to my friend's houses after school,” Michi said. “And I don't mind being alone sometimes. Besides, I can message people online with the computer or my PET, so I can always have someone to talk to.”

Saki sighed. “Michi, I want to make you a promise, okay? And you know I always try to keep my promises.”

Michi nodded.

“I promise that I'm going to try harder to be at home more, so that you're not always by yourself.”

Michi seemed uncertain. “What about your jobs?”

“I can always talk to them, and try to get less shifts,” Saki said. “It's not a problem. I just want to make sure you aren't always by yourself.”

Michi shifted from foot to foot, biting her lip. Finally, she nodded to Saki.

“Okay. If you promise it won't be any trouble, I guess it's okay. I'd like it if you home more often.”

“Done,” Saki said. He gave Michi's hand a firm shake, and then stood up. “Now, let's go get ice cream!”

Happily, Michi skipped down the sidewalk, and began singing the theme song to The Pink Princess, with Saki joining in on the chorus. They finished the song just as they reached the convenience store, and they both let out a boisterous laugh.

“What flavor of ice cream do you want?” Saki asked as they walked inside, and made their way to the ice cream freezer.

“Garigari-kun!” Michi said enthusiastically.

“I want that one too!” Saki said happily, pulling out two wrapped popsicles. They paid for their treats, and then went outside to enjoy them. Saki helped Michi unwrap her bright blue popsicle before opening his own. The bold soda taste of Saki's popsicle made him particularly nostalgic.

 _I think me and Mom and Dad used to get these every summer_ , Saki recalled. _Even after Dad died, Mom and I would always find time to take Michi to get one of these. It just wouldn't be summer without one_.

The PET in Saki's pocket beeped, breaking through Saki's thoughts. He pulled it out, and saw he had a new email. Saki read over the message, which was from Madoi, that read:

 _Glad you made it back safely. Business has been booming, and we're constantly swamped with orders. Great for business, bad for us._ (´；д；`) 

Saki quickly typed a reply. _Sorry to hear that!_

A few moments later, there was a response. _We'll live! But you probably haven't heard the weird rumor then, since you were gone and all._

Saki frowned. _Weird rumor?_ he typed.

 _Yeah!_ came Madoi's reply. _Apparently, strange things have been happening at the main store. The lights come on at odd hours, and people who pass by say that they hear weird noises coming from inside._

“That does seem rather strange,” Zer0 said.

“Yeah,” Saki agreed. He typed a response. _Sounds kind of spooky._

 _It sure is!_ Madoi's reply read. _We've been so busy, we haven't had time to look into it. I just hope nothing's broken!_

“She's pretty calm, considering what's been happening,” Saki said. “But then again, it might be something as simple as a power surge. It's the summer, after all, and the heat does bad things to electrical wires.”

 _I guess you'll have to make time to check it out_ , Saki typed. _If it's bad wiring, you'll have to take care of that before it starts a fire._

A few minutes passed before Saki got a reply from Madoi.

_It might even be someone—or something—in the Network. At least we have experience with that kind of thing, so it wouldn't be a problem, but in the event that it isn't..._

Saki put his PET back in his pocket. He didn't feel like continuing the conversation. Instead, he turned to look at Michi, who was mostly done with her popsicle.

“Is it good?” he asked.

Michi nodded, grinning. “Thank you, big brother!”

Saki smiled back. “Once we're done, we can go home.”

“Can we buy snacks?” Michi asked.

Saki gave his bank account a quick glance. “I guess we could grab a few things.”

“Can we buy some ice cream for Mamma too?” Michi asked.

Saki chuckled. “I was just thinking that we should. She'd get mad at us if she found out we got ice cream and didn't bring her back something too.”

Michi giggled. “She'd say, 'Grahhhh! Where's my ice cream?!'” Michi lifted her hands and curled her fingers to resemble claws.

Saki laughed. “Mom sure gets grumpy when we don't share our sweets with her, huh?”

“I shall remember to pay her proper tribute in the future,” Zer0 said gravely.

Saki smiled, and went to take a bite of his popsicle, but before he could, his PET beeped again. He pulled it out, and quickly read over the email he'd just received.

_Hey, so, no one else is available to help me look at the store, so could you come by around eight? I don't wanna go by myself, in case something goes wrong. See you there!_

Saki's teeth snapped angrily through his popsicle. It wasn't as though Madoi was asking if he was available, or wanted to give her a hand, it was just her telling him to be there because no one else would. How nice it was to be the last resort.

Michi noticed Saki grumbling, and looked at him with a concerned expression. “Are you okay?”

Saki forced himself to smile. There was no sense in ruining the mood. “It's nothing, I'll tell you later.”

Michi didn't seem to be convinced, but she didn't try to press the issue either. Saki finished the rest of his popsicle quickly, feeling slightly irritated.

_Now I have to think of how to tell Michi that I have to go to Akihara tonight, which sucks, especially after I promised that I'd spend more time with her!_

The siblings bought a few snacks, and another popsicle for Keiko, and then set off for home. Michi held Saki's hand, and gave it a squeeze every now and then, as if reassuring him that everything was okay.

Once they were inside the apartment, and Keiko's popsicle was safely tucked away in the freezer, Saki took Michi aside and broke the bed news to her.

“You know how I said I'd be spending more time here with you?” Saki asked.

Michi frowned. “You have to break your promise, don't you.”

Saki put up his hands in a pleading motion. “One of my coworkers told me I have to come to work tonight and help fix a problem with the store. I didn't get a say in the matter.”

Michi sighed, as if she was relieved. “Is that all?”

Saki felt confused. “I thought you'd be more upset.”

Michi shook her head. “You said you didn't get a say. And it'll only be tonight, won't it?”

“Yeah,” Saki said, “Hopefully.”

Michi swung her arms back and forth. “So what's the thing you have to fix?”

“There's been lights coming on while no one is there, and people are hearing some strange noises,” Saki explained.

Michi's eyes widened. “What if it's a ghost?”

Saki laughed nervously. “It's probably not a ghost, Michi. Besides, this all started within the last few days, so it's more likely that it's just an electrical problem.”

“But it _might_ be a ghost!” Michi insisted.

“It's not a ghost,” Saki said firmly.

“I am inclined to agree with Saki on this one,” Zer0 said. “It is highly unlikely that a spirit is at fault in this situation.”

Michi crossed her arms and pouted. “I want to go with you.”

“Huh?” Saki said.

“I want to go with you,” Michi repeated.

“Absolutely not,” Saki said. “It might be dangerous, and besides, we'll be out passed your bedtime. Mom would have a fit.”

“But...” Michi seemed desperate, for some reason. “But I really want to see the ghost! If I do, maybe I can get braver!”

Saki gave a deep sigh. “I told you, it's fine. You don't have to try and force yourself to get braver or stronger. You're fine the way you are now.”

Michi didn't seem satisfied. She flopped over onto the table they were sitting at, and sighed. Saki did his best not to cave and let Michi have her way.

“Come on,” Saki urged, “Let's drop the subject. How about we watch something on television and eat snacks instead?”

“I wanna go with you tonight,” Michi stubbornly insisted.

“Michi, please understand,” Saki said gently. “I have to say no because it's not a good idea. It isn't because I'm being mean or unreasonable. I'm just concerned for you.”

Michi continued to sulk.

Feeling defeated, Saki left Michi alone for a while, and sent Taka an email about his troubles. After a few minutes, Taka responded.

 _I don't see why you couldn't just take her with you_ , he wrote. _She's a big girl, and you're just going to check on the wiring. I doubt anything bad will happen. Besides, once she sees how boring it all is, she'll realize you were right all along._

Saki frowned. Taka was probably the last person he should have asked for advice from. He typed out a few more emails, and sent them off to Netto and Enzan, hoping they would have better suggestions.

 _Michi's too young to be taken to potentially haunted spots_ , Netto wrote. _I mean, wait a few years before running her through a test of courage. Also, bring a camera._

Saki rolled his eyes at Netto's lame attempts at humor. Still, Netto had agreed with Saki that taking Michi out was a bad idea, so there was that.

 _I would advise against exposing your sister to potential danger_ , Enzan's email read. _In the event of a fire or something similar, it would be better for her to be safe at home, rather than potentially in the way._

Saki pinched the bridge of his nose. While Enzan was correct, his response was so sterile and professional that it came off as cold.

 _I'm glad that most of them think I'm in the right by not taking her with me_ , Saki thought. _I just wish she could see things the way I do._

Glancing over at Michi, Saki could tell that she'd calmed down again, and was casually munching on some chips while watching the television. For the moment, things seemed to have resolved themselves.

Everything was fine for the rest of the afternoon. Saki and Michi watched a few programs while eating their snacks. Keiko eventually got up, and left for work directly after dinner. As Saki was cleaning up the dishes, he glanced at the clock and realized that he would also have to leave soon.

Michi must have realized this too, because she suddenly wrapped her arms around Saki's waist and refused to let go.

“Umm, Michi?” Saki asked. “Can you let me go, please?”

“No,” she said stubbornly.

Saki pursed his lips. He didn't want to keep fighting with Michi about this, but if he didn't do something, she wouldn't let go and he'd end up running really late.

“Michi,” Saki said, “I know you really want to come with me, but I really can't take you.”

In response, Michi clung to him even tighter.

“I don't know what might happen when we get there,” Saki continued. “There might be an electrical fire, or there might be something dangerous in the shop. I don't know what might happen. And I don't want you to get hurt.”

“I won't get hurt,” Michi said in a small voice.

“We don't know that for sure,” Saki said. He tried to gently pry Michi's arms off of him, but she shrugged him off, and continued to cling tightly. Sensing that Michi would not yield, Saki changed tactics.

“Why do you want to go with me?” Saki asked.

Michi hesitated. She seemed to struggle with her words for a while, but eventually told Saki, “I want to go because you're going. I want to stay with you.”

Saki's shoulders sagged. He felt even worse about forcing Michi to stay home, but he knew it was the right thing to do.

“I don't want to leave you by yourself either,” Saki said. “Especially after I promised you that I wouldn't do that as much.”

Michi looked up at Saki with a miserable expression. “I know that you have to work, and that it's very important. But...I don't like it. I try to be a good girl, and do my best to take care of the house, but I really don't want you to go.”

Saki patted Michi's head. “You're allowed to be upset, Michi. It's not fair to be left all alone all the time. Me and Mom aren't very good adults for always leaving you here by yourself.”

“But I understand,” Michi said. “That's why I don't want to complain.”

Saki knelt down to look Michi in the eye, and put his hands on her shoulders. “Michi, just because you understand or feel obligated to be good and stay home doesn't mean you aren't allowed to complain. We'll always listen to you when you want to voice your opinion.”

Michi bit her lip. “Then...I don't want to stay home. I want to go with you.”

It was at this point that Saki knew that he'd been defeated. He couldn't bring himself to tell Michi to stay at home, and he knew she probably wouldn't listen to him if he did.

“Even if it might be dangerous?” Saki asked. “Even if you're up past your bedtime?”

Michi nodded firmly. “I want to go.”

Saki sighed. Standing up again, Saki took Michi by the hand.

“Okay then, we'll go together. But you have to promise me that you won't wander off, and that you'll do what I tell you to do. Understood?”

Beaming, Michi nodded. “I promise!”

 _This is a terrible idea_ , Saki thought. _And I don't think this is going to go well, but I've made my bed and now I'm going to have to lie in it_.

***

Madoi stared at Saki as he approached Maha Ichiban. Gesturing to Michi, she asked, “What's this?”

“My sister,” Saki explained. “She absolutely refused to be left at home, so I brought her with me.”

Sighing, Madoi massaged her temple. “Whatever, as long as she doesn't cause any trouble.”

“I won't,” Michi said. “I promise.”

Madoi waved off Michi's words. “Anyway, I'm glad you're here now. The sooner I get this over with, the sooner I can go home and get my beauty sleep.”

“Why isn't Maha here?” Saki asked. “Isn't this his store?”

“He told me to deal with it for him,” Madoi said, clearly irritated. “Said that he was too busy managing the other location. And don't even get me started on Hinoken.”

“It sounds more like everyone was trying to pass the responsibility off to someone else,” Saki said.

“You think?” Madoi replied sharply. “I would have done the same, honestly.”

 _None of them are fit to run a business_ , Saki thought.

“Anyway,” Madoi said, taking on a more serious tone, “According to some eye witnesses, the shop's lights have been turning on at night, even though the store is closed. On top of that, they also reported strange noises coming from inside. My best guess is that someone's been sneaking in and causing some kind of trouble.”

“Or it's a ghost,” Michi suggested.

Madoi narrowed her eyes at Michi. “Kid, ghosts aren't real.”

“Yes they are,” Michi insisted. “Big brother says that he's seen them befo—”

Saki quickly put his hand over Michi's mouth. Thankfully, Madoi didn't seem to hear Michi's statement.

“Let's head inside, and see if we can figure out what's been going on,” Madoi said, pulling out her keys. She led Saki and Michi around to the alley, where the back door to the restaurant was located. After a moment of fiddling with the lock, Madoi managed to get the door open, and the three of them peered into the dark store. From where they stood, nothing seemed out of place. Slowly, they entered the restaurant, looking around for signs of an intruder.

“Where's the damn light switch?” Madoi asked, fumbling in the dark. After a moment, all the lights in the room came on.

“Looks like you found it,” Saki said. He turned to look at Madoi, and found her frozen, her hand three feet from the light switch. She slowly turned her head to look at Saki, her eyes wide and her face pale.

“I...didn't turn it on,” she said.

Immediately, the hairs on the back of Saki's neck stood straight up. Michi's hand gripped Saki's a little tighter.

“I'm sure it's nothing,” Saki said, not feeling very confident in his own words.

Rather than answering, Madoi turned away, and started examining the room, which Saki knew was where all the extra non-perishable food and supplies were kept. As far as Saki could tell, everything was still in its place: piles of boxes were stacked up near the door, and against one wall were several large bags of rice piled on a set of metal shelves that also held large tubs of spices and flour, boxes of potatoes, and extra dishes. Against the other wall was the large fridge that held perishables. There wasn't anywhere to hide in the small, crowded room, and Saki felt confident that no one was in there with them.

“Maybe we should check the rest of the rooms,” Saki said.

Madoi didn't seem excited by the prospect of going further into the restaurant, but she nodded and walked towards the door. Saki, tightly holding Michi's hand, followed close behind her.

After walking through the door, they could see the vague outlines of the tables in the seating area, as well as the doorway that led to the kitchen on their right, and the door to the break room on their left.

“It's dark,” Michi whispered.

As if in response, the lights in the rest of the restaurant flickered on. Madoi jumped a little, and groped for Saki's arm.

“You okay, Michi?” Saki asked.

“Yes,” Michi said in a small voice. She gave Saki's hand a small squeeze.

“I swear, I'm going to figure out who's doing this, and let 'em have it,” Madoi growled.

After everyone had settled down, Saki made the suggestion to check the break room. He reasoned that it only had one door, and didn't have any windows, making it hard to get in and out of without being seen. Madoi agreed, and everyone prepared to go inside. As she slowly turned the doorknob, no one made a sound. Saki caught himself holding his breath. Finally, Madoi gathered her courage, and pushed the door open.

There was no one in the break room. Everyone let out a collective breath.

Michi looked around the room. “No ghost here.”

“There's no ghost in the building,” Saki said, feeling a little more confident. “It's probably just faulty wiring.”

“Kind of too convenient to be faulty wiring,” Madoi said. 

Saki looked up as the light in the break room flickered. However, it stopped just as suddenly as it started, and the room was brightly lit once more.

Madoi tapped on the lockers, peering through the grates of the doors, as if looking to see if anyone was hiding inside. Michi looked under the table, and Saki checked behind the door. But there wasn't anyone else in the break room with them.

“We could check the kitchen,” Madoi said, but she seemed hesitant.

“I'll go,” Michi said.

“Let's all go,” Saki hastily suggested.

As they stepped into the small hallway once more, Madoi tugged anxiously on Saki's arm. He stopped, and Madoi put a finger to her lips. After a moment, Saki realized why. Faintly, he heard music playing through the restaurant's speakers.

“Was that always on?” Saki asked in a whisper.

Madoi shook her head. “No way. We always turn everything off before we leave for the night.”

Saki glanced down at Michi, who looked up at Saki with a worried expression. He smiled reassuringly at her before looking at Madoi again.

“Where's the music coming from?” Saki asked.

“The controls are in the break room,” Madoi said.

Saki tried to ignore the hairs on his neck standing up again. He turned his focus to the kitchen instead. Pushing aside the curtain, Saki stepped into the room, and carefully surveyed the space for anything suspicious. Thankfully, there didn't seem to be anything strange. His eyes scanned the counters and the stove, but nothing seemed to be out of place. Slowly, Saki approached the fridge, and he reached for the handle. His hand came to rest on the smooth, cold bar, and he paused for a moment. Then, with a quick motion, he tugged the fridge door open. Cold air spilled out, but there was nothing inside besides a few leftover vegetables.

Madoi sighed. “I didn't really think anyone would be hiding inside the fridge, but...”

Saki closed the refrigerator door. “It seems to be working fine.” He walked back over to Michi, and took her hand again. “Should we look somewhere else?”

“The only places left to look are the seating area and the bathrooms,” Madoi said.

“There are quite a few tables and booths in the seating area,” Saki said. “We should check those, just in case.”

The three of them checked all the tables in the restaurant, making sure no one was under any of them. When they had exhausted their options, they turned their focus to the bathrooms.

“No way,” Madoi said. “There's no way anyone would be in there.”

“We still have to look,” Saki said.

With confidence, Saki pushed open the door to the men's room, and looked around. There was a single urinal on the wall, and next to it was a stall. Saki walked over, and pushed open the stall door. As he had suspected, the stall was completely empty, save for the toilet. As he walked back towards the door, Saki looked under the counter, but didn't see anyone. Confident that the bathroom was clear, he walked back outside.

“No one's in there,” Saki said.

Madoi looked at the door to the ladies room with trepidation, and Saki sighed loudly before pushing it open. Just like the men's side, there was no one to be seen. Saki checked both stalls, just to be certain.

“No ghost in here either,” Michi said.

“This is starting to freak me out,” Madoi muttered.

“It's obviously not a break-in,” Saki said. “I still think it's the wiring.”

“It could still be a ghost,” Michi said.

Saki opened his mouth to say something, but just then the music became incredibly loud and broke down into screeching distortion. Saki flinched at the painful sound, and both girls shrieked shrilly. Michi grabbed Saki's hand, and Madoi grabbed Saki's arm. For a moment, Saki thought he heard a sound in the distortion that sounded like a furious howl of rage, but a few seconds later, the noise stopped altogether. The restaurant became deathly silent.

“Auugh, I don't like this!” Madoi wailed. “Damn Hinoken for ditching me!”

“Calm down,” Saki said firmly, even though his knees were shaking slightly. “Let's check the other rooms one more time. We might have missed something.”

Madoi whimpered, but Saki started walking towards the kitchen, dragging her along with him. As he glanced inside, Madoi hid her face in Saki's shoulder.

“See?” he said reassuringly. “Nothing here. Everything's fine.”

Madoi started to lift her head. “Yeah?”

“Yeah,” Saki said.

A moment later, every single appliance in the kitchen went off all at once. The stove timer buzzed loudly, the blender roared to life, the electric kettle let out a shrill whistle, and a crackle of energy passed from light to light, sending out a shower of sparks.

Michi jumped behind Saki, and Madoi screamed. Thinking quickly, Saki herded the others into the seating area, and they huddled together near one of the tables. Saki tried to catch his breath, but a moment later another arc of electricity passed between the lights overhead, and a shower of sparks rained down, this time on top of them. Saki instinctively shielded Michi from harm, and Madoi began to scream again before she threw herself under the table, crying hysterically. The lights flickered wildly, and as another surge of electricity arced between the lights, Saki thought he saw a form in it for a brief second. Whatever this was, it certainly wasn't natural.

“Big brother!” Michi sobbed.

“It's okay, Michi, I'm here,” he told her. “I'll protect you.”

Michi clung to Saki tighter, and buried her face in his stomach.

 _Is it really a ghost though?_ Saki thought frantically. _If that is the case, then I can't really do anything at all_.

“Saki!” Zer0 yelled, cutting through the din and Saki's thoughts.

“Zer0!” Saki yelled back, relieved to hear his friend's voice.

“There is something inside the Network,” Zer0 said.

 _The Network! Of course!_ Saki felt stupid for not thinking of it sooner. _It might be a virus!_

“I am going to confront whatever it may be,” Zer0 said.

“I'll back you up from here,” Saki said, pulling up his display and loading his chips. As Zer0 plugged into the Network, Saki thought he heard Colorman trying desperately to calm Madoi down.

 _I probably shouldn't expect any backup from Madoi_ , Saki thought.

As Zer0 materialized in the restaurant's Network, Saki was finally able to see what had been causing all of the commotion. He didn't know what he had been expecting, but it certainly hadn't been an out of control Navi. The figure was tall, and arcs of electricity flickered from the tips of their fingers and between the large generator prongs on their back. As they turned to look at Zer0, Saki could see that their eyes were blank, white orbs. Chills ran up and down Saki's spine. 

Madoi slowly leaned out from under the table, her eyes fixed on Saki's screen. “That's...!” She pointed at the Navi, her mouth agape. 

“You know that Navi?” Saki asked.

“That's Elecman...!” Madoi said. “But what's he doing here...?”

Michi lifted her head, and looked at the screen. She seemed relieved. “It's not a ghost?”

“No,” Saki said reassuringly. “Not a ghost. Just a Navi.”

“But he shouldn't _be_ here,” Madoi muttered frantically under her breath. “He should be in Kingland, with the Electels—!”

Saki and Zer0 watched Elecman for a moment, waiting to see what he would do. When the Navi didn't move, Zer0 took a step towards him, his hand raised to show that he meant no harm.

“Are you well?” Zer0 asked. “Shall I assist you?”

In response, Elecman let out an inhuman howl, one that distorted harshly and became a glitching mess of sound. Michi slapped her hands over her ears, and Saki winced. He felt as though a bucket of ice water had been dumped over his head, and the sound of Elecman's scream pierced his heart, filling him with terror.

“He is filled with revenge,” Zer0 said, sounding sad. “I can feel his overwhelming hatred and frustration. Perhaps he has come in search of vengeance.”

“Well, we certainly can't let him continue to go crazy,” Saki said. “If it's a fight he wants, then it's a fight he'll get.”

Zer0 drew his saber, and took a fighting stance. Elecman let out another piercing, distorted howl and the entire field crackled with electrical currents that danced as he screamed.

“This isn't going to be easy,” Saki warned.

“No, I do not believe it will be,” Zer0 agreed. “But we must do something to stop him, lest he causes even more damage.”

Without warning, Elecman hurled a ball of electricity at Zer0, who managed to deflect it at the last second. However, the ball swung around and smashed into Zer0's back. He cried out and crumpled to his knees.

“Zer0!” Saki yelled.

After a moment, Zer0 pushed himself to his feet. “I am uninjured,” he said. “I was simply not expecting such an attack.”

“It's almost like he can freely manipulate the energy to his will,” Saki said. “Changing the direction of his attacks, manipulating the shape of the electrical currents...dodging him will be incredibly difficult.”

Zer0 nodded. “Then perhaps I must abandon all pretense of defense, and attack him head-on.”

“I'll back you up,” Saki said. “Just be careful.”

Zer0 charged in, determined to land a hit. At Elecman's will, lightning fell from the sky, crashing around Zer0 as he nimbly raced across the field. A few of the blast of lightning struck the ground so close to Zer0, in fact, that small arcs of energy crackled around the Navi for a second before disappearing. As Zer0 closed the gap between himself and Elecman, energy began to converge in Elecman's hands, and Saki sensed a big attack coming.

“Shield!” Saki loaded the chip a split second before the attack connected. Despite this, the blast of electricity was too powerful for the flimsy shield to absorb, and it shattered. The attack surged on, connecting with Zer0, and flinging him halfway across the field.

Saki's limbs twitched like crazy. He fought to maintain motor control as he sorted through his chips, looking for something else to help him. Zer0 pushed himself back to his feet.

“It almost feels as though I am fighting the forces of nature themselves,” he said, grinning as he readied his sword. “There is no elegance to his strikes. Rather, he lashes out in wild fury. A force that cannot be contained. It is exhilarating.”

“I'm glad you're having fun,” Saki said, loading up a healing chip. “But you can't afford to take another hit like that. And the Shield chip isn't enough to stop it, so I don't have another way of protecting you if it happens again.”

“Understood,” Zer0 said. “I will be more careful on my next charge.”

Elecman let out another roar, and the lights in the seating area flickered wildly. Saki did his best to focus, even as the girls screamed again. As the roar died off, Elecman called down the lightning once more, and Zer0 darted around each blast as he raced towards him, intent on landing a solid hit. This time, the currents of lighting around the field seemed to reach out and try to grab Zer0 as he ran, and Zer0 frowned, pausing to unleash a blast of fire with Shoenzan to clear them away before advancing once more. While Zer0 was preoccupied with the electrical currents, Elecman had formed a blade of electricity in his hand, and charged Zer0, swinging wildly. Zer0 managed to parry the first few hits, and then Elecman raised his blade high, attempting to bring it down on Zer0. Having predicted this, however, Zer0 unleashed Gokumonken, and countered Elecman hard enough to shatter his blade and send him stumbling backwards.

“Nice!” Saki cheered.

Rather than collapse, however, Elecman simply grew angrier. He unleashed a blast of electricity around him, and Zer0, caught up in the surge, cried out in pain. Saki's body twitched wildly, and sparks filled his field of vision. He gritted his teeth, and hung on, trying to load a healing chip in the process.

“Such power...!” Zer0 gasped as he broke free, stumbling to safety a few feet away. “I can barely withstand it!”

“Yeah, but he seems to be lashing out wildly,” Saki said. 

“It only proves that he is truly mad with rage,” Zer0 said. “Rather than making him less of a threat, it only serves to make him far more dangerous.”

“Elecman isn't usually like this,” Madoi said, now on her feet. “Normally, he's a lot more calculated, and plans his strikes carefully in battle. I'm not even sure this _is_ Elecman!”

“Is Zer0 going to be okay?” Michi asked, her voice trembling slightly.

“He's going to be fine,” Saki said. “Just watch.”

Determination burned in Zer0's eyes as he got to his feet again. Elecman began to charge up another attack, but Zer0 knew better than to take it head on. He rolled out of the way, and sprang back to his feet, charging in with his sword raised. Elecman raised his arm to block the attack, but Zer0's saber slashed deep, and Elecman gave another piercing howl of pain and rage. Zer0 followed up the attack with Shoenzan, but Elecman reached through the flames with his good arm, and grabbed Zer0's head in his hand, squeezing tightly.

“Oh no you don't,” Saki said, gritting his teeth. He sent Zer0 a Mini Boomer chip, and the Navi threw it into Elecman's face. He cried out, and let go of Zer0, who used the cloud of smoke the bomb created to retreat. Elecman swung his arms wildly, scattering the smoke, and the electrical field became even more intense. Bolts of lightning crashed down from the sky, and Zer0 did his best to avoid them.

“What's it going to take to stop him?!” Saki said.

All at once, Zer0 stopped dead in his tracks. He looked up at the sky, his eyes widening, and Saki briefly wondered if Zer0 had given up.

“An epiphany,” Zer0 whispered.

As lightning continued to rain down upon the field, and Elecman charged up another blast of electricity, Zer0 slowly raised his sword to the sky, an intense expression on his face. And as if summoned, a bolt of lightning roared down from the sky like a dragon, and struck the saber. Incredibly, the blade seemed to trap the energy within it, and the white-hot electricity crackled furiously as Zer0 leveled his sword and prepared to strike.

Elecman unleashed his blast of electricity, and Zer0 let out a battle cry before plunging in head first. His electrified blade cut through the blast as though it were water parting for a boulder, and Zer0's sword struck true, burying itself in Elecman's chest.

The electricity on the field danced for a moment, and then everything became still and silent. Elecman slowly slumped forward, into Zer0's arms. He smiled gently, and then slowly began to break apart into fragments of data that floated off into the sky.

“I shall name this strike 'Raijingeki', in your honor,” Zer0 said quietly. “And I will carry your will with me, so that you may know peace.”

As the last fragments of Elecman's data disappeared, the lights in the restaurant returned to normal, and the appliances in the kitchen became silent. Saki let out a huge sigh of relief.

“He did it!” Michi cheered. “He beat the bad Navi!”

“I was worried for a bit,” Madoi said. “Do you two always cut it so close?”

“He's definitely a lot stronger than anyone we've fought before,” Saki admitted. “Even I was scared for a moment.”

Michi looked at Saki. “So it wasn't a ghost after all.”

Saki scratched his head. “I...guess not.”

Madoi held up her hand. “Well, actually...I'm pretty sure that _was_ a ghost.”

Saki looked at Madoi, thoroughly confused.

“You see, there's a lot of bad stuff on the Internet,” Madoi explained. “There's places like the Undernet, where the scum gather, and the Darkloids, who gorge themselves on dark energy in order to satisfy their insatiable appetites. But some people also say that Navis who get deleted can sometimes haunt the Internet, unable to rest after their horrific experiences, and seek revenge.”

Saki swallowed. “What are you saying? That Elecman we just fought...was a ghost?”

“Probably ghost data, yeah,” Madoi said. “The real Elecman is fine. He was restored from backup data, and went with Jack Electel, one of our old partners, back to Kingland. Haven't seen either of them in years.”

“So there was just...some ghost data wandering around the Internet, seeking revenge?” Saki asked, feeling panic start to grip him. “That's so creepy!”

“You're telling _me_!” Madoi said. “I didn't even know that ghost data was a real thing until today! I thought it was just some stupid rumor made up to scare little kids!”

Michi slowly tilted her head thoughtfully. “So, then, it really _was_ a ghost after all.”

The gears in Saki's head started to click away furiously, and he gave Michi a winning smile. “It sure was! And you faced it without running away! You were _so brave_!”

Michi's face brightened. “I really was, wasn't I?”

“You sure were!” Saki said.

“A whole lot braver than I was,” Madoi admitted.

Michi threw her arms in the air. “I did it! I got a little braver!”

Saki patted Michi's head kindly. “You know what I think? I think that you were always brave, you just didn't realize it until now.”

Michi thought about it a little. “I guess you're right, big brother.”

“Must run in the family,” Madoi said.

“It's possible,” Saki said. “Mom is absolutely fearless.”

Madoi looked around the store, and gave a tired sigh. “Guess that's it then. Time to close up and go home.”

“I've had my fill of ghosts for today,” Saki admitted.

Michi approached Madoi shyly, and smiled up at her. “Thank you for letting me come along. It really meant a lot to me.”

Madoi, flustered, laughed nervously, and then gave Michi a pat on the head.

“Aww, you're welcome, kiddo. Just don't tell anyone else about this, okay? I don't want people to think I like kids or anything.”

“Your secret's safe with me,” Michi promised.

***

“So, how did it go?” Taka asked during his phone call with Saki that night.

“Honestly, it could have gone better,” Saki said. “Scared me a whole lot more than Netto's stupid cave did. And that ghost data we fought is no joke: I really thought Zer0 was going to lose more than once.”

“As far as I know, 'ghost data' is an echo of a Navi's data at the time of it's death,” Taka explained. “Instead of being fully deleted, a part of the data wanders around without direction. It only has basic intelligence, so it can only attack or flee, and some people think that they're more like viruses at that point.”

“Really?” Saki said.

“Yeah, it's a strange phenomenon,” Taka said. “It's a little like having a ghost file on your computer that you can't open or delete: it both exists and doesn't exist.”

“It's still spooky though,” Saki said. “He didn't seem to understand anything we were saying, and it felt like he got stronger the angrier he got.”

“Probably tapping into a Navi's fight or flight response,” Taka guessed. “Like a human, a Navi's potential increases in dire situations. Once it sensed that it was going to be deleted, the ghost data fought as hard as it could to prevent that from happening.”

Saki shook his head. “I'll take your word for it.”

Taka giggled, and then said, “So, I see you ended up taking my advice after all.”

Saki frowned. “Not on purpose. It just ended up working out that way.”

“It just proves that I was on the right track,” Taka said. “You're too overprotective of her, you know. She's growing up while you're not looking.”

Saki growled. “I'm not happy about it.” he sighed. “She's only eight. I just want her to enjoy being a kid for a while longer. I want her to play with her friends and not have to worry about responsibility yet.”

“That's going to mean that you have to change the way you do things,” Taka scolded.

“I know,” Saki said. “I can't believe I got talked into working over the summer.”

“It's because you can't say no to people,” Taka said. “Are you scared that they'll hate you if you put your foot down?”

“No,” Saki said automatically. He paused, and tried to think about how he really felt. “Probably,” he amended.

Taka gave a quiet sigh. “I won't hate you if you told me 'no', and I'm pretty sure everyone else feels the same way.”

“It's not you guys that I'm worried about,” Saki muttered.

“Anyway,” Taka said, “When's your next day off? I want to take you shopping for summer clothes. Maybe I'll get some stuff for Michi too!”

“I don't know,” Saki admitted. “And I'm prioritizing this trip to the beach I promised Michi I'd go on.”

Taka gasped loudly. “I want to come too! Let's all go to the beach together!”

“No,” Saki said flatly.

“We can split a melon, and make sand castles, and I can even teach you how to swim finally!” Taka continued, ignoring Saki.

“I said no,” Saki said, more firmly.

“Why _not?!_ ” Taka whined. 

“Because this is a trip with my _family_ , something I keep promising them and then never getting around to doing,” Saki explained. “I want it to be special, something just for us.”

Taka was quiet for a long moment. “I understand,” he said at last.

“Thank you,” Saki said, relieved that Taka had backed off so easily.

“We already went to the beach together anyway,” Taka said. “I don't need to get greedy.”

Now it was Saki's turn to fall quiet. He suddenly felt guilty for not being able to come over as often as he would have liked, and he knew that Taka was upset about it.

“Hey,” Saki said, “I'm sorry about taking the summer job.”

“You don't have to apologize, I understand why you did,” Taka said. 

“That doesn't make it right,” Saki said.

“Maybe not,” Taka said. “But sometimes, we end up stepping on the feelings of other people in order to protect ourselves. It happens. Sure, it's not always the right thing to do, but sometimes your needs are more important.”

Saki thought about this for a bit. Maybe Taka was right, and maybe he needed to put his own needs first more often. He wondered what that might look like. Would he take more time off? Would he let himself spend more money on himself more often? Maybe he would even do more things that he wanted to do, or had been putting off. But for the moment, he was certain that the best thing to do was focus on his family more.

“How about this,” Taka said, “Let me take you out for lunch the next time we're at the Ministry of Science. If we have time, we can do a little shopping then. But if we don't, that's okay too.”

“That sounds fair,” Saki said.

“Great!” Taka said. “I can't wait!”

Saki paused. “Hey, umm...how do you feel about ghost stories?”

“I don't want anything to do with them,” Taka said irritably.

“Good,” Saki said. “Because Michi was hinting at wanting everyone to get together and tell ghost stories—”

“No way!” Taka interrupted, his voice squeaking with distress. “Not in a million years!”

Saki sighed. “—and I wanted an excuse to tell her that we couldn't do it.”

Taka was silent for a moment before saying, “Oh, good.”

They both fell silent. Nervously, Saki cleared his throat.

“It's still really strange for her to suggest something like that,” Saki said. “She's never liked ghosts or anything horror-related. When I asked her about it, she told me that a friend of hers had told her to 'get stronger' and she thought that she could do that by becoming braver.”

“Ghosts _are_ pretty scary,” Taka said. “It's possible that she thought a test of courage would be the fastest way to get over her fears.”

“I just worry about what kind of friend would put an idea like that into her head,” Saki muttered. “I bet it was Ken-kun. I know for a fact that he's bullied her before.”

“Well, hopefully she'll let go of the idea of a test of courage,” Taka said. “But I still think you should try harder to hang out with her more often.”

“I'm going to,” Saki said. “I plan on getting my shifts reduced.”

Taka laughed. “Just quit already!”

Saki frowned. “Well, _some_ of us have to work in order to have money, not that you'd understand.”

“Rude!” Taka said.

Saki smiled. He could hear Taka pouting on the other end of the call, and it was adorable.

Once he was finished pouting, Taka said, “Summer is pretty short, you know. It flies by before you know it! So don't hesitate to call me if you want to do something fun, okay?”

“I will,” Saki promised.

“Except telling ghost stories,” Taka added.

“I will be sure to inform you immediately of any ghost-free activities,” Saki said, putting a hand to his chest.

“Good!” Taka said.

“Now go to bed,” Saki said. “It's late, and we have to go to the Ministry of Science tomorrow.”

“Sleep is for weaklings!” Taka said. “Who needs sleep when I have energy drinks?”

“Just go to bed!” Saki scolded.

“Yes, yes, whatever you say,” Taka replied flippantly. “As soon as I finish the latest chapter of this fanfic I've been reading.”

Saki sighed. “Don't blame me when you're too tired to function tomorrow.”

“Thank you for worrying about me, but I'll be fine,” Taka replied.

Saki shrugged. It was clear that Taka would never listen to him, and it wasn't his responsibility anyway. Taka could take care of himself.

“Good night, Taka,” said Saki. “See you tomorrow.”

“Good night,” Taka replied.

Saki hung up the call. He knew there was a goofy grin on his face, but he couldn't help himself. Even after the crazy day he'd had, talking to Taka would somehow always lift his spirits.

Suddenly, Saki was really looking forward to the next day.


	22. Meet My Friend

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Tamako runs into Taka and Saki, and introduces them to her friend. At home, Saki learns that Michi has a new friend too...

Despite the heat, training went on as scheduled. Saki did strength training with Laika in the morning and battle training with Enzan in the early afternoon. After lunch, Saki was finally able to get back into the Synchro chamber. It had been several months since he had last been inside, but it felt familiar and comfortable. As he waited for the signal to start, Saki felt a small rush of adrenaline.

“You may begin,” Yuuichirou said over the intercom.

Saki inserted the Synchro Chip into his PET, and a familiar tingle spread down his arms and legs. He felt his clothes restructure themselves, and a comfortable warmth settled into his chest. The presence of Zer0's thoughts in his mind reassured Saki, and he quickly settled into Cross Fusion without any resistance.

“All readings are stable,” Meijin reported. “No irregularities.”

“Good,” Yuuichirou said. “It seems that even after a few months, you're still able to Cross Fuse without any problems.”

“It feels really comfortable, actually,” Saki said. 

“I see,” said Yuuichirou. “That's really good news.”

For the next half-hour, Saki did a series of tests meant to test his reflexes and ability to adapt to changes while in Cross Fusion. Once it was over, he was allowed to stop Cross Fusion, which Saki did gratefully. No matter how comfortable Cross Fusion felt, it was exhausting to be in for a long period of time.

“After a while, I start to lose track of who's who,” Saki admitted to Zer0 as he left the testing room.

“As do I,” Zer0 replied. “Our thoughts and emotions begin to bleed together, which can be quite dangerous.”

“I can only assume that it's not meant to be used for a long period of time,” Saki said.

Yuuichirou and Meijin left the control room, and met Saki in the hallway. 

“A half hour is the upward limit,” Yuuichirou explained. “There have been cases of people being in Cross Fusion for much longer, but if that happens there is a chance for lasting side effects.”

“I bet,” Saki said. “After a half hour, I was starting to lose my sense of self. I don't know what might have happened if I'd kept going for longer than that.”

Meijin gave Saki a reassuring smile. “We'll endeavor not to let that happen.”

Yuuichirou adjusted his glasses. “In any case, Saki-kun, you're quite the natural at Cross Fusion. I've only ever seen a few other people who have your aptitude.”

Saki blinked. “I don't think I'm anything special.”

“On the contrary,” Yuuichirou said, “Once I saw your initial readings, I had a feeling you'd be an interesting subject. It seems my instincts were correct.”

“You make me sound like a lab rat,” Saki grumbled.

Yuuichirou let out a small laugh. “More like a guinea pig.”

“Anyway,” Meijin said, quickly cutting in before Yuuichirou could make any more jokes, “You've had a long day, so why don't you go home and rest? I'm sure you need it.”

“Can't,” Saki said. “I promised a certain someone that I'd spend the afternoon hanging out.”

Yuuichirou seemed interested. “Oh?”

“I'll rest later,” Saki said, raising his hands apologetically. “But thank you for your concern.”

“Just don't overdo it,” Yuuichirou warned. “You're young, but too much stress can still be dangerous. Remember to eat properly and get lots of rest.”

“I know, I know,” Saki said. “Don't worry.”

With that, Saki politely took his leave of the two men, and walked off down the hallway in the direction of the elevator. Yuuichirou sighed.

“Kids these days,” he muttered. “I wonder, was I ever like that growing up?”

“I'm sure you were just as scattered and forgetful as you are now,” Meijin joked.

“What about you?” Yuuichirou asked. “What were you like as a child?”

Meijin smirked. “I'm sure I was a handful, but I don't really recall. I was too busy to remember those kinds of details.”

Yuuichirou chuckled and shook his head.

“Anyway, it's hot,” Meijin said. “I could really use something cold to eat right about now.”

“There's a place nearby that serves shaved ice,” Yuuichirou suggested. “I've been meaning to try it for a while now.”

“Sounds great,” Meijin said. “You're buying.”

***

“It's too hot,” Taka grumbled, tugging on his electric yellow tank top to circulate air. “I think I might melt.”

“It's only going to get hotter,” Saki said with a sigh. “August is going to break some records I hear.”

Taka groaned. “Ugh. All the more reason to shop inside air conditioned stores.”

Saki looked around at the crowds in Shibuya, and shook his head. “I still don't understand why there are so many people here when the weather is like this.”

“Summer means vacation,” Taka explained. “Vacation means cute clothes. Shibuya is the best place to shop for that stuff.”

“Maybe,” Saki said. “But the crowds only make the heat more unbearable.”

Taka sighed. “I guess the one oh nine is out,” Taka said. “That place will be packed, I'm sure. Laforet might be crowded too. What a shame, I think one of my favorite brands is having a summer sale. Some other time, I guess.”

“It might be a good time to get some food,” Saki said. “By the time we're done, I'm sure the crowds will have thinned a bit.”

“Good idea,” Taka said. “There's a space-themed burger joint around here I've been meaning to check out.”

Saki made a face. “What do space and burgers have to do with each other?”

Taka shrugged helplessly. “I dunno. I guess they kind of look like UFOs...?”

It wasn't really a good argument, but Saki didn't really care enough to question it. He shrugged helplessly.

“I guess burgers are fine.”

“Did you want something else instead?” Taka asked.

“I'm not really craving anything specific,” Saki said. 

“Okay,” Taka said. “Burgers it is!”

Saki willingly let Taka drag him off to the restaurant in question, and spent a second processing the presentation. The first thing that struck him about the place was that it had an overly aggressive theme song, and the store played it through the speakers just loud enough to be heard over the din of the customers. The second thing that struck Saki was the bright orange and yellow color scheme. It wasn't terrible to look at, but it certainly was a bit of visual overstimulation.

Taka giggled as he pointed at the small display case that housed the children's toys. “Look! Aren't they cute?”

Saki looked at the bag charms of the store's mascot—a friendly burger with large eyes riding in a UFO—and frowned. It wasn't really his thing, but it wasn't offensive either.

“Those toys are offered with our 'Junior Explorer's Meal',” the employee behind the cash register explained.

“I kind of want one,” Taka said.

Saki gave Taka a withering look. “They're for kids.”

Taka pouted. “So?” He eyed up the toys again, this time with a serious expression.

“You're not actually going to buy a Junior Explorer's Meal are you?” Saki asked in disbelief.

“Sure I am,” Taka said.

“But it's for kids,” Saki insisted.

“There's no rule that says that only kids can have it,” Taka argued. “Besides, I'm buying, so I can do whatever I want.”

Saki threw up his hands in surrender. He was too tired to argue.

“What do you want?” Taka asked.

“The signature burger,” Saki replied.

“Would you like the combo?” the employee asked.

“Sure,” Saki said. “Whatever.”

Taka gave Saki a curious look, and then sighed. “Go grab some seats, I'll handle the rest.”

Gratefully, Saki shuffled off to the counter in front of the window, and plopped down into one of the seats. He stared out the window at the crowds going by, and sighed. He was starting to feel his exhaustion, and put his head on his arms.

 _I probably should have just gone home, but I made a promise to Taka_.

Taka carried their tray to their seats, and plopped it down on the counter. As if he suddenly noticed that Saki was trying to fall asleep, he leaned down and looked Saki in the eye.

“You okay?” he asked.

“Tired,” Saki admitted. “Being in Cross Fusion for so long really drained me.”

“Ahh.” Taka nodded as he sat down. “That would explain why you're so cranky.”

Saki pushed himself back up to a sitting position, and pulled his food towards him. Taka unwrapped the toy that came with his meal, and dangled it from his finger, smiling.

“I still can't believe you bought a children's meal just for the toy,” Saki said.

“You only live once,” Taka said. “Why not enjoy it?”

Saki couldn't argue with that logic. Instead, he stuffed a fry into his mouth.

Taka clipped his toy to his black and neon pink fanny pack, and admired it for a moment before turning back to his food. He unwrapped his burger, and took a bite. After chewing for a second, he put a hand to his cheek and hummed with delight.

“It's really good,” he said. “Like an interstellar journey, it takes my taste buds to new frontiers.”

Saki took a bite of his own burger. “It's alright.”

They ate in silence for a little bit, until Taka looked at Saki thoughtfully.

“We always end up doing stuff that I want to do,” he said.

Saki shrugged. “Yeah, and?”

“We should do more stuff that you like,” Taka said.

Saki shook his head. “The stuff I like is boring.”

“Yeah right,” Taka said.

“It is though!” Saki said. “Going to the library and reading, curling up under a tree for a nap, watching period dramas late at night. None of that is very exciting.”

“But it's stuff you like,” Taka insisted stubbornly, “So it's worth doing.”

Saki was taken aback. “You'd...really do stuff like that with me?”

“Sure!” Taka said. “We don't always have to be going somewhere and doing something. Taking it easy from time to time is good too!”

Saki felt his face heat up, and he took a bite of his burger to hide it.

“I think after we finish eating, I'll take you home,” Taka said. “You seem pretty tired, and you could use the rest.”

“I'm fine,” Saki mumbled around his mouthful of food.

“But earlier, you—”

BAM!

Both of them jumped at the noise, and Saki nearly choked on his food. The boys looked at the window, and found Tamako pressed up against the glass, staring at them with an excited expression on her face.

“T-Tamako-san!” Taka said in disbelief. “What's she doing here?”

Saki swallowed his food. “Who knows,” he said.

Tamako pulled away from the glass, and ran into the restaurant. She plopped down in the chair next to them, practically vibrating with excitement.

“Wow what a coincidence, running into the two of you here!” Tamako said. 

“I could say the same thing,” Saki said. “Don't you live in Yokayoka? What are you doing in Shibuya?”

Tamako grinned. “I'm actually here visiting my friend!” she explained, and then pointed out the window to someone. On the sidewalk, right outside the restaurant, a man waved at them.

“I should introduce you,” Tamako said.

“Oh, it's okay,” Taka said. “If you're busy, I don't want to keep you.”

Tamako laughed. “Don't worry, we're not doing anything really. He was just showing me around.” She motioned for the man to enter, and he did, sitting down beside Tamako.

“This is my childhood friend, Yuya,” Tamako said. “Yuya, this is Saki and Taka. I met them at the hot spring in Tatadohama.”

“Oh, I see,” the man said. He had a soft voice, and seemed to have a very relaxed presence. “How do you do? My name is Yuya Otomizu, and like Tamako-chan said, we're childhood friends.”

Saki studied Yuya for a moment. He had a messy mop of black hair, and small, but piercing eyes. Next to the outgoing Tamako, he seemed to lack any kind of presence.

“So what brings you to Shibuya?” Tamako asked. “Do you live here?”

“Shopping,” Taka explained. 

“Sounds fun!” Tamako said. “Yuya was just trying to think of where to go next when we spotted you.”

“Are you saying that we should go shopping?” Yuya asked.

“Nah,” Tamako said, waving her hand. “I actually have something else in mind.”

Everyone gave Tamako a curious look. Saki was almost afraid to ask what she meant, but Taka did it for him.

“What's that?”

Tamako's eyes sparkled. “Let's have a Net Battle!”

“Ehh?!” Both boys were caught off-guard by Tamako's suggestion.

“You promised me, back at the hot spring!” Tamako said. “You owe me a Net Battle!”

“I didn't expect it to come back up so soon...” Saki admitted.

“C'mon, it'll be fun!” Tamako said, tugging on Saki's arm. “I'll even do a double battle—me and Yuya against you and Taka! What do you say?”

Saki looked at Taka, and Taka simply shrugged. 

_I did promise her that I'd have a Net Battle with her_ , Saki thought. _And I can't pass up gaining experience either. But I can't speak for Taka..._

“As long as Taka's okay with it,” Saki told Tamako.

“I'm cool with a Net Battle,” Taka said.

“Great!” Tamako pumped her fist triumphantly. “This is gonna be great!”

Saki looked at Yuya. “Are you okay with this?”

In response, Yuya simply grinned, and shrugged. “Whatever Tamako wants.”

 _Everyone's so laid-back_ , Saki thought. _I thought they'd be more opposed to the idea, but maybe I'm the weird one..._

“But where are we going to have our battle?” Taka asked. “Is there an arcade nearby? Maybe at the one oh nine...”

“I have an even better place,” Tamako said, grinning mischievously. “Follow me!”

“Ahh, wait!” Saki quickly stuffed the rest of his burger in his face, and dumped his trash in the nearby garbage bin before following Tamako out of the restaurant, with Taka following close behind.

Tamako led everyone down the street, towards the station, and stopped before pointing at the statue of Hachiko.

“There.”

Saki blinked. “You mean...the statue?”

“Of course!” Tamako said. “It has a closed Network inside, so we won't be bothered.”

“It has a _Network_ inside?” Saki asked.

“Sure,” Tamako said with a shrug. “Doesn't every statue?”

Saki shook his head and muttered, “Hachiko deserves better.”

“The crowds aren't so bad right now,” Taka noted. “If we're going to have this battle, now is probably the best time to do it.”

One by one, they logged their Navis into the Hachiko statue. Saki pulled up his screen, and got his first glimpse at Tamako and Yuya's Navis.

One of them was a hulking figure, covered in sharp metal blades that made him look even more imposing. He slammed his fists together, and gave Zer0 a nod.

“I'm Metalman,” he said. “Don't disappoint me.”

The other Navi was much smaller, with a frame similar to Zer0 and Axl. His armor was bright orange, and his gauntlets had long drills built into them. He grinned at Zer0 from under the visor of his helmet.

“I'm Crashman!” he said. “It's nice to meet you!”

Saki looked up at Tamako and Yuya, who both wore big smiles. Yuya's previous easy-going vibe was gone, replaced with confidence and excitement.

“Me and Tamako are an unbeatable team!” Yuya declared. “I hope you're ready!”

“We got this,” Axl said. He seemed almost relaxed as he studied his opponents. “Right, Zer0?”

Nodding, Zer0 replied, “We are a formidable team as well. We will not surrender so easily.”

“That's what I like to hear!” Tamako said.

Quickly, Saki loaded up his chips, and got ready to start the fight. He glanced over at Taka, who was doing the same.

“What do you think?” Saki asked.

“Might be a rough fight,” Taka replied. “But we've been practicing, so I think we'll be fine.”

Tamako raised her hand. “Are we ready?” After confirming that they were all prepared, she dropped her hand, and yelled, “Go!”

Zer0 shot across the field, sword drawn. Axl followed close behind, his pistols at the ready. Without exchanging words, they already knew what their strategy was.

Metalman and Crashman let them approach. As soon as Zer0 was within range, he swung at Metalman, who blocked the attack with his massive arm. Sparks flew as the blade connected, but the attack glanced off without doing damage. Before Zer0 could swing again, Metalman threw a punch at Zer0's head. The Navi blocked with his saber, but immediately his knees began to buckle. The tremendous strength behind the attack was almost too much for Zer0 to handle.

“You okay?” Saki asked.

“I am fine,” Zer0 said through clenched teeth. “I was simply not prepared for his attack.”

“I gotcha!” Axl called, and a second later, Metalaman was showered with a blast of projectiles. As Metalman lifted his arm to protect himself, Zer0 was able to deflect the other Navi's fist, and slashed upwards. The tip of his saber scraped along Metalman's chest plate, but once again, no real damage was done.

“He's really defensive,” Saki muttered. “And he's got a lot of power too. Definitely not an easy opponent.”

As Axl peppered Metalman with shots, Zer0 continued to attack with his saber, hoping to find an opening. However, Crashman appeared at that moment, a huge grin plastered across his face.

“Forgetting someone?” he asked, and fired drills in his gauntlets at Axl. They rocketed forward like missiles, and buried themselves in the ground near him.

“Missed me!” Axl taunted.

A second later, a light appeared from within the drills, accompanied by a small 'beep!'. A second later, the drills exploded. The blast threw Axl across the field, and Zer0 was knocked off his feet.

“They're bombs!” Taka yelped.

“That's right!” Yuya said. “And there's more where they came from!”

Two more drills appeared in Crashman's gauntlets, replacing the used ones. With a little cackle, Crashman began firing round after round of drills at Axl, who desperately tried to shoot them out of the air before they could explode. However, this made Axl unable to cover Zer0, who was now forced to face Metalman by himself.

 _Augh!_ Saki ran his hand angrily through his hair. _This is quickly becoming a nightmare. Maybe if it was just Metalman we could do it, but with Crashman as well, we're just being overwhelmed. I have to think of something, and quick!_

“Taka, if you're going to do something, now's the time!” Axl yelled.

Calmly, Taka tapped a few buttons on his screen, and Axl's pistols glowed with a bright light. A second later, they morphed into a huge machine gun. Axl gave a grunt as the weight of the heavy weapon settled into his hands, and he adjusted his stance to a wider one.

“What is _that?!_ ” Saki gasped.

“A new toy!” Taka explained. “I really have to thank Laika and Searchman for showing us how to use this properly.”

Axl's mouth curled into a nasty grin. “I hope you brought an umbrella,” Axl yelled, “Because it's about to _rain!!_ ” He unleashed a thunderous blast of bullets at the incoming drill missiles. Most of them were blasted out of the air, exploding in a huge ball of fire, but a few made it through, and Zer0 intercepted them.

“Allow me,” he said, and knocked them off course, straight towards Metalman.

Without fear, Metalman summoned a metal blade to his hand, and threw it at the missiles. It curved in the air, taking them all out in one swift arc, before returning to Metalman's hand.

“I think a change of tactics is in order,” Taka said, his tone serious.

“Agreed,” said Saki.

“You take out Crashman. I'll handle Metalman.” 

Saki looked at the field, and spotted Crashman several feet back from Metalman. He nodded, and quickly directed Zer0 in Crashman's direction. When Metalman tried to intercept, Axl unleashed a barrage of bullets at him.

“I'm your opponent now,” Axl said. “Don't get distracted!”

Metalman threw his metal blade again, and Axl blasted it out of the air. Metalman summoned three more, and Axl worked quickly to shoot each one down. He panted with exertion. The gun was heavy and the shock of each blast was clearly taking a toll on him. Even worse, the weight made it so that Axl couldn't move around or hover, effectively anchoring him to the ground. He gritted his teeth.

Metalman raised his hand, but this time two metal gears rose out of the ground, and moved to block Metalman from Axl's attacks.

“Oh come on!” Axl yelled angrily.

Meanwhile, Zer0 made a mad dash for Crashman, deflecting any drill missiles that got dangerously close to him. Crashman seemed to sense that Zer0 wouldn't be stopped so easily, and changed tactics. He quickly pointed his arms downward, and fired several drills at the ground in front of him. He set them all off simultaneously, and Zer0 skidded to a stop, nearly getting caught in the blast.

“My Crash Bombs are an art form!” Crashman cooed from somewhere inside the smoke from his last blast. “Designed with fire and intent! Perfectly made for precision!”

Zer0 swung where he thought Crashman was, but there wasn't anything there. The smoke scattered, and Zer0 looked around frantically. Where was Crashman?

From under Zer0's feet, a hole opened up, and Crashman exploded out of it, drills brandished. Zer0 managed to leap backwards in time, but a small cut opened up on his cheek.

Instinctively, Saki touched his own cheek, but no cut had formed. He let out a sigh of relief.

 _I guess our link is weak right now_ , Saki thought. _Either that, or what Laika taught me finally sank in_.

“You okay, Zer0?” Saki asked.

“It is nothing to be concerned with,” Zer0 said.

Crashman ran his tongue down the drill that had clipped Zer0, and grinned. “So close that time~!”

“He's crazy!” Saki said, feeling a knot of panic form in his gut. He looked up at Yuya, who didn't seem to notice. He was concentrating on the battle, still wearing an excited smile.

Axl wheezed loudly. “I can't keep this up!” he said.

“And Crashman is proving to be...difficult,” Zer0 replied.

“I hate to say it,” said Taka, “But we might not win this one.” 

“I'm not giving up just yet,” Saki said. “Right Zer0?”

Zer0 raised his blade. “Yes. I will not yield, not until I am truly defeated.”

“Then allow me to utterly crush you!” Crashman exclaimed.

Again, Crashman fired off a barrage of drill missiles, but this time, Zer0 changed tactics. He shifted his grip, and swung upwards, unleashing Shoenzan. The flames swallowed up the missiles, and they all exploded at once in a great fireball. The shock wave from the blast knocked Crashman off balance, and he stumbled backwards. Zer0 closed the gap between them in the blink of an eye, and swung his sword. Crashman, however, wasn't as helpless as he seemed, and crossed his own drills together, catching Zer0's blade and deftly deflecting it.

“Clever little thing, aren't you?” Crashman said with a growl. “Fine then, I can be clever too!”

Crashman swung his arm, using his drills as blades, but Zer0 was ready with Gokumonken. He countered Crashman viciously, and the Navi was thrown back a fair distance, rolling as he hit the ground. Before Zer0 could follow up, however, Axl gave a panicked cry.

Metalman's fist connected with Axl, and the Navi was tossed like a rag doll across the field. The machine gun shattered and reformed into his trademark pistols, which clattered to the ground near him.

“Axl!” Taka cried.

Zer0 hesitated, and then ran to Axl's aid. Putting himself between Metalman and Axl, he brandished his sword and planted his feet.

“Can you stand?” he asked Axl.

“Yeah, I think so,” Axl said. He pushed himself to his feet, and groped for his pistols. “Sorry about this...”

“We are a team,” Zer0 said firmly. “It is only natural that I would come to your aid.”

“But you had an opening!” Axl said. “Why didn't you take it?”

“I cannot hope to defeat both opponents by myself,” Zer0 said. “I will need your help.”

Axl shook his head as he got to his feet. “Idiot,” he muttered under his breath.

Taka loaded up a recovery chip for Axl. “Any ideas?”

Saki glanced around them. Someone had noticed their Net Battle, and now a small crowd of onlookers had formed. Saki tried his best to ignore them, and focus on the battle.

“Metalman is both defensive and powerful,” Saki said. “Crashman has range and is incredibly adaptable. Individually, they're tough. Together, they're almost invincible.”

“Maybe Zer0 should try using techniques on Metalman?” Taka suggested.

“What about Crashman?” Saki asked. “Axl could barely keep up with him earlier.”

“I'll make it work,” Taka said. “Regardless, we have to make our move, so I suggest taking out Metalman first.”

“Then let's do that,” Saki said.

Zer0 and Axl advanced towards Metalman once more, this time trying to be a little bit more defensive. Crashman fired off more drill missiles, and Metalman threw more metal blades at them, but Axl was ready. He picked off the drills with precise hits, and Zer0 cleaned up the blades with a few Kougenjin attacks. Their strategy paid off, and they were able to reach Metalman without taking any more damage.

Once it was clear that Zer0 was close enough to strike, Metalman punched at Zer0. The air around Zer0 crackled for an instant, and Zer0 thrust his sword forward, striking Metalman's fist with Raijingeki. The energy of the attack rushed up Metalman's arm, and the intense electrical attack immobilized him. For the first time in the fight, Metalman stumbled.

“Yeah!” Saki cheered.

“How DARE you!” Crashman shrieked, and began to fire off drill missiles one after another into the air in rapid succession. They soared upwards, and then came screaming back down towards Axl and Zer0. Axl's eyes widened with fear, and he seized Zer0 by the waist before rocketing them both backwards, the missiles narrowly missing them. Axl was forced to retreat further and further back as more missiles continued to rain down on his position.

“This is insane!” Axl yelled. “How am I supposed to deal with this?!”

“Incoming,” Zer0 said.

“Huh?” Axl looked at where Zer0 was pointing. “What now—?”

Metalman had launched a missile while they had been busy retreating, and it slammed into the two Navis at full force, exploding. The two were thrown across the field, rolling to a stop in a crumpled heap.

“Zer0!” Saki yelled.

“Axl!” Taka screamed.

Neither Navi responded at first. Axl tried to raise his hand, but it dropped back to his side, and he plugged out. Saki checked Zer0's condition, realized that he was also not operational, and logged him out as well.

“Nice fight!” Tamako said, giving them a big thumbs up. 

Taka groaned loudly. “That was crazy! I've never been so overwhelmed in my life!”

“Sorry about that,” Yuya said. “Crashman tends to get really excited during battles. Sometimes, even I have a hard time reining him in!”

“Yeah, sorry about that!” Crashman said. “I got so fired up when you hurt Metalman! I probably went a little overboard...”

“A little?” Saki asked.

“Okay, a lot~!” Crashman said, and laughed.

“You're all fierce fighters,” Metalman said. “When your Navis have recovered, I would like to battle you again.”

“Ahh, maybe not right away,” Saki said nervously.

Tamako jerked her thumb behind her. “Let's go somewhere else and talk. This place is getting a little too busy for my liking.”

Saki looked at the eager crowd of onlookers, some of whom were cheering for them. 

“Yeah, let's,” he said.

***

Saki and the others collapsed onto a set of benches in a nearby park. Saki sighed loudly.

“That was exhausting. I hate being watched like that.”

“It's good practice for a tournament,” Tamako said. “I'm used to it now, but I was really nervous about being watched when I first started.”

Yuya chuckled. “I sure hope we all put on a good show for them at least.”

Taka grumbled something under his breath.

“Boy, am I glad that was just a friendly battle,” Axl said, appearing on Taka's shoulder. “I got worked over pretty hard.”

“Sorry,” Taka said quietly.

Axl tilted his head. “Sorry for what? You gave it your best shot and so did I. We just weren't at the same level.”

“It was a learning experience,” Zer0 agreed, materializing on Saki's shoulder.

“How are you feeling?” Saki asked.

“I will be fine,” Zer0 said. “Thankfully, most of the damage I sustained was absorbed by my temporary hit points. Had it not been a friendly match, I doubt I would be so lucky.”

“I had a feeling Metalman would give you guys a solid thrashing, so I adjusted the rules of the match a little,” Tamako explained. “I set it to an exhibition match, so your Navis wouldn't take any serious damage.”

Saki breathed a sigh of relief. “No wonder Zer0 and Axl bounced back so fast...”

“Normally, I'd be in repair mode for a day after a fight like that,” Axl said.

Tamako grinned. “Just looking out for you guys!”

Saki frowned. “So, if you knew you'd win, why even bother challenging us?”

“Because competition is the spice of life,” Tamako said. “And Yuya's the type to get excited over a good match, so I figured 'why not'?”

Yuya rubbed his head and laughed nervously. “Don't say that! I only did what you wanted to do.”

Tamako slapped him on the back. “Aww, just be honest about your feelings already!”

Taka idly swung his feet. “So you two are childhood friends, huh?”

“Sure are!” Tamako said. “We've known each other since elementary school.”

“Tamako was always the outgoing one, and I just followed her around all the time,” Yuya said.

“Yuya's pretty smart though!” Tamako said. “He's gotten us out of plenty of jams.”

“Then, are you both visiting Shibuya together?” Saki asked.

Tamako shook her head. “Nah. Yuya moved here a long time ago. I was just visiting him.”

“I originally moved here to make something of myself,” Yuya explained. “But I haven't made much progress with that...”

Tamako smiled. “I think you're doing just fine, Yuya.”

Yuya scratched his cheek. Saki thought he saw him blush.

“Man, Shibuya's nothing like Yokayoka!” Tamako said, stretching her arms above her head. “Nothing like Akihara either. It's so much louder and busier!”

“A hub of fashion and passion,” Taka said. “It's one of my favorite places to visit.”

Tamako let her arms drop to her sides. “I guess I'll have to give the place a more serious look the next time I come.”

“I'm sure it's troublesome to come all the way here,” Yuya said. “You should stay longer next time.”

“Maybe I will,” Tamako said. “I'd stay an extra night, but I still want to get a battle in with Netto before I go home.”

“I wonder if Netto's back to normal yet,” Saki pondered. “He's still recovering from his broken arm, after all.”

“But he got his cast off, and he's been in rehab!” Taka argued. “I'm sure he's fine. He sure looks fine whenever we see him at work.”

“He's pretty cheerful for someone up to his ears in all the work he missed,” Saki muttered.

“I'll have to bring him a 'get-well soon' gift then!” Tamako said. “Maybe I'll give him two if he wins the fight!”

Yuya chuckled. “Sometimes, I think the only things you care about are making a sale, and Net Battling.”

“Not true!” Tamako insisted. “I also really like hot springs!”

Tamako paused for a moment, deep in thought. Suddenly, she pointed at Taka. “That reminds me! You were looking for a hot spring egg when we met, weren't you?”

“Sure was!” Taka said.

“Then get your butt down to Ura Inn, and I'll make sure you get one!” Tamako said. “Personally, I think the eggs the Ura Inn makes are the best in Japan!”

“If that's true, then I'll have to come visit as soon as I can!” Taka said.

Saki's shoulders sagged. “Really? You want to go to _another_ hot spring?”

“One can never have too much relaxation,” Taka said.

“I think I'll pass this time,” said Saki.

“You should come!” Tamako insisted. “It'll do wonders for those stiff shoulders of yours!”

 _How did she know my shoulders are stiff?_ Saki thought. _Is it really that obvious?_

“Don't badger him, Tamako-chan,” Yuya said.

“Sorry, force of habit,” Tamako said sheepishly.

“Anyway,” Taka said, “We've kept you both long enough. I'm sure there's still some stuff Yuya wants to show you, so we'll be on our way.”

“What?” Tamako's face fell. “Leaving already?”

“I have to get Saki home,” Taka explained. “He's pretty exhausted from all the training he did this morning, and that Net Battle probably didn't help.”

Tamako frowned. “Gosh, I didn't know you were out of sorts. You should have said something!”

“It's not a big deal, really,” Saki said.

“We'll have to have another battle at some point,” Tamako said. “When you're at 100%.”

“I should like that,” Zer0 said.

Saki blinked in surprise. “You seem eager.”

Zer0 nodded. “During our fight...I felt as though I was close to a breakthrough.”

Saki's eyes widened. “A new technique?”

“Yes.” Zer0 had a serious look in his eyes. “I feel that if I battle you again, I will achieve the breakthrough I seek.”

“I'm always up for a fight!” Crashman said. “Challenge me anytime!”

“I always welcome challengers,” Metalman said. “When you are ready, let us fight again.”

“Then the next time I'm in town, I'll let you know!” Tamako said. “And we can have our fight then!”

***

Taka let Saki out of the car outside his apartment, and stared at him with a concerned expression.

“Are you okay? Do you need me to come up with you?”

“I'm fine,” Saki said, brushing off Taka's concern. “I'm just tired. I can manage.”

“Okay then,” Taka said. “But call me if anything happens, okay?”

“I will,” Saki promised.

Satisfied, Taka closed the car door, and a moment later the car drove off. Saki dragged himself to the apartment, and opened the door.

“I'm home,” he called out tiredly.

“Welcome home!” Michi called back. A moment later, she met Saki in the entryway.

“I'm really tired,” Saki told her. “I think I'm going to have a quick nap before dinner.”

“Oh, okay,” Michi said. 

The two walked back into the main room, and Michi quickly made her way over to the computer. Saki saw her open the memo app, and begin to write something. After a few seconds, she stopped typing and stared at the screen, as if waiting for something.

Saki paused in the bedroom doorway, concerned. Michi's behavior was...odd.

“Michi,” Saki asked, “What are you doing?”

“Hmm?” Michi turned to look at Saki. “I'm talking to my friend.”

Saki looked at the memo app, and then back to Michi. “That's an app for making notes, not sending messages.”

“I know,” Michi said. “But it's how we talk.”

Saki frowned. He was growing even more suspicious. “Who's this friend of yours?”

“He lives on the computer,” Michi explained. “Behind the recycle bin.”

Saki rubbed his temple, feeling a headache forming. “He...lives on the computer...?”

Michi nodded emphatically. “Uh huh. He's kind of grumpy, and sometimes he pulls pranks, but he's actually nice. He even helps me with my homework sometimes.”

Saki stared at Michi in disbelief. He couldn't believe that she was calmly talking about someone living on the computer. A thought formed in Saki's mind just then.

“What if it's a virus?” he asked.

Michi shook her head. “He's not a virus. He's a Navi.”

Saki was floored. “There's a _Navi_ living on the computer?” he shook his head. “Michi, what are you thinking? Where did it come from? What does it want? What if it's trying to trick you into giving it your information?!”

“But he's not!” Michi insisted. “He's not hurting anyone. He just wants to be left alone!”

Saki closed his eyes, willing himself to calm down. It wasn't Michi's fault that she wouldn't be able to doubt someone who she called a 'friend', she was a child. Still, the possibility of whatever she had been talking to being dangerous was something he couldn't ignore.

“Michi,” Saki said as calmly as he could, “Please don't talk to this friend of yours anymore. I'm going to ask Netto to come over tomorrow so that he can look at the computer, and make sure there isn't a virus on it. Okay?”

Michi's eyes welled up with tears. “No!” she yelled. “Don't hurt him! Please, leave him alone!”

“ _Michi!_ ” Saki spoke sharply, his temper getting the better of him. “Do you hear yourself? You're making friends with someone _who lives on the computer!_ Do you realize how that sounds?”

Michi balled her fists angrily at her sides. “He's my friend!” she yelled. “I won't let you hurt him! I won't!” And with that, she threw herself over the computer, hugging it tightly.

Saki pursed his lips, and tried to pry Michi off the computer, but she struggled fiercely, and cried whenever he managed to get an arm free. Eventually, Saki gave up, and stepped back. Michi continued to cling to the computer, sobbing quietly.

“Michi,” Saki said softly, but Michi didn't respond. He tried again, reaching out to her. “Michi.”

“Go away!” Michi snapped.

When it was clear that Michi didn't want to talk, Saki sighed and walked into the bedroom. As he closed the door behind him, Saki heard Michi start to cry again, and shut his eyes tightly.

_What did I do wrong? Am I the bad guy in this situation?_

He crawled into the closet, and flopped into his futon, completely spent emotionally and physically. After a little bit, Saki could hear Michi typing furiously, and wondered if she was talking to her 'friend'.

 _I'm too tired to deal with this right now_ , Saki thought bitterly. _Maybe after my nap..._

***

Saki awoke some time later. He pushed his bangs out of his face, and rolled out of his futon. Fumbling for his PET, Saki checked the time.

“Six o'clock...okay, I was out for a while,” Saki mumbled.

He ran a hand down his face, and tried to shake off the drowsiness he still felt. It was at this point that Saki remembered Michi's conversation from earlier.

 _Michi...I should probably see if she's calmed down_.

Saki slowly opened the door to the bedroom, and peeked his head into the main room. Michi was curled up at the table, watching Pink Princess at a low volume. A quick check told him that she had fallen asleep.

Saki looked over at the computer. The screen was dark, and the power was off. He breathed a small sigh of relief.

 _I really have to get this sorted out_ , Saki thought. _The sooner the better_.

He opened up a new email, and typed a message to Netto. _I know it's very last-minute, but can you come look at our computer? Michi told me that she made 'a friend who lives on the computer, behind the recycle bin', and that sounds kind of suspicious. I can't think of anyone who knows this computer better than you do._

He sent it off, and then busied himself with starting dinner. After a few minutes, his PET beeped, and Saki saw that there was a reply from Netto.

_No problem! I can be over there tomorrow. Does that work for you?_

_That would be great_ , Saki typed back. _Thank you again for doing this._

 _It's no trouble_ , Netto replied. _I feel kind of responsible for giving the computer to you in the first place, so I might as well do maintenance on it for you too! Don't worry: I'm sure it's just a virus. Me and Rockman will clean it out for you in no time!_

Saki felt a little better, having talked to Netto. He was sure that whatever it was, it would be resolved tomorrow.

 _Now, if only me and Michi could fix things so easily..._ Saki thought.

***

Netto squinted at the computer screen. “Hmm...nothing seems to be wrong with the system itself.” he glanced down at his PET screen to check his readouts. “Find anything yet, Rockman?”

“Not yet,” Rockman said. “But I was just about to check the recycle bin.”

“Let me know if you find anything,” Netto said.”

As Rockman approached the recycle bin, he paused. “Hmm, I'm picking up an odd reading...” Kneeling down, Rockman checked behind the recycle bin, disappearing from sight.

“I didn't realize stuff could be behind there,” Saki said.

“Older computers are like that,” Netto said. “Icons layer on top of each other, creating all kind of space. Viruses like to hide there.”

“Netto-kun,” Rockman said, standing up. He held out his hand, where a small black fragment rested.

“A bug fragment...?” Netto seemed perplexed. “What's that doing here?”

“Some old error code maybe?” Rockman offered. “It _was_ by the recycle bin, after all.”

“Sure,” Netto said. “That's a possibility.”

“Or it might be from whatever Michi's been talking to,” Saki said. “It lives back there, apparently.”

“Well, whatever it is, it isn't here right now,” Rockman said.

Netto tapped his chin thoughtfully. “Let me check the history and memory storage. It looks like there's a lot of old files that weren't deleted completely. One of them might give us a clue.” He tapped buttons furiously. “If it's a virus, it might have left an error code that we can use to trace it.”

After a moment, a window opened, and Netto scanned the list. “A lot of these are memos that weren't saved before being closed,” he noted. “And there's a lot of them.”

“Michi had the notepad app open, I remember,” Saki said. “She said it was how they communicated.”

Rockman opened up one of the memos, and began to look it over. “Hmm, it sure looks like a conversation of some kind...”

Saki leaned in, and read the note over Netto's shoulder.

_My name is Michi. What's your name?_

_Forte_

_Is your name Forte? It's a nice name!_

_Forte is the name I was given._

_Do you want to be my friend, Forte?_

_Leave me alone._

_How did you get on this computer? Are you a Navi? Where's your Operator?_

Netto seemed to freeze up upon reading the memo, and Saki looked at him, concerned.

“What is it? Do you know what this is?”

Netto looked at Saki, his face pale. “This might be a bigger problem than I first thought...”

“Why's that?” Saki asked, anxiety building in his stomach.

Rockman pointed to the name 'Forte' in the memo. “There's only one Forte that Netto-kun and I are familiar with.”

“He's a Darkloid,” Netto explained. “We've crossed paths with him multiple times. He's incredibly dangerous.”

Saki felt like the air had left his chest. He recalled what Madoi had said about Darkloids the day before.

_There's places like the Undernet, where the scum gather, and the Darkloids, who gorge themselves on dark energy in order to satisfy their insatiable appetites._

“Are you saying...that Michi has been talking to an extremely dangerous Darkloid?” Saki asked in a strangled voice.

“It's a possibility,” Netto admitted. “But let's keep digging, and see what else we can find.”

Rockman opened memo after memo, scanning them for clues. Finally, they opened up a memo from the night before, and Rockman froze.

“Oh no...” he whispered.

Saki frantically scanned the memo.

_My brother is so stupid! He doesn't believe that you're my friend. He says it sounds crazy! He wants to bring in someone to look at the computer. He thinks you're a virus. I think he wants to delete you. I don't want them to delete you, Forte! I like talking to you!_

_I will hurt the one who made you cry._

_No! Don't hurt him! He's still my brother, even if he does mean things! He's just worried about me. But he doesn't have to be so mean to you._

_I will hurt the one who hurt you_

_Please don't hurt him, Forte. I'll make him apologize, I promise!_

_Then I will make him beg for forgiveness. I will never allow anyone to hurt you. You are not like the others. You are pure and in need of guidance. I will guide you._

_What do you mean?_

_Only the strong can keep from being hurt. I will teach you how to be strong._

_I don't want to be strong_

_Only when you are strong will you no longer be hurt. Crush your enemies before they can crush you._

_No. Hurting people is bad. I won't hurt people._

_Then I will hurt them for you._

Saki trembled. He couldn't believe what he was reading. A loud, sharp buzz filled Saki's ears, and his body felt as though it had turned to lead.

“Saki!” Netto said, breaking through Saki's thoughts. Saki suddenly realized that Netto had been calling and shaking him for a few moments, and focused his attention on Netto's face.

“Are you okay?” Netto asked.

“I...I don't know,” Saki admitted.

“Listen,” Netto said, “Rockman and I are going to let the Ministry of Science know what's going on here. For now, just stay calm and continue on like normal.”

Saki wanted to ask what that meant, but Netto was busy addressing Rockman in a serious tone.

“I think it's safe to assume this is Forte we are dealing with, and if that's the case, he might try to attack Saki or someone close to him.” Netto frowned. “Forte might even be attempting to groom Michi, so the sooner we find him, the better.”

“Then I'll be sure to let Papa and the others know right away,” Rockman said.

“I'll stay here and see if I can do something on my end,” Netto said. 

“Understood!” Rockman said. “I'll be off then!” And with that, Rockman was off to deliver a message to the Ministry of Science. In the meantime, Netto began furiously typing again.

“Do...you think he's really trying to groom Michi?” Saki asked in a small voice.

“It's a possibility,” Netto said. “Forte has never been a Navi that likes humans. But the way those memos were written, it's hard to interpret them any other way.”

Saki sat in stunned silence while Netto pulled up a window, and began to frantically type line after line of code.

“I'm setting up an extra firewall,” Netto explained. “With any luck, it should keep him from talking to Michi until we find him.”

Saki felt his anger explode. “He shouldn't have been talking to her in the first place!” he screamed. “How the hell did he get on this old thing anyway?!”

“I don't know,” Netto admitted. “But it's possible he's been in 'this old thing' since his last appearance seven years ago. No one really knew what happened to him at that time. He just kind of...vanished.”

Saki slumped, defeated, and put his head in his hands. “What do I do...?”

“Nothing, for now,” Netto told him. “Michi will be safe. We'll put her under surveillance, just to be sure.” He looked away from the screen and gave Saki a smile. “Don't worry so much. Forte's a threat, but me and Rockman have dealt with him before. It's going to be okay.”

Looking less than convinced, Saki sighed. “All I can do is trust you.”

“You have nothing to worry about,” Netto said reassuringly.

***

After Netto had left, Saki entered the bedroom, where Michi had been hiding, and sat down next to her. She refused to make eye contact with him, so Saki waited patiently for her to speak.

“Did you hurt him?” Michi asked.

“No,” Saki said. “He was gone when we checked.

Michi seemed relieved at this, but still refused to look at Saki.

“You're going to hurt him, aren't you?”

Saki hesitated. “Netto and Rockman have met Forte before. They told me that...that they're going to go talk to him.” Saki felt bad about lying, but he hoped it would be enough to get Michi to trust him again.

Saki's gamble paid off. Michi looked up at Saki with a hopeful look. “They're going to talk to him...?”

“Right,” Saki said. He chose his next words very carefully. “They want to make it clear to Forte that he can't talk to you anymore.”

Michi's eyes widened. “Why not?!”

Saki swallowed. “Because...Forte does very bad things, and he might be trying to teach you to do bad things too. And we don't want that.” Saki paused. “We...read the memos, Michi. We know what you two were talking about.”

Michi's eyes welled up. “He's just lonely,” Michi insisted. “He's scared, and wants people to leave him alone. He's not bad, I promise.”

Saki reached out for Michi, and she flinched. Immediately, he pulled back.

“Michi, Forte is a Darkloid,” Saki explained. “Darkloids...do really evil things. They live in the Undernet, and they only come out to cause trouble.”

“Forte's not like that,” Michi insisted.

Saki pursed his lips. He waited for a moment before speaking again.

“Rockman has fought Forte before. Him and Netto told me that he's very dangerous.”

Michi shook her head. “No, no! He's not a bad Navi! He's not!”

Saki waited until Michi was calmer before continuing. “Michi, you can't always trust the words of strangers. Not everyone is honest like you are.”

“Forte said he would protect me,” Michi said.

“I think...Forte sees you the way that you see a toy or a pet: as a source of amusement, something to play with for a while. I think he's just saying things that you want to hear, trying to build your trust.”

Michi clamped her hands over her ears and shook her head. “No!”

Saki waited for Michi to calm down again. “The world is not a very nice place, Michi. There are a lot of rotten grown-ups who just want to take advantage of people, and a lot of people who have been taken advantage of who think it's fine to do the same to others.” He clasped his hands together in his lap. “Forte might say nice things now, might try to be nice, but what if he decides not to be nice anymore? What if he tries to hurt you? I just want you to stay safe...” Saki swallowed the lump in his throat. “You can't change people, Michi, no matter how hard you try. It isn't your job to fix people either. Just because you're kind to someone doesn't mean that they'll become kind too. It doesn't always work that way.”

Michi slowly raised her head to look at Saki.

“I'm not always there to protect you,” Saki said. “And I know that's wrong. But I want to make sure that you're prepared. I just....I just want to make sure that you're safe when I can't be around.

Slowly, Michi lowered her hands from her ears. “Big brother...”

“Please...” Saki begged, feeling tears form in his eyes. “Please let me protect you, Michi. Please...”

Michi crawled over to Saki, and climbed up into his lap. Saki hugged Michi tightly, and kissed the top of her head.

“I love you very much, Michi. I can't bear the thought of you getting hurt.”

“Big brother...” Michi clung to Saki tightly. “I'm sorry...I'm sorry I got mad at you.”

The two siblings sat in the bedroom, hugging each other tightly for a long while.

“What...what should I do?” Michi asked.

“Can you promise me not to talk to Forte anymore?” Saki asked.

Michi hesitated, but she nodded. “Okay. I promise.”

Saki patted Michi's head. “Good,” he said.

“But,” Michi said, hesitantly. “What if he comes back? What do I do?”

“Tell someone,” Saki said firmly. 

Michi nodded slowly. “Okay,” she said at last.

Saki let out a sigh of relief. He finally felt like things had been resolved. Michi was speaking to him again, and had promised not to talk to Forte anymore.

 _Now, if Rockman manages to defeat him for good, I won't have anything to worry about_ , Saki thought.

Michi hugged Saki for a little while longer, until she looked up at him and said, “I'm hungry.”

“Me too,” Saki said. “Let's go have lunch.” He stood up, took Michi by the hand, and led her out to the main room.

“Can we watch Magical Maidens?” Michi asked.

“Of course we can!” Saki said. “Anything you want.”

Michi giggled. “I love you, big brother.”

Saki smiled. “I love you too, Michi.”


	23. Self Worth

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Saki runs into Yuya again, and they have a rematch.

Things were quiet around the Tanaka residence. Michi and Saki had made up after their fight, and Michi was spending less time on the computer, choosing instead to sit with Saki and watch television when it was really hot outside, or go for walks when the temperature was more bearable. Things seemed to have gone back to normal.

Several days after Netto came over to put up the firewall in the computer, Michi approached Saki with a hesitant look on her face. Saki immediately tensed, thinking it might be related to Forte.

_Did he come back already? I know I said that she should tell me, but I don't know if I can handle it by myself..._

Michi took a deep breath. “Big brother, there's something I want to ask you, b-but I'm not sure that I should...”

Saki looked at Michi's discomfort, and felt his anxiety skyrocket. It _had_ to be about Forte.

“Y-you can ask me anything, Michi,” Saki said, trying to sound brave, even though he was screaming inside.

Michi fidgeted a little bit more before answering. “Okay then...”

Saki swallowed.

“Big brother...can...” Michi clenched her fists, and looked at Saki with determination. “Can we go to Akihara and get the limited edition Twinkle!: Starlight Magical Maidens item?!”

It took a few seconds for Michi's words to register properly. “Huh?”

Michi pulled out a crumpled flier, and showed it to Saki. On it was a bright advertisement for a special collector's item from the recent season of Magical Maidens that consisted of an outfit based on the Pink Maiden, as well as her accessories, transformation item, Power Rod, and a small plush of her fairy companion. The advertisement went on to say that the item was being given away for a limited time, and only the first one hundred guests to the store would receive one.

“This is for a hobby store in Akihara,” Saki said. “How did you get this?”

“Ken-kun gave it to me,” Michi explained. “He said it didn't interest him, but he knew that I liked Magical Maidens, so he said I could have it.”

Saki sighed. He quickly double-checked the date in the advertisement, and saw that it was the next day.

“I bet we'll have to get there really early in the morning to get one,” Saki said.

Michi bounced up and down with excitement. “Can we go, big brother?! _Please?!_ ”

Saki wrestled with his thoughts for a moment. Getting up early to go all the way to Akihara just to stand in a line for hours and possibly not even get the item in question didn't sound very fun for either of them, but on the other hand Saki couldn't say no to Michi. She hardly ever asked for anything, and she seemed super motivated. Sighing, Saki caved.

“Okay,” he said, “We can go.”

Michi threw her hands into the air and let out a cheer. Afterwards, she threw her arms around Saki's waist, and gave him a tight hug.

“Thank you, big brother! I love you so much!”

Saki felt his face heat up. The words alone made him rather giddy.

“Haha~! I love you too, Michi!” he said as he gave her head an affectionate pat.

As Michi let go, Saki cleared his throat, and forced himself to return to being serious.

“However, if we're going to go to this event tomorrow, there are a few rules.” Saki lifted his hand, and counted off on his fingers as he spoke. “Number one: we both have to go to bed early, because we also have to get up early in order to get there in time. Number two: you have to promise not to run off somewhere without me. And number three: you absolutely _cannot_ talk to or take anything from strangers! No matter what it is. Understood?”

Michi nodded vigorously. “I promise,” she said.

***

Saki had Zer0 set an alarm for six in the morning, and he and Michi went to bed by eight o'clock that night. When the alarm sounded in the morning, Saki rolled over and groped for his PET to turn it off before crawling out of his futon to wake Michi up.

“Michi, please wake up,” Zer0 said calmly as he stood on the pillow near Michi's ear. “It is time to get up.”

Saki gave Michi a firm shake, and she finally started to wake up. With a small moan, she rubbed at her eyes before yawning loudly.

“Good morning,” Saki said quietly.

“Mmmnnn...” Michi nodded sleepily. “I was so excited last night that I had trouble falling asleep...”

Saki gave her a sympathetic look, and rubbed her head affectionately. “I'll make breakfast, okay?”

Michi nodded, and in the next futon, Keiko made a noise and sat up.

“What are you kids doing up so early?” she asked in a drowsy voice.

“Did we wake you?” Saki asked, feeling guilty.

Keiko shook her head. “I only crawled into bed a little while ago myself.” She yawned. “But you two are up awfully early. What's up?”

“Michi wants to go to Akihara for an event,” Saki explained. “So I'm taking her there.”

“Oh!” Keiko gave them a sleepy smile. “That sounds fun!” She gave them a tired wave. “Have a good time!”

“We will,” Michi promised.

Satisfied, Keiko flopped back down into her futon, and a few minutes later was snoring softly.

“Mamma sure works hard,” Michi said.

“She sure does,” Saki agreed.

The two went into the front room, and Saki got started making breakfast. He was experienced at being up early, since he'd worked plenty of jobs that required him to do so, but Michi wasn't used to it, and so Zer0 had to sit and talk with her so that she wouldn't go back to sleep. Saki caught snatches of conversation as he prepared food.

“Will you please tell me more about these 'Magical Maidens'?” Zer0 asked.

“Okay,” Michi said happily. “They're guardians chosen to protect the planet from bad stuff. Each group is different, but they all protect people from something. They also meet each other sometimes, and fight stuff. When they do, you're supposed to lift up your light so they can charge their final attacks!”

“I see,” Zer0 said. “And this light...how does it help to charge their attacks?”

“It's the light of hope!” Michi explained. “So they take all the hope of everyone ever and use it to defeat the bad guy, because they usually want to destroy hope and stuff.”

“To use hope as a source of power...” Zer0 seemed to ponder this for a while. “Perhaps I should also look into harnessing it...”

Saki chuckled silently. If he knew anything about Zer0, it was only a matter of time before the Navi actually did find a way to harness hope as an energy source for his techniques.

“That also brings into question what other things can act as a source of energy,” Zer0 went on. 

“Love is another one,” Michi said. “Oh, and happiness!”

“Love...happiness...” Zer0 sounded slightly overwhelmed. “Ahh, there is so much I do not yet understand.”

Michi giggled.

“That's enough talk of fighting evil,” Saki said. “It's time to eat breakfast.” He set their food down on the table, and Michi eagerly pulled hers towards her.

“It looks so yummy! Thank you, big brother!”

Zer0 continued to ponder alternate energy sources while the siblings ate. Saki could hear the Navi muttering under his breath as he stared at the table with a look of deep concentration. After a while, Saki spoke up.

“Don't think too hard about it, Zer0. Shows about superheroes don't always have to make sense, as long as it's cool.”

The Navi frowned. “But the possibility has presented itself to me, and it would be foolish not to consider it.”

Saki sighed. “Just don't strain yourself, okay?”

***

As Saki and Michi approached the hobby store that was having the promotion, Saki groaned. There was already a sizable line, and the store hadn't even opened yet. A lot of the people in line were older men, way older than the target audience of the show, and quite a few of them had camping gear.

“Yikes,” Saki muttered. “It looks like most of these people camped out all night.”

Michi looked dejected. “Will we still be able to get one?”

Saki put on a brave face. “Don't worry, Michi, I'm sure it'll be fine.”

After a quick scan of the line, Saki felt confident that there weren't one hundred people there, and sighed under his breath. As he moved to walk Michi to her place in line, a familiar voice called out to them.

“Oi, Saki, Michi-chan, over here.”

Saki looked towards the voice, and spotted Taka near the front of the line, rubbing his eyes sleepily and waving them over. Saki approached, full of disbelief.

“I should have known you'd be here,” Saki said.

“If I'd known you were coming, I'd have invited you to camp out with me,” Taka said.

“No thanks,” Saki said quickly. “I doubt Michi would have wanted to anyway.”

Taka shrugged. “It's too bad it's only one per person, or I'd just get one for Michi-chan as well.”

“That's okay,” Michi said politely. “I'll wait like everyone else.”

“Haha, you're such a good girl~” Taka cooed, patting Michi's head.

Saki gave the line a look of disgust. “Most of the people here are way too old for this series.”

“Some of them are real fans, but a lot of them are here to sell the item later,” Taka explained. “Promotional stuff can sell for a lot.”

Saki wrinkled his nose. “Disgusting,” he said.

“Anyway, I won't keep you,” Taka said. “The longer you chat with me, the longer the line gets.” He looked thoughtful. “Unless you want to squeeze into line up here with me?”

“Won't the others get upset?” Michi asked. “Cutting in line is bad manners.”

Taka laughed. “My bad! I should have known better than to ask!”

“Are you sure?” Saki asked Michi. “You can wait here with Taka, and you'll be guaranteed one.”

“I don't mind waiting in line,” Michi insisted. 

“Okay then,” Saki said. He took Michi by the hand. “Let's go hop into line.” He waved to Taka. “See you around?”

“At some point,” Taka said. “Once I'm done here, I'm going straight home to get some sleep.” He yawned loudly. “I just couldn't get comfortable last night.”

Michi waved to Taka as her and Saki walked towards the back of the line. “Bye bye!”

“Good luck!” Taka called back.

Saki and Michi entered the queue behind a teenage boy in a Magical Maidens shirt, and settled in to wait. As time passed, more and more younger children began to show up with their parents, all of them looking sleepy. It made Saki glad to see more fans in the intended age group, and he hoped that they'd all be able to receive one of the promotional items.

Michi began to grow restless, shifting her weight from one foot to the other. Saki immediately tried to distract Michi.

“Let's play a game,” he suggested. “How about shiritori?”

“Okay!” Michi said.

“What is 'shiritori'?” Zer0 asked.

“It's a word game,” Saki explained. “One person says a word, and the next person has to say a word that starts with the last letter of the word before it.”

“Oh, I see!” Zer0 said. “I would like to play as well.”

“Okay then,” Saki said, “I'll start.” He thought hard for a moment. “How about...'volt'.”

“Volt...volt...” Michi pondered her response. “How about...'television'?”

“Hmm,” Zer0 crossed his arms. “Then I shall say 'negate'.”

“Umm...'enamel',” Saki said.

“'Love'!” Michi replied.

“Hmm...” Zer0 thought hard. “'Energy'.”

“Uhh, 'yolk'?” Saki replied.

“Umm...” Michi seemed to flounder. “K...'kiss'!”

The game went on for a few more rounds, until Michi wasn't able to think of a word, and Zer0 and Saki had a rapid-fire session of spitting out words. Eventually, Saki faltered and Zer0 was declared the winner.

“I can't believe I couldn't think of a word,” Saki muttered.

“It is difficult to think of words that you have not already used,” Zer0 said.

“You can think of words instantly,” Saki said. “It's really not fair.”

The line inched forward, and finally, Michi could see the doors to the shop. She bounced up and down excitedly.

“Almost there!” Saki said.

Finally, it was their turn. They walked into the store and up to the counter, and Michi waited for the clerk to address her.

“Welcome!” he said. “Are you here for the promotional item?”

“Yes!” Michi said excitedly.

“One moment.” The clerk disappeared under the counter, and came back up with a small package in his hands. He showed it to Michi, whose eyes glittered with delight. The clerk put it in a plastic bag, and handed it to Michi.

“Thank you for visiting!” the clerk said. “Please come again soon!”

Saki thanked the clerk, and the siblings walked out of the store. Michi skipped and hummed a song, and Saki chuckled.

“We were certainly there a while. Are you hungry?”

“Yes!” Michi said.

“Then let's get lunch,” Saki said.

Michi grinned. “I want curry!” she said.

Saki smiled apologetically. “Maha Ichiban is at the beach until the end of summer. We'll have to go elsewhere.” He pulled out his PET. “Hey Zer0, can you look for a place nearby that we can go to?”

“One moment,” Zer0 said. After a few seconds, a map popped up on the PET's screen. “There are several restaurants nearby that serve curry. I have narrowed them down by customer ratings, and found a suitable location.”

“Thanks, Zer0,” Saki said. He squeezed Michi's hand. “Okay, let's go!”

They followed the route that Zer0 had planned for them, and found themselves near the busier part of Akihara. As they walked past a construction site, Saki did a double take. He thought that he'd seen Yuya among the workers, and looked again. Sure enough, it was Yuya, and Saki called out to him. Yuya looked up, and Saki waved. Yuya waved back, looking surprised.

“What are you doing here?” Yuya asked Saki as he approached.

“Me and my sister came to Akihara to get something,” Saki explained. “We were just on our way to lunch when I spotted you.”

“Oh, I see,” Yuya said. He glanced around. “I should be able to take lunch soon myself.”

“Do you want to come with us, then?” Saki asked.

Yuya seemed embarrassed. “Oh, umm, well...I couldn't ask you to wait for me...”

Michi tugged Saki's arm. “Who's this?” she asked. “A friend of yours?”

“Oh, I'm sorry, Michi,” Saki said. “I forgot to introduce you.” He motioned to Yuya. “This is Yuya. He's a friend of someone I met while I was on vacation.” Saki pointed to Michi. “This is my little sister, Michi.”

“How do you do?” Michi asked politely.

“It's nice to meet you, Michi-chan,” Yuya said. 

“So you do construction work?” Saki asked.

“For now,” Yuya said. “I tend to take whatever job I can.”

“I see.” Saki nodded. “I can understand that. I also work a lot of different jobs.”

Yuya laughed dryly. “I suppose this is what I get for not finishing college.”

Saki scratched his head. “Why not?”

Yuya sighed. “I left Yokayoka, intent on making something of myself. I tried to go to college, but found myself quickly overwhelmed. I was failing my classes, and rapidly falling into debt, so I quit college and started working full time. But the only jobs for guys like me are things like construction and convenience store clerks.” He shook his head. “I don't want Tamako-chan to see me like this...she'd be so disappointed.”

“Why's that?” Saki asked.

Yuya hung his head in shame. “I talked a big game before I left home. I told everyone that I was going to be successful. I even told Tamako-chan that I'd come back and help her pursue her own dreams once I'd attained mine.” He shook his head dejectedly. “I suppose I'll never be able to make good on my word.”

“Maybe it'll take longer,” Saki said, “But there's no shame in the work that you do now. You can build yourself up slowly over time, and maybe one day you'll achieve your goal—”

“It doesn't matter anyway,” Yuya said. “Tamako-chan has already moved forward. She doesn't need me to come and help her.” His words were filled with bitterness. “She doesn't need my help. She never needed my help. In the end, I'm the one always relying on her.”

“Yuya...” Saki said.

“I got picked on a lot,” Yuya explained. “And Tamako-chan was always the one coming to my rescue. I admired her, and made up my mind to become her equal one day. But I've never been able to do that. She just keeps getting further and further ahead of me.”

“But you make a great team,” Saki insisted. “Me and Taka weren't able to overcome the two of you! That has to count for something.”

“I'm sure that Tamako-chan is the one who made it work,” Yuya said. “I always end up following her lead.”

Saki sighed irritably. “With an attitude like that, no wonder you're not able to catch up.”

Yuya looked up, confused.

“You can't give up so easily, Yuya-san!” Michi said.

“She's right,” Saki added, “If you want to improve, you have to keep training.”

“That's easy for you to say,” Yuya said angrily. 

“Look, I worked my way up from nothing,” Saki said. “Three months ago, I barely knew anything about Navis, and now me and Zer0 can hold our own in a fight. And we did all that through hard work and dedication.” Saki clenched his fist. “I work my butt off to take care of my family, and I _still_ make the effort to train. You have no excuse.”

Yuya suddenly looked sheepish, and Saki wondered if his words were finally getting through. After a moment, Yuya looked at Saki with a serious expression.

“I...I've made up my mind,” he said at last. “I...I want to get stronger, so that Tamako-chan will take me seriously.” He clenched his fists. “So...I ask that you and I have a Net Battle.”

Saki looked at Michi, who nodded. He looked back up at Yuya.

“I'll take your challenge,” he said.

Yuya seemed momentarily relieved. “Great!” He looked around, and pointed to a nearby vehicle. “Let's use the Network for that van. No one's using it right now, so it should be fine.”

“Let's try not to do too much damage,” Saki said, feeling nervous. He remembered how wild Crashman had been during their last fight, and dreaded what might happen this time.

“Crash'll behave himself this time,” Yuya said. “Right?”

“Right!” Crashman replied.

Yuya turned to the other construction workers, and waved. “I'm on lunch!” he said. “I'll be right back!” Then, he turned to Saki and Michi, and led them towards the van parked a little ways away from the construction site.

“Careful,” Saki told Michi. “It's dangerous here.”

“I'll be careful,” Michi promised.

Yuya pulled off his hardhat, and plopped it down on Michi's head. Then, he shrugged off his safety vest, and draped it over Michi's shoulders like a cloak.

“There we are,” he said. “That should keep you safe.”

Michi held onto the hardhat as she looked up at Yuya with bright eyes. “Thank you, Yuya-san!” she said.

Saki smiled. “Thanks.”

“I can't let a kid get hurt on my watch,” Yuya said. “That goes for you too.”

“I'll be fine,” Saki assured Yuya.

Saki and Yuya plugged their Navis into the van, and Crashman greeted Zer0 while Saki set up his chip folder.

“Zer0~!” Crashman called out happily as he hugged Zer0 tightly. “I missed you~!” Then, Crashman proceeded to squish Zer0's cheeks and pat his shoulders. Zer0 became stiff and nervous.

“Do you...usually greet Navis in this manner?” Zer0 asked.

“Of course!” Crashman said. “I want to show as much love to my friends as possible!”

“I...see.” Zer0 made a noise of discomfort. “I would kindly ask that you not do so with me from now on. I am...very uncomfortable.”

“Oh dear!” Crashman pulled back. “I'm sorry! It wasn't my intention to make you uncomfortable! I promise I'll be less handsy from now on.”

“Thank you,” Zer0 said, relieved.

“But still, I'm so glad to see you again!” Crashman said happily. “We had such a heart-pounding battle last time, and I'm eager to do it again!”

“You are certainly a strong opponent,” Zer0 said. “Perhaps I will discover something in our battle.”

“I'm happy to do whatever I can for you!” Crashman said.

Saki looked at Yuya. “Are you ready?”

“I sure am!” Yuya said.

Michi pressed herself against Saki's leg, and looked up at his screen. Saki crouched down so that she could see better.

“Do you want to watch, Michi?” he asked.

Michi nodded.

“Are you ready to begin?” Zer0 asked Crashman.

“Always!” Crashman replied. “Oh, I'm so excited! Yuya always gets so fired up during battle, and I can't help but get fired up too!”

The two Navis took their positions, and Crashman waved at Zer0.

“Let's have a good match!” he said.

“Good luck, Zer0!” Michi said.

Zer0 drew his saber, and the atmosphere immediately shifted. Crashman instantly became serious, and the two Navis raced at each other, hoping to land the first hit.

However, Crashman moved first. He punched at Zer0's head, and Zer0 leaned out of the way, but Crashman's other hand was coming in for a follow-up. Zer0 quickly leaned to the other side, and then stepped back as Crashman delivered punch after punch.

“Those drills of his are pretty versatile weapons,” Saki said.

“Indeed,” Zer0 said. He leaped backwards to avoid another punch, and Crashman fired off a drill at him. Zer0 leaped backwards again, just in time to avoid the blast.

“You're pretty light on your feet,” Crashman said. “You're always running around and making it hard to land a hit on you.”

Zer0 didn't reply, instead choosing to dash back in. He deflected another drill missile with his sword, but Crashman parried Zer0's swing with his gauntlet. The two traded a few blows, until Crashman fired off another drill, and Zer0 leaped backwards to dodge it.

Michi watched the fight with wide eyes. It seemed as though she couldn't look away from the action.

Crashman pointed his arms upward, and yelled, “Crash Barrage!” A flurry of missiles were launched skyward, and rained down upon Zer0, who jumped and flipped out of the way of each one.

“I am constantly on the defensive,” Zer0 said. “I have no time to attack.”

“He does like to attack pretty rapidly,” Saki admitted. “But he's got to have some kind of weakness.”

Zer0 dodged a few more missiles, and tried to get close once more. Crashman continued to push him back, only to rain missiles down upon him once more.

A thought occurred to Saki in that moment. “That's it!” Saki said. “He's trying to wear Zer0 out.”

“I see,” Zer0 said. “A clever strategy.”

Crashman cackled. “As long as you're running around dodging my missiles, you won't be able to get close enough to attack,” he said.

“Good job, Crashman!” Yuya cheered. “Keep it up!”

“What are you going to do?” Michi asked.

Saki bit his thumbnail. It did appear at first glance that Crashman's defenses were air tight, but Saki had fought Enzan and Laika enough to know better. No defense was perfect, after all.

“Okay,” Saki said. “I might have a plan.”

“Oh?” Zer0 asked.

Saki took a deep breath. “Do you trust me?”

“Of course,” Zer0 replied.

“Good,” Saki said, “Because this idea is a little bit crazy.”

If Zer0 had any doubts, he didn't express them, and Saki maneuvered Zer0 towards Crashman once more.

“It's futile!” Crashman said, and unleashed another rain of missiles.

Zer0 weaved around them, until he was fairly close to Crashman. Then, jumping off the ground, he gained height by quickly kicking off of missiles until he was high enough in the air to avoid them.

Crashman looked up in awe. “Wha—?! How?!”

Zer0 gripped his saber tightly, and threw himself into a front flip, building up momentum as he fell, unleashing a powerful Kuuenzan on a stunned Crashman.

“Guh!” Crashman was thrown a few feet away, and rolled to a stop. He growled as he pushed himself to his feet.

“That was surprising,” Yuya said. “I had no idea that anyone could do something like that!”

Michi gave a loud cheer. “You did it!”

“It's not over yet,” Saki said. “This is where things get really hard.”

Crashman glared at Zer0. “Okay, I'm done playing nice with you.” He ran towards Zer0, his drills brandished like swords, and let out an angry battle cry.

Zer0 did his best to block the incoming attack, and their weapons crossed with a loud crash. Both used all of their strength to try and overpower the other. Saki could see Zer0's arms shaking a little as he struggled to hold Crashman back, and quickly formulated a plan. He loaded a shield chip, and the shield pushed Crashman away from Zer0.

Crashman fired two missiles, point blank, and the shield absorbed the blast before shattering. Zer0 immediately closed the gap to make an attack of his own, but Crashman swung his fist at Zer0's head, and the Navi nearly bent over backwards trying to avoid it.

Zer0 clenched his teeth, and let himself drop to the ground before quickly rolling over, crouching, dropping his saber, and executing a perfect Shouryuuken. It happened so fast that Crashman didn't have time to defend himself, and took the full force of the blow, soaring into the air before plummeting back to the ground.

“Sh—! Shouryuuken!” Saki sputtered. “No way!”

“Wow, he really flew up high!” Michi gasped.

Crashman was only on the ground for a moment before he was back on his feet, charging Zer0 with an angry scream. Zer0 wasn't able to retrieve his saber in time, and crossed his arms in front of his body to soften the impact of Crashman barreling into him, head first. They fell to the ground, and Zer0 quickly knocked Crashman off of him before scrambling for his saber. But just as the weapon was within reach, Crashman fired a missile directly at him.

“Zer0!” Saki yelled.

Zer0 rolled out of the way just in time, but Crashman refused to let Zer0 get close to his weapon, firing missile after missile at him. Saki felt himself starting to panic.

_What do we do? Crashman disarmed him, and now he has the advantage. If we don't get the Z Saber back, Zer0's a sitting duck!_

“Be careful, Zer0!” Michi yelled.

Zer0 weaved his way between the missiles, desperately trying to get close to either the sword or Crashman. However, Crashman didn't give him a single moment to pause, and peppered the area with missiles, forcing Zer0 even farther away.

“Those explosions are a real pain,” Saki growled. “If we don't find a way to stop them, then we'll never win.”

“I told you, my explosions are an art form!” Crashman called out gleefully. “I always know just where to put my Crash Bombs in order to maximize their power. Against that kind of finesse, you don't stand a chance!”

“Maximize their power...” Zer0 muttered. Saki could almost see the wheels turning in Zer0's head.

 _Did he think of something...?_ Saki thought.

“Power...hope...finesse...” Zer0 muttered a string of nonsense as he dodged the missiles. “Hmm...how to...but maybe...”

“If you have an idea, you'd better go for it,” Saki said. “I'm not sure what to do.”

“Understood,” Zer0 said. He swerved sharply, and made a beeline straight for Crashman.

 _He's not going for his saber...?_ Saki thought frantically. _What's he thinking?_

“Are you really approaching me?” Crashman asked, and laughed. “Are you crazy?”

“I cannot attack if I do not get close,” Zer0 stated.

“It's your funeral,” Crashman said, and raised his arms to fire two missiles straight at Zer0.

Zer0 raised his fist, and slammed it down on the ground, right in front of him. A blast of energy exploded out from the impact, knocking away the missiles which exploded, and swallowing up Crashman, who gave a yell of shock and pain. As the blast cleared, Zer0 straightened up, and regarded Crashman lying on the ground, groaning. Almost casually, Zer0 retrieved his saber, and walked back over to Crashman before pointing the tip of the blade at Crashman's head.

“How...?” Crashman asked. “How did you...do that?”

“It occurred to me, as I watched you,” Zer0 replied. “Energy can be focused into one point. The impact of my fist, for example, had plenty of power. But I thought to myself, 'what if I could create an explosion?' And so I did my best to gather all the energy I could muster into my fist, and released it at the point of impact.”

“You mean...you just came up with that attack, right there on the spot?” Yuya asked.

“Yes,” Zer0 replied.

“Incredible...” Saki whispered. “That's incredible.”

Crashman let out a weak laugh. “You scare me, Zer0. Being able to do something like come up with such a powerful attack on the spot...that's the kind of limitless potential a Navi can only dream of...”

Zer0 seemed confused. “I merely put what I had learned into practice. Even I did not know if it would work or not.” He put his saber away, and held out his hand to Crashman. “I would never have thought of such an idea if not for you.”

Crashman took Zer0's hand, and Zer0 pulled him to his feet. He started to laugh, quiet at first, and then growing in volume until he was doubled over and cackling.

“You're something else, you know that?” Crashman said, once he had calmed down. “I'm almost proud to say that I utterly lost to you. Almost.”

“It was an honor,” Zer0 said, bowing his head.

“Zero's so cool!” Michi said. “He managed to win at the end, just like a superhero!”

“Zer0 _is_ pretty cool,” Saki agreed. He smiled at Zer0. “So, what are you going to call that technique?”

Zer0 pondered this for a moment. “I shall call it...'Rakuhouha'.”

“Good name,” Crashman said. “I like it.”

Yuya approached Saki, and extended his hand. Saki took his hand, and gave it a firm shake.

“I lost, fair and square,” Yuya said. “I guess I just can't compete with genius talent like yours.”

Saki frowned, confused. “What? Genius, us? Nah.” He paused. “Okay, Zer0 might actually be a genius, but I certainly am not.”

Yuya chuckled. “In any case, you showed me that I still have a lot to learn.”

“We'll just have to train hard!” Crashman declared. “We'll train really, really hard and come back for a rematch!”

“Sure,” Saki said. He grinned at Yuya. “I look forward to it.”

Yuya's smile wavered. “Ahh, but as it is, I'm nowhere near Tamako-chan's level. I have so far to go...”

“You can do it!” Michi said. “I believe in you!”

“I'll certainly try,” Yuya said, “But I wonder if I'll ever be able to break free of Tamako-chan shadow...?”

“Progress takes more than a day,” Saki said. “Train hard, and you'll eventually get there.”

Saki and Yuya shook hands, and Michi returned Yuya's safety gear to him. Then they left the construction site, and continued on their way to get lunch.

“He seems nice,” Michi said, “But he sounded very sad.”

“Yeah,” Saki agreed. “Feeling like all you've ever done is fail can be pretty disheartening.”

“Do you think he'll ever get stronger?” Michi asked.

Saki shrugged. “Maybe? It's all up to him though.”

***

Taka posted his picture of the promotional costume to social media, with the comment, 'Look at the sweet loot I scored! ♥', and sat back in his chair. He pulled a lollipop he'd been eating out of his mouth, and sighed.

“That's an easy batch of likes. Probably some replies from envious people too. Before you know it, I'll break ten thousand views.” He smirked. “It's just too easy to manipulate the algorithm.”

“Don't you ever get bored of being famous on social media?” Axl asked.

Taka shrugged. “It's something to do.” He popped the lollipop back into his mouth, and switched to a new tab on his computer. A few clicks later, he was in the shady forums that he frequented. Taka scrolled quickly through the front page, looking for any interesting new topics. One in particular caught his eye.

'DO NOT BUY THIS WEIRD CHIP' it read.

“Looks promising,” Taka mumbled around the lollipop in his mouth, and clicked the link.

The thread had a graphic content warning on it, and Taka grinned. He quickly accepted the warning, and viewed the post, eyes scanning over the words rapidly.

_There were a few posts a while back about those strange silver chips circulating. I thought it was just a hoax, something someone made up for attention. But the other day, I got my hands on one. I tried it, and instantly regretted it._

There was a picture under the first paragraph, and Taka leaned in close to study it. Although there was some graininess and motion blurring, Taka made out the form of two Navis: one was on the ground, its body spilling out large amounts of data, and the other was standing over it, the first Navi's arm in its mouth. From what Taka could see, one of the Navis was devouring the other.

“What the...” Taka slowly took the lollipop out of his mouth, and stared at the image. Axl made a distressed noise.

“Oh....oh no...” Axl put his hands to his mouth, trembling. “That's horrible...”

“What the hell would cause a Navi to try and eat another one?” Taka whispered.

_My Navi went totally berserk. My PET went crazy too, and I couldn't control my Navi, or plug him out, the post read. The other guy couldn't log his Navi out fast enough, and my Navi tore it to shreds. He thinks he can recover his Navi from backup data, but...it was pretty gruesome._

_The picture is actually from someone who was watching the match. A few of the other spectators had similar shots._

_Please, please, please. DO NOT USE THOSE SILVER CHIPS. If you happen to buy one, don't use it. It really does destroy your Navi. I can't recover my Navi, and all my backups are corrupted beyond use. My Navi didn't fall apart like the other ones did, and ran off into the Network somewhere, so if you run across it, please just delete it. Put it out of its misery. Whatever my Navi is now, it's a monster._

Taka tapped the lollipop against his lip thoughtfully. “Why didn't his Navi fall apart? Seems odd.”

“Maybe it's a different chip,” Axl suggested. He still seemed shaken up by the image.

“The description seems to be the same,” Taka said. “But why would some Navis fall apart while others don't?”

Taka scrolled through the comments. _Sounds like those awful black chips that were circulating seven years ago_ , one of them read. 

“Dark Chips, huh...” Taka frowned. “It sure sounds similar, but something doesn't feel right.”

“How so?” Axl asked.

“Well, for one thing, Navis that used the Dark Chips would become addicted to them, leading to their dependence on them and eventually their data degrading so badly that they were deleted,” Taka explained. “Even if the initial effects are the same, these don't feel as if they were made to be used as a continuous source of energy.”

Axl put a hand to his mouth. “Hmm, then...are they supposed to be some kind of virus...?”

Taka froze. He looked at Axl with a delighted expression. “That's it! The chips are trojans!” Taka laughed excitedly. “You're a genius, Axl!”

“Really?” Axl said. He suddenly seemed proud of himself, and planted his fists on his hips. “Yeah, I sure am! Praise me more!”

“If the chip is just a trojan, it more than likely has an injection program in it,” Taka said, groping around for a notebook and a pencil. He began to furiously scribble notes. “Whatever the program being injected is, it overrides the Navis functions, essentially hijacking it. But for what reason? Why would someone make something like this?” Taka furrowed his brows. “The Dark Chips were made to ensnare Navis, forcing them to rely on more Dark Chips. But these strange silver chips only seem to exist to corrupt and delete Navis. Why? Surely distribution of them would fall off once word got out. That sounds like it'd be bad for business.”

“Are they just not worried about that?” Axl asked.

Taka paused. “Maybe that's the point. Maybe it's like releasing a virus. What if whatever this is spreads on its own?”

Axl shuddered. “Ugh, I don't want to think about that.”

Taka bit down on his pencil. “This could be really bad. I hope the Net Police have already figured all this stuff out, or we might have a real pandemic on our hands!”

“I'm sure they have,” Axl said reassuringly. “This information isn't exactly hard to get a hold of.”

“True,” Taka said. He sighed, and tapped his notebook with his pencil. “I just wish I knew what these chips looked like. That's the only thing I haven't been able to find out. The best description I have to go on is that they're silver, and hate to be photographed.”

“You should show that picture you found to the Net Police,” Axl said. “It might be a good lead.”

“Not yet,” Taka muttered. “It's not the right time.”

“What are you saying?” Axl said. “Now is the perfect time! The sooner the better!”

Taka shook his head. “I can't, not while I'm being watched so closely. Besides, if I act too quickly, it might scare the real culprit off.”

Axl's shoulders slumped, and he sighed. “I just hope you know what you're doing.”

“Have some faith in me,” Taka said, smiling.

Axl stared at Taka for a long time. Finally, he cracked a weak smile.

“I do,” he said. “I do.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> _A short chapter this time!_
> 
> _I decided to use English words for shiritori instead of Japanese ones in order to make it flow better. Since the words are connected by the last kanji in the word (ie りんご 'ringo' [apple] -- > ごりら 'gorira' [gorilla]), having the English versions of those words would lead to it being disjointed when translated. The other reason is that I'm not particularly good at Japanese! Even though I do my best to stay as accurate as possible, I always end up relying on my wife for help translating stuff..._
> 
> _In any case, there's a version of shiritori that you can play online for free! You can play against an AI, or against a friend. (I lost my practice match against an AI ;A; ) A quick search should bring it up if you want to try playing it yourself!_


	24. The Happiest People Are Also The Saddest

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Netto has finally healed up after being injured, and decides to jump back into Net Battling by sparring with Saki and Zer0

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> _There's a point in this chapter where you'll see some words in square brackets, [like this]. When that happens, the words in the square brackets are being said in Kinglish (aka English). I tend to use brackets to indicate when a Japanese speaker is using English, since it's sometimes hard to remember that everyone isn't speaking English normally. xD_

Saki walked into the Ministry of Science, yawning loudly. He'd had a rough couple of days. A few days earlier, he'd worked a shift at the beach hut for Maha Ichiban, and then did a night shift at Argenterie the next day. On top of that, he'd spent his free time with Michi, getting dragged around the neighborhood. He'd even been in a spirited water balloon fight with Michi's friends. Even if it was rather rude to go all out on children, Saki was proud of himself for nailing Ken in the face.

However, Saki was finding it hard to keep up with Michi while also working, and his sleep was starting to suffer. On top of that, he was having unsettling dreams of weightlessness again, where he was aware of everything, but unable to move or speak.

 _I can't let this stuff get to me_ , he told himself as he slapped his cheeks to wake up. _If I was going to school, I'd be just as tired. And once I get into the workforce full time, I'll have to deal with even worse, so I'd better get used to it now_.

“Are you alright, Saki?” Zer0 asked.

“Yeah,” Saki replied. “Just a little tired. I'll manage.”

“Please do not push yourself too hard,” Zer0 said. “Your health is very important.”

Saki sighed. “Even you're lecturing me.” He shook his head. “I guess I really _am_ doing too much.”

Zer0 gave Saki a sympathetic smile.

Saki opened his mouth to speak, but was interrupted by a hard slap on his back that caused him to stumble forward a step. Whirling around, Saki saw Netto grinning at him.

“Morning!” he greeted Saki cheerfully.

“What was that slap for?!” Saki asked irritably.

Netto looked thoughtful for a second. “You looked pretty down, so I thought that I'd reassure you!”

Saki frowned. “I'm fine, thanks.”

Zer0 greeted Netto warmly. “Good morning, Netto-san. You seem well.”

Netto laughed. “As well as I can be.”

Rockman appeared on Netto's shoulder, and waved to Zer0. “Good morning, Zer0!”

Zer0 nodded his head. “And to you, Rockman, good morning.”

“Heading to practice?” Netto asked Saki.

“Yeah,” Saki said.

Netto grinned. “Good. I was headed there myself.” After a beat, he added, “Want to have a match?”

“Pardon?” Saki asked.

“A practice match,” Netto repeated. He thumped his chest with his hand. “I'm back to fighting form again, and I thought we could practice together. We haven't had a battle against each other in months, after all.”

Saki thought about it, and realized that he and Netto hadn't Net Battled each other since Netto had been injured. He nodded his head.

“It has been a while, hasn't it?”

“I'm also really curious to see how you've improved,” Netto said. “I'm especially eager to see those techniques that Zer0's been creating.” His eyes lit up with excitement. “I can't help but wonder how me and Rockman stack up against them. Granted, we're a little rusty, but there's no better way to shake the rust off than to jump right back into things.”

Saki felt a smile tug at his lips. At heart, Netto was a battle maniac, and jumped at every chance to battle someone. Being in a cast and unable to battle for over a month had probably been torture. Saki could understand Netto's frustration, and decided to agree to the fight.

Netto almost seemed to vibrate with excitement. “I can't wait!” He grabbed Saki by the hand, and dragged him towards the practice room. “Let's go!”

Rockman laughed at Netto's enthusiasm. “Calm down, Netto-kun! You're always in such a hurry...”

“I can sympathize,” Zer0 said. “I, too, find myself excited by the prospect of a battle. My heart flutters with anticipation.”

Saki gave Zer0 a strange look. “You've been watching too many of Michi's shows.”

“I have been using them as reference material,” Zer0 explained. “I am very interested in how they use 'love' as a source of energy.”

“If you're really that interested in using television to study, then at least watch something like Masqueraider,” Saki muttered.

Netto bounded into the practice room, and raced over to the table before quickly plugging Rockman into the terminal. He then proceeded to bounce on the balls of his feet until Saki had plugged Zer0 in as well.

“You seem excited,” Saki said.

“Do I?” Netto replied. He grinned. “Okay, maybe just a little.”

Zer0 and Rockman met on the field, and Zer0 bowed his head respectfully.

“Let's have a good match!” Rockman said brightly.

Saki looked at Netto. “We're not going to go easy on you.”

“Wouldn't want it any other way,” Netto said. Then, he scratched his head almost sheepishly. “Uhh, but we probably won't use any Soul Unisons for this match.”

Saki had seen Rockman use Soul Unison a handful of times, and knew how powerful they were. The fact that Netto was choosing not to use them puzzled Saki.

“Are you sure?” Saki asked.

Netto nodded. “I need to get back into the rhythm of Net Battling again, and to do that, I have to go back to basics.”

 _Oh, that makes sense_ , Saki thought.

“It's like when you stop playing a video game for a while, and then come back to it,” Netto continued. “You have no idea what you're doing, and you have to re-learn the controls all over again.”

“I...guess...” Saki said. He could only assume Netto knew what he was talking about.

“A-anyway,” Rockman said, “We're still very serious about this battle, so please don't worry about us!”

“It would be a dishonor not to fight seriously,” Zer0 said. “Rest assured, I have no desire to hold back.”

“Me neither,” Saki said. “This will be the first time I battle you guys in anything other than a training match, and I'm ready to show you what we can do.”

“Good!” Netto said. He clenched his fist with determination. “Now, come at us!”

With the signal to start, Zer0 quickly dashed across the field towards Rockman, sword raised to strike. However, Rockman snapped his hands together over his head, and caught the blade before it could hit him. He struggled for a moment against Zer0's strength, but ultimately managed to twist the blade, and repel the attack completely.

“Nice!” Netto cheered.

 _His reflexes are crazy_ , Saki thought. _He caught Zer0's blade, mid swing! Just how fast is he anyway?_

Undeterred, Zer0 recovered, and went in for another attack. Netto, meanwhile, had sent Rockman a Sword chip, and Rockman was able to counter the blow with one of his own. Their blades met, again and again, until Zer0 pulled back, searching for an opening. Rockman changed out his sword for his buster, and fired several shots in quick succession, forcing Zer0 further back.

 _Rockman's a mixed fighter_ , Saki thought. _He can easily switch between close and long range, and seems to be able to utilize most chips, but he's not specialized in anything. It seems like the only thing he might have an advantage over Zer0 with is speed_.

Weaving between buster shots, Zer0 closed in on Rockman, and flicked his sword upward, unleashing Kougenjin. Rockman managed to dodge the blade of air, but Zer0 had used the attack as a distraction, and was now close enough to attack Rockman directly.

“Tenshozan!” Zer0 swept his blade upwards, and Rockman was caught up in a rising blast of flame. Saki heard the Navi cry out in pain, and felt a little bit of guilt, but there was no time to apologize. Zer0 immediately followed up the Tenshozan with Rakuretsuzan, and dropped Rockman back down under the full weight of the icy blade. However, as Rockman hit the ground, there was the sound of a shield shattering. Saki gritted his teeth. Netto had managed to slip a shield onto Rockman somewhere in the midst of Zer0's attack, mitigating a lot of the damage.

“That was a close one!” Netto said, wiping his brow.

“I almost thought I was a goner,” Rockman admitted. “Your techniques are quite powerful, Zer0!”

 _Their teamwork is seamless_ , Saki thought. _I didn't even see Netto using that Shield chip. He must have anticipated Rakuretsuzen, and slipped it in while Zer0 and I were focusing on the attack. He's certainly a lot more strategic than I give him credit for_.

“Let's see what else Zer0 can do,” Netto said, and sent Rockman a Mini Boomer chip.

 _Here it comes!_ Saki thought.

Rockman lobbed the Mini Boomer straight at Zer0, who slashed at the bomb, cutting it cleanly in half before it could hit him. Despite this, the bomb still exploded, and a huge cloud of dust kicked up.

 _He'll use the smoke as a way to hide himself, and come right at us_ , Saki thought. His fingers tensed on the buttons of his PET.

Sure enough, Rockman dashed out from the smoke, his face mask on and his sword drawn. Zer0, who had also been anticipating the attack, quickly countered Rockman's strike with Gokumonken, and Rockman was thrown backwards with a yelp of surprise.

“Nice!” Netto shouted excitedly. “You picked that up from Enzan, didn't you?!”

Rockman skidded to a stop, and took his fighting stance once more. Zer0 raised his sword as well, and the two Navis stared each other down.

“Hmm, I think now's a good time to use this one...” Netto muttered as he loaded up a chip, and sent the data to Rockman.

Rockman took a step forward, and vanished from sight. Saki was momentarily surprised, but that was all it took. Rockman reappeared in the blink of an eye, and delivered a brutal slash to Zer0.

“Ahh—!” Saki cried out in surprise. “Zer0!”

Zer0 fell to one knee, and Saki's PET quickly notified him of a strong hit to Zer0's right side. Saki grit his teeth.

_What the heck was that?!_

“You seem surprised,” Netto said. “Have you never seen the Fumikomizan chip in action before?”

“Fumi...komizan...?” Saki asked, confused. 

“Ahh, I see now,” Zer0 said breathlessly. “A step as quick as lightning, and then a blinding strike. Truly a terrifying attack.”

“That's a chip?!” Saki asked. “There's a chip like that?!”

Netto chuckled. “Guess I never got to teach you about this one, whoops. My bad.” He scratched his head. “Yeah, it's a pretty powerful chip. It's also really rare, so it's a bit of a collector's item.”

“Guhh.” Saki felt like he'd been punched in the gut. _I know I said that we shouldn't go easy on each other, but this is not what I was expecting_.

“You can't be the only one looking cool during this fight!” Netto said with a laugh.

Zer0 planted the tip of his sword into the ground, and pushed himself to his feet. His expression was intense, and Saki could almost sense Zer0's brain furiously trying to figure out how to replicate the move.

Rockman retracted his mask. “Looks like Zer0 was inspired,” he noted.

“It's only a matter of time before he comes up with a new technique,” Saki said with a tiny sigh.

Netto and Saki both used a Recovery chip, and Zer0 raised his sword once more. Rockman raised his own sword in response. Wordlessly, the two Navis rushed at each other, their swords colliding with an angry 'clang'.

Netto sent Rockman a chip, and it turned out to be a Cannon. Zer0 barely managed to dodge the point-blank blast, and rolled a few feet away. Rockman set up for another shot, and Zer0 took off running.

“Faster,” he muttered. “I need to be faster...”

He continued to dodge cannon attacks, racing straight for Rockman, who abandoned the cannon and started firing his buster instead. Zer0 pulled his arm back, and thrust his sword at Rockman, the blade crackling with electricity. “Raijingeki!” he cried. The attack was a little short, but the electricity leaped off the end of the blade, and slammed into Rockman, hitting him anyway.

“Ahh—!” Rockman collapsed to the ground, but tried his best to get back to his feet. Zer0, however, seemed disappointed.

“It isn't enough yet...I can channel the lightning through my sword, but I cannot channel it through my body...” He made an irritated face. “How can I attain more speed...? How can I, too, become as fast as lightning?”

“Better stay focused,” Netto warned Zer0, “Rockman's hasn't been defeated yet.”

In response, Rockman sprang to his feet, and threw a punch into Zer0's face. Zer0 hit the ground hard, and rolled a few feet.

“Zer0, come on!” Saki yelled. “What's gotten into you?”

“I must become faster,” Zer0 replied, pushing himself to his feet.

“That's not something that will happen immediately,” Saki chided. “You can't just wish really hard and suddenly get faster. Besides, your body has limits.”

“He's right,” Rockman said. “Trying to spontaneously achieve something you haven't done before is incredibly taxing. And for the moment, you really ought to be focused on the fight.”

But Zer0 shook his head. “I cannot simply let go of this desire to grow stronger. I am close to a breakthrough, I can feel it.”

“I'm all for you pulling a miracle out of your pocket, but now isn't really the time,” Saki said.

Netto sighed. “I'm a bit disappointed. Were you lying when you said you weren't going to hold back?”

Zer0's shoulders sagged and he seemed sheepish. He raised his sword again. “I apologize. I am dishonoring you by not giving this fight my full attention. Let us continue.”

“That's better,” Rockman said.

Zer0 raced towards Rockman again, and Rockman countered by firing his buster, Saki watched Zer0 weave between shots, and noticed something a little different than usual.

_He's adjusting the way he runs...it's like he's trying to speed up. Is he still trying to figure out how to go faster...?_

Rockman noticed this as well, and started to back up as he fired. Netto frowned, and loaded up another chip.

“Guess it's about time to start wrapping this fight up...”

Rockman's arm shifted from his buster to another sword, this one crackling with electrical energy. Saki recognized it as an Elec Sword.

 _Payback for Raijingeki?_ Saki thought. _Whatever the case, that sword is dangerous. Maybe we should switch to long ranged attacks—_

Just as Saki was about to input Kougenjin, Zer0 put on a small burst of speed, and thrust his sword at Rockman. At the last second, Rockman knocked Zer0's attack away, and Zer0 leaped back out of striking range before raising his sword and trying again with the same results.

“Damn it!” Saki muttered angrily. “Zer0, you need to stay back! That sword's bad news.”

“I understand,” Zer0 said. “But I am confident in my own abilities.”

Saki felt anger bubble up in his stomach. “That's nice, but what about me? We're supposed to be a team, you idiot.”

Zer0 seemed momentarily surprised, and his sword wavered.

“When you don't take my advice, or do things on your own, then I don't feel like you trust me or my judgment. You're not usually like this either, what's going on?”

Zer0 hesitated. “I am sorry. It was not my intention to make you feel that way.” He shook his head. “Perhaps it is because I respect Rockman...I want to do my absolute best in this battle. I want to prove that we stand on equal footing. But Fumikomizan...it made me realize how lacking I truly am. I suppose I simply became frustrated, and wanted to find a way to match its strength.”

Saki sighed. He has suspected as much. “Zer0, it's fine. You don't have to prove anything, really.”

Slowly, Zer0 nodded. He looked at Saki with an apologetic look.

“Saki-kun is right,” Rockman said gently. “There is nothing to prove here. We are simply having a friendly battle. And when you're distracted, you're not at your best. It makes me think that you might not want to be here after all.”

“Also ignoring Saki is no good either,” Netto added. “The key to good teamwork is communication. If you can't trust your Operator to watch your back, then you aren't going to do very well. When you go off on your own, and do your own thing, then that also makes Saki look like a bad Operator.”

“Yes, you are quite correct,” Zer0 said. “I was not thinking clearly.” He sighed. “Lately, I have become very consumed with training, and have begun to lose focus. It is clear that I, too, need to return to the basics.”

Rockman nodded. “That's good that you realize that! Let's both do our best, okay?”

Zer0 gave Rockman a smile. “Yes.”

Saki sighed with relief. He was glad that Zer0 was back to normal, but he wondered if maybe part of the problem had been himself.

 _I've been suppressing Full Synchro lately...maybe our connection is weak? I guess it wouldn't hurt to try using it again_.

Taking a deep breath, Saki slowly cleared his mind of everything, and tried to focus on the battle. He tried to think about how Zer0 might be feeling, and what the best thing to do was. Once he was satisfied that he was in the right headspace, he picked up the PET once more.

“Let's go, Zer0,” he said.

Rockman took his stance once more, brandishing his Elec Sword. Zer0 leveled his saber and watched Rockman closely, waiting to see who would move first. The two circled each other for a long moment, until Zer0 swung his blade. Rockman deflected it, and they went back to circling each other again.

 _Even if Rockman isn't a dedicated sword user, he has a good sense of timing, and has probably sparred with Blues enough to know what certain attacks might look like_ , Saki thought. _In a way, this has become a duel and we're both waiting to see what the other will do_. Saki tapped his thumb lightly against the PET as he tried to think of what to do. _Should I try using chips from a distance? I might have more luck, but Rockman is also fairly good at long range attacks, so it might not work out anyway. We had some luck when we used techniques, but it might have just been because Netto and Rockman had never seen them before. Even if it's a long shot, it might be worth trying..._

Rockman jabbed at Zer0, and Zer0 tried to counter with Gokumonken, but Rockman had been prepared for this, and quickly slashed upward, breaking the momentum. Saki clenched his teeth in frustration.

 _This is almost as annoying as trying to have a kendo match against Enzan...wait a minute_. Saki felt his lips curve into a grin. _I might have an idea. Now let's see if Zer0 can catch on_.

Saki pulled Zer0 back a step, and made him take a defensive stance. Zer0 quickly settled into it, as if he understood what Saki wanted him to do. Saki felt a small rush of adrenaline, and tried not to let his joy show on his face.

_Let him come to us...patiently wait for an opening..._

As Saki had anticipated, Rockman moved closer, pushing his advantage. Zer0 deflected attacks, waiting for an opening that he could take advantage of, and finally Saki spotted it.

 _He's leaving his left side open!_ Saki quickly had Zer0 thrust towards the exposed side, and Rockman was caught off-guard. In an instant, Zer0 followed up with another slash, and Rockman tried to recover, slashing back in a haphazard way. This was what Saki had been waiting for, and Zer0 executed a flawless Gokumonken, knocking Rockman off his feet.

_Not yet...we're not done yet...!_

Almost as one, Saki and Zer0 pushed forward, sword leveled. For an instant, Zer0 flickered out of view, reappearing as his blade flashed forward like a bolt of lightning across Rockman's side.

“Guhh—!” Rockman let out a strangled cry, and fell to the ground in a crumpled heap. The match was over.

Netto stared at his PET screen, dumbfounded. Saki called out to him, but Netto didn't answer, and Saki became worried that he'd gone into shock. After a moment, Netto seemed to return to his senses.

“You okay, Rockman?”

Zer0 carefully helped Rockman to his feet. “I'm alright...” he said, holding his injured side protectively. “I guess that last attack got the better of me.”

“Sure did...” Netto ran a hand through his hair. “Took me by surprise too.”

Rockman chuckled. “I'm happy to have seen Zer0 develop one of his techniques...but I'm less excited that I was on the receiving end.”

“My apologies,” Zer0 said.

Rockman shook his head. “No, no! It's fine! I'm happy that you were finally able to find your focus. It was a wonderful battle!”

Zer0 lowered his head, embarrassed. “I am...honored by your words.”

“I guess the real takeaway from this is that Zer0 and Saki are at their best when they're in sync,” Netto said, grinning. “Everything clicked into place once you started working together again. That's the kind of teamwork I love to see!”

“Th-thanks,” Saki said, feeling his face heat up. He averted his gaze from Netto, and twiddled his thumbs nervously. “But I was really just thinking about how I managed to beat Enzan at kendo, and just did what I did then.”

“That's even better!” Netto said. “There's no replacement for practical experience after all!”

Saki rubbed his nose, still embarrassed by Netto's excited praise.

“But you know, Zer0,” Rockman said, “You've come a long way from the days of our practice matches. I could hardly believe you were the same Navi as back then. You move with so much confidence, and your strikes have so much power behind them.” He smiled warmly. “I can feel all the effort you and Saki-kun made to get to where you are now with each of your moves.”

Zer0, clearly embarrassed, did not respond. Instead, he bowed his head even lower, and remained in this position for some time, until Rockman begged him to raise his head. Saki thought that he could practically see the steam rising off of Zer0 as the Navi struggled to accept the praise being heaped onto him.

Saki glanced up, and caught a dark, troubled expression on Netto's face. When Netto realized Saki was looking at him, however, he instantly put on a bright grin and pretended like nothing was wrong. Saki frowned.

“Are...you okay, Netto?”

The smile on Netto's face faltered, and Saki could see his real emotion slowly seep through the cracks.

“Ahh...I guess not. I've...never been great with losing.” The frustration was written all over Netto's face, and he let out a weak laugh. “When I think about how much progress you've made...it makes me even more angry at how far behind we've fallen.” He gave his head a little shake. “The one I'm the most angry at is myself, really.”

“Netto...” Saki felt pity for Netto, but knew that trying to comfort him would only make things worse. Netto wasn't looking for sympathy; he wanted to improve.

“I guess if I want to catch up with you, me and Rockman are going to have to start training again, like we mean it.” Netto clenched his fists, and made a serious face. “No more goofing off.”

“Don't overdo it,” Saki said. “Don't you also have college to worry about?”

At these words, Netto instantly deflated, and Saki regretted ever mentioning school.

“We can do it, Netto-kun! We'll just have to work even harder!” Rockman said, trying to salvage Netto's motivation.

“Ahh, what's the point?” Netto replied, his voice devoid of emotion. He leaned against the table, completely defeated. “College is the one enemy I just can't defeat.”

 _Hang in there, Netto!_ Saki thought.

Rockman cleared his throat. “In any case, I think that Saki-kun and Zer0 were able to replicate Fumikomizan with their own power! That's really impressive! Isn't that impressive, Netto-kun?”

Slowly, Netto returned to his usual cheerful self. “Yeah, I'll admit, that _was_ really impressive.”

Zer0 tilted his head. “While I admit that I was inspired by Fumikomizan, the end result was something else entirely.”

“More like a bolt of lightning, striking without warning,” Rockman said. “It was almost as if you had teleported!”

“A bolt of lightning...” Zer0 pondered this for a moment. “Hmm...perhaps I shall call it 'Raikousen'.”

“Ohh!” Rockman's eyes lit up. “What a great name!”

“Do you name all your techniques yourself, Zer0?” Netto asked.

“Yes,” Zer0 replied.

“Well, they certainly have your flair to them!” Netto said with a chuckle.

“They definitely sound like something a samurai would use,” Saki added.

Zer0 seemed a bit embarrassed. “I suppose I might have been inspired by samurai, yes...”

Netto and Rockman laughed, and Saki tried to suppress a grin, but failed.

“Don't worry, Zer0,” Rockman said. “You'll be a great warrior soon enough!”

Zer0 shook his head. “I still have so much left to learn. I can only hope to be as great of a warrior as yourself and Blues one day.”

The humor left Netto's face. “There's such a thing as being _too_ humble, Zer0.”

“I don't think he realizes that he's already on equal footing with all of us,” Rockman muttered.

***

“I heard that you beat up Netto and Rockman today,” Taka said to Saki, leaning over the back of the couch to annoy Saki, who had been relaxing with a book.

Saki gave Taka an irritated look. “I didn't beat anyone up! Zer0 won the match, fair and square.”

Taka flipped himself over the back of the couch, and landed on the cushions awkwardly. He squirmed into a more comfortable position before speaking. “Well, Netto sure seemed glum, so I guess he's taking it pretty hard.”

Saki sighed. “Yeah. He admitted to me that he's frustrated about stagnating. I just hope he's able to break out of it soon.” He paused, and then added, “And why didn't you just walk around the couch? Why did you have to do that?”

“It's faster,” Taka said. “And also more fun.”

“It's stupid,” Saki said.

“Just because something is stupid doesn't mean it isn't worthwhile, Saki,” Taka said with an indignant huff.

Saki shook his head. “What do you want?”

Taka looked at Saki for a moment. “I want to come over to your house.”

“Huh?” Saki gave Taka a withering look. “ _Why?_ ”

“Why do people climb mountains, Saki?” Taka said impatiently. “ _Because they can_.”

Saki frowned. “What if I said no?”

“I'd come anyway,” Taka said.

“Then why bother asking?” Saki grumbled.

Taka rolled his eyes. “Because it's the polite thing to do, _duh_.”

A deep sigh escaped Saki. “What brought this on all of a sudden?”

Taka shrugged. “I was bored, and wanted to come visit. I crave human interaction.”

Saki felt a twinge of guilt. Because he'd started working for Maha Ichiban over the summer, he'd had to stop visiting Taka once a week. It was more than likely why Taka had become so stir-crazy.

“I can't just let you come over,” Saki said, “There are rules.”

“Such as?” Taka asked.

Saki held up his hand and counted off on his fingers. “Rule number one: you have to keep it down while Mom's sleeping. She works nights, and doesn't get home until really early in the morning, so she needs all the sleep she can get. Rule number two: Michi has a curfew, and I won't let her break it. Rule number three: you can't watch anything inappropriate for Michi, so no weird anime or horror movies. Rule number four: If you bring video games over, they have to be non-violent ones. Rule number five: you have to pay for dinner since you're a guest.”

“Done,” Taka said.

“Huh?” Saki had not been expecting Taka to agree so readily to Saki's demands.

“I can do all of that, easily.” Taka seemed almost smug. “And I'm great with kids!”

“That's because you still are a kid yourself,” Saki deadpanned.

“I'm thirteen!” Taka yelled.

Saki put a bookmark in his book, and shut it. “I don't know why you want to come over, there's nothing interesting.”

“Don't care,” Taka said stubbornly.

“We only have cable,” Saki said.

“That's fine,” Taka replied.

“The apartment gets hot in the summer,” Saki warned.

“Ice cream is a thing,” Taka said.

Frustrated, Saki raked his fingers through his hair. He couldn't seem to deter Taka, so he had no choice but to give in.

 _It's just one time_ , he thought. _Just once, and then never again. It's fine, this is fine_.

“Fine,” Saki said. “You can come over.”

Taka cheered loudly, and threw his arms around Saki's shoulders. “Oh, thank you! Thank you, thank you, _thank you!_ ”

“You don't have to hug me!” Saki barked.

“Maybe I should give you a little kiss too!” Taka teased, making kissing noises at Saki, who tried to pull away in disgust.

“I take it back! You're not allowed to come to my house ever!”

“No take-backsies!” Taka said with a laugh.

***

“I'm home,” Saki called as he entered the apartment. Immediately, Saki was hit with the most awful mugginess he'd ever felt. “Ugh, it's so stuffy in here...”

Michi ran to meet him. “Welcome home!” Her eyes fell on Taka, who had entered the apartment with Saki, and she smiled.

“Hi Michi-chan!” Taka said cheerfully. “Do you remember me?”

Michi nodded enthusiastically. “You're the person who likes Magical Maidens too!”

“Yay! Michi-chan remembers me!” Taka said happily, clapping his hands.

“Michi, Taka's visiting today,” Saki explained. “Is that alright?”

“Yes!” Michi said.

Saki swiped at his forehead. “Ughhh, the house is awful right now...”

“It's been like this all day,” Michi said. “I went to Hana-chan's house earlier, and when I got back, it was even worse.” She looked upset. “I opened the windows, but it hasn't cleared out yet.”

“Mom must be melting,” Saki muttered.

Taka pumped his fist. “We'll just have to set up the fan and do our best!”

A thought occurred to Saki. “Oh no, I still have to go get groceries for dinner...”

“We can't leave the windows open if we go out,” Michi added.

“That's no good!” Taka said. He thought it over for a second. “We'll just have to leave someone here while we go out.”

Michi looked crestfallen. Saki knew that Michi had wanted to come with them, and tried to think of a solution. “Maybe we should order something instead...”

“No way!” Taka said stubbornly. “I want to eat Saki's cooking!”

“Me too!” Michi said.

Saki pursed his lips. He couldn't think of a good way to resolve everything without someone being disappointed. Finally, he shrugged.

“We can leave the window in the bedroom open, and set up the fan in there so that Mom's comfortable, at least,” Saki said. “We'll worry about airing out the house when we get back.”

“Works for me,” Taka said.

Saki moved the oscillating fan to the bedroom, and threw the window open all the way. Keiko was still fast asleep, although she was splayed out on her futon, looking incredibly uncomfortable.

 _It's hard to sleep when you're overheating_ , Saki thought. He brushed Keiko's hair out of her face, and she mumbled something in her sleep.

“We'll be back soon,” Saki whispered before standing up and leaving the bedroom. He shut the door behind him, and walked to the entryway to put his shoes back on.

“Where are we going?” Taka asked once they were outside.

“The grocery store is past the convenience store,” Saki explained, “So let's get some ice cream while we're on our way.”

“Yay!” Michi cheered. “Garigari-kun!”

“Garigari-kun?” Taka seemed confused. “Who's that?”

Saki gave Taka a look. “You're not familiar with Garigari-kun? I thought everyone knew of that brand...”

“Ehh?” Taka was shocked. “A brand I'm not familiar with?” He put a hand to his face. “I'm disappointed in myself!”

Rolling his eyes, Saki grabbed Taka's wrist and dragged him along. “I'll buy you one too, that way you can experience it for yourself.”

“But I thought _I_ was supposed to be buying food!” Taka said.

“It's my treat,” Saki said, “Since you've never had one before.”

“I'm so touched!” Taka said, tearing up. “How kind of you, Saki!”

“Don't make such a big deal out of it,” Saki muttered.

“But it _is_ a big deal!” Taka said. “You almost never get me gifts!”

Michi and Taka skipped all the way to the convenience store, with Saki walking awkwardly in the middle, holding their hands. He suddenly felt like he was a single dad, and it wasn't a pleasant feeling.

“Garigari-kun~! Garigari-kun~!” Michi and Taka sang as they got close to the store.

“Alright, I get it,” Saki grumbled. He made a beeline for the ice cream freezer, and pulled out three popsicles, handing one to Michi and one to Taka.

“Don't eat them until I pay for them,” Saki warned.

“Okay~!” Taka said.

Eager to escape an awkward situation, Saki slapped his money down on the counter, and the clerk gave him a sympathetic look.

“Want your change?” she asked.

“No, you can keep it,” Saki replied.

“Must be tough, having such rowdy siblings,” the clerk said.

 _One of them isn't even related to me_ , Saki thought, trying not to cry.

Outside, Taka and Michi eagerly unwrapped their frozen treats, and Saki sighed, trying to calm himself down. The familiar flavor of the popsicle helped, but he was still embarrassed.

Taka gave the soda-flavored popsicle a lick, and then made a happy noise. “It's so good!” he said, and gave it another lick.

“I'm glad you like it,” Saki said.

Taka looked at Saki, and a devilish grin spread across his face. Slowly, he gave the popsicle a long, loving lick up its length. Saki's face heated up, and he quickly looked away. He couldn't believe Taka's shameless behavior sometimes.

Taka laughed. “What's wrong, Saki? You look kind of bothered.”

“You're the one bothering me!” Saki yelled.

Michi gave the two boys a confused look, and Saki quickly lowered his voice.

“Think of Michi, okay?”

“Right, right, sorry, I'll behave myself,” Taka said.

“And you wonder why I won't let you come over,” Saki grumbled.

Taka looked down at Michi. “You really like Garigari-kun, huh?”

“Yeah!” Michi said. “Me and big brother and Mamma always get it in the summer.”

“Speaking of which,” Saki said, “I'll have to grab one on the way back, or Mom'll have a fit.”

Taka laughed. “It must be nice to have family traditions.”

Michi frowned. “Don't you do anything fun with your family, Taka-kun?”

“Nope,” Taka said cheerfully. “All I have left is Mamma, and she's busy all the time.”

Michi's face fell. “Oh, I'm sorry,” she said.

“It's okay!” Taka said brightly. “I can make new traditions with you guys!”

Saki said nothing, but he knew the truth: Taka was actually deeply upset, and was doing his best to hide it. He could only imagine the crushing weight of Taka's loneliness as he spent every day alone in the Wakahisa's huge house.

 _I really should be more understanding_ , Saki thought. _Of course he'd want to come over and spend time with us. Anything would be better than spending all your time alone_.

“What do you both want for dinner?” Saki asked.

Taka thought about it for a moment. “What about yakitori?”

“That sounds good!” Michi said.

“That's fine, but then what would I put with it?” Saki asked. “I can't just serve meat by itself. What about vegetables?”

“Ugh.” Taka made a face.

“How about vegetable curry?” Michi suggested.

“UGH.” Taka stuck out his tongue.

“Vegetables are good for you,” Saki said, secretly enjoying Taka's discomfort.

“Please, I just want meat,” Taka wheezed. “Just a little meat, as a treat.”

“What if we set up the charcoal grill on the patio?” Saki asked. “We could do something like grilled fish.”

Taka's interest was piqued. “What if we did shabu-shabu?”

Saki shook his head. “That's an idea, but again, I would need to pair it with something...” Something inside Saki's brain clicked, and an idea formed. “Wait, I have an idea. What about rice bowls?”

Michi looked excited. “Can we have rice bowls? Please?”

Saki grinned. “What if we did something we don't usually do? Like eel?”

Taka wiped away some drool from the corner of his mouth. “Eel sounds really good actually...”

“Then it's decided,” Saki said. “We'll make eel rice bowls.”

“Ahh, grilled eel~! I'm so excited~!” Taka said. “There's almost nothing better in the summer than grilled fish!”

“We don't get to eat eel very often,” Michi said. “I bet Mamma will be happy too!”

Everyone finished their popsicles quickly, and headed to the grocery store to buy ingredients. Saki picked out a few vegetables to add to the rice bowl, and Taka and Michi picked out the eel.

“We want the biggest, plumpest eel we can find,” Taka said. “Only the best for Michi-chan!”

“I like that one!” Michi said, pointing at a package near the back of the display. “It looks really tasty!”

“Me too!” Taka said. “And we'll get this one too, since it's equally tasty-looking.”

Everyone met back up, and Taka and Michi put their selections in Saki's basket. Saki looked them over, and nodded approvingly.

“I need a few more things, and then we can go home and start cooking,” Saki said.

“What kind of things?” Taka asked suspiciously.

“Secret things,” Saki said, wagging his finger. “You'll just have to wait and see.”

Saki scoured the store for his last few items, and then they went to pay for everything. Taka scanned his PET without a second thought, and Michi looked on with wide-eyed appreciation.

“Taka-kun is so cool!” she said.

“I'll always pay for your food when I come over, Michi-chan,” Taka said proudly.

“Taka-kun is too cool!” Michi squealed.

“You might be able to win over my sister, but my affection can't be so easily bought,” Saki said.

“One day, Saki will fall under my spell,” Taka joked.

They carried the groceries back home, stopping briefly to pick up another popsicle for Keiko at the convenience store, and dropped their bags on the kitchen counter, tired out from their walk.

“It's so stuffy, I can't stand it anymore,” Saki said, and threw open the patio doors. Immediately, a late afternoon breeze blew in, and everyone sighed with relief.

“It already feels much better in here,” Taka said.

“The poor air conditioner couldn't keep up,” Michi said.

“We can't afford to turn the air down too much,” Saki explained. “But airing out the house is just as good.”

Taka stretched loudly. “So, when do we get to grill meat?”

Saki laughed. “Give me a minute, I have to set everything up.”

The charcoal grill was in the cupboards under the kitchen counter, and the charcoal bricks were stashed away in a wooden storage box in a corner of the patio. Saki set the small grill on the patio floor, and put a layer of charcoal in the bottom, then some crumpled newspaper, and more charcoal on top. Carefully, he dropped a lit match into a gap between the charcoal pieces, and the paper ignited. After a few minutes, the charcoal began to burn, and a smoky smell filled the air.

“It already smells good,” Taka said.

Saki turned to Michi. “Can you go get the fans? We need to keep the smoke away from the apartment.”

“Okay!” Michi jumped up, and ran to retrieve two festival fans from the bedroom. She handed one to Saki, and held onto the other.

“Like this,” Saki said, showing Michi how to fan the smoke away. “Don't go too fast, or the charcoal will burn too quickly.”

Michi obediently fanned the smoke, and Saki stood up, handing the other fan to Taka.

“Huh?” Taka looked at the fan, confused. “What's this for?”

“You have to look after the grill while I'm setting up,” Saki explained.

Taka pulled a face. “But why?”

Saki frowned. “Those who don't work don't eat,” he said.

“But I already paid for dinner,” Taka whined.

“I can't do two things at once!” Saki said. “Now stop complaining, and give Michi a hand.”

“Okaayyyy,” Taka said, kneeling down next to Michi on the patio and carefully fanning at the smoke coming from the charcoal grill. Satisfied, Saki walked into the kitchen to start preparing the meal.

First, Saki washed the rice and started the rice cooker. Then, he set about cutting up the vegetables, which he put in a steamer to cook. He mixed the glaze that he would use on the eel, and then finally he was able to tackle the eel itself. He took a piece of the eel from its package, and carefully slipped the tip of his knife underneath the skin, loosening it. With a practiced stroke of his knife, he easily peeled the skin from the flesh, and a perfect fillet of eel was revealed.

From the patio, Taka clapped. 

“You can see from all the way over there?” Saki asked.

“Kind of,” Taka admitted. “But you looked really cool just now.”

Saki felt his cheeks heat up. “Thanks.”

He finished skinning the rest of the eel, and cut each fillet in half. Finally, he took the eel over to the grill, which was now at the perfect temperature, and set about cooking them.

“How did you manage to time everything so perfectly?” Taka asked.

“It's called 'time management',” Saki explained, “And it's an essential skill.”

“Sounds like a lot of work,” Taka said, pouting.

Saki sighed. “Look, chefs have a lot to deal with. If you don't manage your time wisely, you'll end up ruining a part of your dish.” He carefully checked the eel to see if it was ready to flip yet. “Part of that is _mise en place_ , which is a Lafleurian phrase that means 'everything in its place'. It basically means that you prepare all your ingredients in advance so that you aren't scrambling around looking for things or wasting time cutting stuff up while something is supposed to be cooking.”

“Mees on...” Taka stumbled over the foreign word. “Why don't they just call it 'everything in its place'? Why do they have to use such a fancy phrase for it?”

Saki laughed. “Lots of techniques chefs use are from Lefleur, so they use the Lefleurian words for them. That's all it is.”

Michi tapped her chin thoughtfully. “So you have to learn how to say things in Lefleurian if you want to be a chef?”

“Sort of,” Saki said. “I can't speak the language fluently, but I've familiarized myself with the names of dishes and techniques.”

“So you're faking it,” Taka said.

Saki bopped Taka on the head. “As if you have any room to talk. Every time you try to speak anything other than Japanese, you just end up embarrassing yourself.”

Taka pouted. “Name one time!”

Saki carefully flipped the eel pieces over. “What about that time last month, when you dragged me to Shibuya, and that one pair of tourists tried to ask for directions. You yelled, '[Yes, nice boat]' at them, and I had to rescue you so that they didn't think you were crazy.”

“It's not my fault!” Taka said. “I got confused! I thought they were asking about a cruise liner or something!”

Saki sighed. “See? You're hopeless.”

“It's okay, Taka-kun,” Michi said, “I'm not very good at Kinglish either.”

“See? Michi-chan understands me,” Taka said, hugging Michi to his chest.

Rolling his eyes, Saki started brushing the sauce onto the pieces of eel, and a strong sweet and savory scent filled the air. Taka sighed happily.

“It smells so good~!” he said. “Hurry up and cook faster, tasty eel, so I can eat you!”

“Tasty eel! Tasty eel!” Michi chanted happily.

At that moment, Keiko appeared in the patio doorway, sniffing the air appreciatively. “Ooh, that smells really good! What are we having?”

“Hi Mamma!” Michi greeted Keiko cheerfully. “We're having eel rice bowls for dinner!”

Keiko got a dreamy look in her eyes. “Eel? Oh my, I haven't had eel in a while! I can't wait!” She looked at the three children curiously. “What's the occasion?”

“Taka wanted to come over, so I made him pay for dinner,” Saki explained.

“My, how generous!” Keiko knelt down, and took Taka by the hands. “What a sweet boy. You should come over anytime you like. We'll be happy to have you.”

“Mom!” Saki yelled.

“Thank you very much, Tanaka-san,” Taka said gratefully. “I'll be sure to stop by often.”

“Cut it out!” Saki grumbled.

“Oh, it's quite alright,” Keiko said. “There's no need to be formal. You can call me Keiko-san if you like.”

“Why don't you just let him move in too?” Saki griped.

“That's not a bad idea,” Keiko said. She looked into Taka's eyes with a serious expression. “Taka-kun, may I adopt you? I'll be your mother if you like. You can even call me 'Mamma'.”

“MOM!” Saki yelled angrily. “Stop embarrassing yourself!”

Taka pretended to cry. “Oh, thank you, Mamma, I'm so happy!”

“Stop humoring her!” Saki yelled.

Michi clung to Taka's arm. “Taka-kun is my new big brother.”

Saki felt a stab of genuine disappointment, and reached out for Michi with tears in his eyes. “Michi, don't say that. Don't you love me anymore?”

“Of course I do!” Michi said. “But I also love Taka-kun too.”

Saki went back to the grill, feeling sorry for himself. It was official, he wasn't Michi's beloved older brother anymore, life was over. He might as well die.

“I think we might have gone a little too far with this joke,” Taka said.

“Saki, don't be sad, I'm sure she didn't mean it,” Keiko said, trying to cheer Saki up.

“What am I, chopped liver?” Saki asked. “Obviously, I'm not as cool as Taka, who has money and is fun and happy all the time.”

“But you can cook!” Taka said.

“Big brother makes all the tasty food I like to eat!” Michi said, throwing her arms up into the air.

“Oh, so I'm just a food dispenser then, I see,” Saki replied.

Keiko hugged Saki. “You'll always be my precious son, the one who makes me tasty festival food so that I can relive the glory days of my youth.”

“Mom, you're 32,” Saki said dryly. “You're not even old yet.” He gently pushed Keiko off of him, and pulled the eel off of the grill. “Anyway, go take a shower really quick before dinner.”

“Okay,” Keiko said, giving Saki a little peck on the cheek before she went back into the apartment. Saki felt his face heat up in embarrassment, but Taka simply gave him a look of jealousy.

“I wish a pretty girl would give me a kiss on the cheek like that,” he said.

Michi raised her hand. “I'll do it!”

“No,” Saki said quickly.

“Okay then,” Taka said, tapping his cheek, “Saki has to give me one instead.”

“No way,” Saki said. He pushed past Taka, and walked to the kitchen in order to start preparing the rice bowls.

“Ugh, rejected,” Taka said, faking sadness. He dragged himself over to the table in the sitting room, and flopped down. Michi sat down next to him, and patted his back sympathetically.

“Want me to cheer you up?” Axl asked, materializing on the table.

Taka grinned. “Do you have something in mind?”

Axl had a mischievous look on his face. “Well, as long as I get help from a certain someone...”

Zer0 appeared. “Are you perhaps referring to me?”

“Yes!” Axl said, slapping Zer0's back. “ _Just_ the man I wanted to see!”

While Saki arranged the vegetables and eel on top of the bowls of rice, Axl and Zer0 entertained Michi and Taka by performing a comedy routine.

“Boy, today sure was busy,” Axl said.

“Yes, I agree,” Zer0 said.

Axl gently slapped Zer0 in the shoulder with the back of his hand. “I bet you're hungry enough to eat a horse, huh?”

“I don't eat,” Zer0 said.

“A minor detail,” Axl said.

“I think that not being able to eat would be a much larger problem,” Zer0 pointed out.

“Okay then, if you can't eat a horse, then we'll just have to have the horse eat you,” Axl replied. “Problem solved.”

Zer0 frowned. “No, that is not a very good solution at all.”

By now, Michi and Taka were doubled over with laughter, and Saki gave the Navis a look. 

“What's with the 'straight man, funny man' routine?” he asked.

“Zer0's just so easy to tease,” Axl explained. “So I thought that I'd play that up.”

“You think you're 'All Hanshin-Kyojin' or something?” Saki asked.

“Do I sound Osakan to you?” Axl retorted.

Taka laughed. “Axl and Saki make a much better duo, I think.”

“Shut up,” Saki said. “Do you want to eat or not?”

“I do!” Taka said. 

Saki placed the rice bowls on the table, and Taka wiped at his drool. Michi folded her hands on the table in front of her, patiently waiting for Keiko to join them.

“It smells so good,” Taka moaned. “Can't I have just a little bite? Please?”

“No,” Saki said, “Wait for Mom.”

Taka sighed, and looked at his bowl longingly. Suddenly, he squinted suspiciously.

“There's vegetables in here,” he said.

“Of course there are,” said Saki, as if it was obvious.

Taka frowned. “But eel rice bowls don't _have_ vegetables.”

“Mine do,” Saki snapped. “Deal with it.”

Taka pouted. “I don't like eggplant.”

Michi tugged on Taka's sleeve. “I'll eat it for you,” she said.

“See? Michi's a good girl who eats her vegetables,” Saki said.

“Don't rub it in,” Taka grumbled.

“Don't eat his vegetables for him, Michi,” Saki said.

Keiko came into the main room, her hair damp from her shower, and sat down at the table. “Ooh, looks good!” She grinned at Saki. “Can I eat now?”

“Yes,” Saki said, “You can eat now.”

Taka quickly shoveled some rice and eel into his mouth, and made a delighted sound. Michi and Keiko also took a bite, and Saki was happy to see their satisfied expressions.

“I haven't eaten eel since last summer,” Keiko said, sighing. “It makes me think of going to a summer festival, and filling up on grilled fish and squid.”

“You sure get nostalgic over food,” Saki said.

“Food makes me think of your father,” Keiko explained. “I see a lot of him in you too.”

“Ahh, I almost forgot Dad's portion!” Saki said, getting to his feet and running into the kitchen to grab the last rice bowl he'd prepared. He set it down on the small shrine under the window, and lit a stick of incense before offering up a small prayer.

“Did you know that eel was your father's favorite?” Keiko said as Saki sat back down.

“No, I didn't,” Saki said.

Keiko chuckled. “Every time we'd go to the festivals at the shrine, he'd always get three bowls! He said he couldn't help himself.”

“He had good taste,” Taka said.

Saki narrowed his eyes at Taka. “I see you eating around your vegetables.”

Taka stuck out his tongue. “You shouldn't have put them in my bowl then!”

“At least give them a try, Taka-kun,” Keiko said. “You never know, you might like the way that Saki prepares them. And if you don't, then you don't have to finish them.”

Tentatively, Taka picked up a piece of eggplant in his chopsticks and slowly put it in his mouth. He chewed for a moment, and eventually he swallowed.

“It's okay, I guess,” Taka said. “It kind of tastes like eel.” He shook his head. “I still don't want to eat them though.”

“Good effort!” Keiko said.

Michi held out her empty bowl. “All done,” she said.

“Did you like it?” Saki asked.

“Yes!” Michi said.

“Make sure you thank Taka-kun for the food,” Keiko reminded Michi gently.

She turned to Taka, and bowed her head. “Thank you, Taka-kun, for the yummy eel,” she said politely.

“You're welcome!” Taka said cheerfully. “Next time I'm over, I'll get something else equally yummy, okay?”

Saki gathered up the dishes. “I'll get started on dessert then.”

Everyone else looked up in surprise. “Dessert?” they said.

“Yeah.” Saki scratched his head. “I thought it might be nice, since we could afford a little something extra. And it was so muggy today that I thought I'd make something special.”

Keiko's eyes lit up. “You don't mean—?!”

Saki grinned. “I sure do. It's time to pull out the ice shaver.”

Keiko clapped and giggled like a little girl. “Oh boy! Shaved ice!”

“Are you really going to make shaved ice?!” Taka asked, his eyes lit up like stars in his excitement.

“Sure,” Saki said. “I've had a lot of practice this summer, and we've had that ice shaver forever, but hardly ever use it.”

“You father bought that ages ago, when you were just a little boy,” Keiko said. “He used to use it for the firehouse fundraisers all the time.”

Saki rummaged around in the kitchen cupboards again, and pulled out a small steel unit with a crank on the top. He set it on the counter, and wiped his forehead with the back of his hand.

“That's the real deal,” Taka said in awe. “Just like a miniature version of the ones the vendors use.”

“It's going to take a lot of muscle,” Keiko said. “Are you up to the task?”

Saki flexed his arm and gave his bicep a pat. “Don't worry about me. I've had to use my arms a lot, so I'm pretty confident.”

“Okay then,” Keiko said, “But let us help you anyway.”

While Saki pulled out the ice he'd gotten at the grocery store earlier that day, Keiko pulled down bowls to put the shaved ice into. Taka and Michi looked over the syrup selections that Saki had made, while Keiko cut up some fruit for a topping.

“Here we go!” Saki said, dumping his first batch of ice into the machine, and turning the crank on the machine. It made a loud grinding noise, and slowly ice flakes fell out of the bottom and into a waiting bowl.

“It's working!” Michi cheered.

“It's also loud,” Taka said.

“But it's worth it,” Keiko said. “You'll see.”

Slowly, the bowl filled up, and when there was a heaping pile Saki stopped. He poured some flavored syrup over the ice, and then poured some condensed milk over that. He topped it all off with some cubed lychee, and handed it to Michi along with a spoon.

“One Maha Ichiban special,” he said. “Dig in!”

Michi looked at the shaved ice with wide eyes, and scooped a large spoonful into her mouth. She squealed with delight, and clapped a hand to her cheek.

“It's so cold!” she said. “And sweet! I love it!”

“Only three more to go,” Saki said. “I'll make yours next, Taka.”

As soon as Saki handed Taka his bowl, Taka was already shoveling it into his mouth. Like Michi, Taka also let out a happy squeal, and put a hand to his cheek.

“It's so good! And the fruit has such an interesting texture! It's almost like jelly.”

“Goodness, you certainly hit it out of the park, didn't you?” Keiko said to Saki.

“I can't take credit for this one,” Saki said. “Everyone at Maha got together and came up with this combination as a team.”

Keiko smiled. “What a wonderful dinner. I feel so spoiled.”

Saki laughed. “It's nice to be able to have something we don't usually get to eat.”

“I really am grateful for Taka-kun,” Keiko said. “He's been such a delight. He's taken you shopping and bought us food...and he's such a bright presence in our home. Michi has also really taken a shine to him.”

“Even I'll admit that Taka's good at talking to her,” Saki said.

Keiko leaned in close. “Still, he seems sort of sad...I wonder if things are alright at home?”

Saki turned the crank on the shaved ice maker. “The truth is, he spends an awful lot of time by himself in a big house while his mother is working.”

“That's terrible!” Keiko said, putting a hand to her mouth.

“I was going over there once a week to cook for him and keep him company, but with my summer job I haven't had time.” Saki explained. “As much as I hate to admit it, I don't mind him coming over, especially if it means that he'll pay for groceries.”

Keiko frowned. “I was only joking when I said I would adopt him, but at this rate, I might just do it.”

“Mom, please don't,” Saki said.

“I won't,” Keiko said, laughing. She smiled gently at Saki. “I can't help but notice how happy you've been lately. Could it be that you're actually enjoying life for once?”

“It hasn't been all bad,” Saki admitted.

Keiko nudged Saki in the side. “I see the way you smile at Taka-kun! You two are pretty close, aren't you?”

Saki swiped at his face to hide his embarrassment. “We're friends. I don't know if we're 'close'.” He stopped cranking the shaved ice maker, and pulled the bowl out from under it. “I dunno. I guess I'm just happy that he wants to be around me, and that he genuinely enjoys my food and stuff.” He fidgeted nervously. “Food is really important to me. You can use food to express all kinds of things that words can't. And I like how it brings people together. It's the one thing we all need, the one thing we enjoy universally.” He looked at Keiko and smiled. “I feel like that's what Dad was trying to tell me.”

Keiko looked over at Taka and Michi, who were finishing off their desserts. She looked back at Saki, and patted his cheek gently.

“You're such a good boy,” she said. “You're going to make a fine husband someday, just like your father.”

“Knock it off, Mom,” Saki said.

***

Keiko left for work as night fell, and Michi stumbled off to bed a while later, giving Saki and Taka some alone time. Taka stood on the patio, looking off at the lights of the busier part of town, his head propped up on his hand. Saki came to join him.

“It still smells like smoke out here,” Taka said.

“That's what happens when you use a grill,” Saki said. 

The boys stood in silence for a while, just watching the lights of the city twinkle far in the distance. Eventually, Saki looked up at the sky, and took a deep breath of cool summer air. When he looked back at Taka, the boy was staring at him intently, and Saki was caught off guard. He felt his cheeks heat up, and looked down at the patch of grass that grew just beyond the patio.

“Are you going to stay the night?” Saki asked.

Taka hummed thoughtfully, and shifted his weight. “I'll probably head home soon.”

“You could stay,” Saki said. His voice was shy and expectant.

Taka shook his head. “I just can't get comfortable in a bed that isn't my own.” He looked at Saki with a warm smile. “I'm sure you can understand.”

Saki nodded, but he honestly wasn't quite sure what Taka actually meant.

Taka looked up at the starry sky, and for a while said nothing. The breeze blew his bangs around, and he pushed them back absently with his hand. Saki watched Taka carefully, and took note of his relaxed expression and posture. It was the calmest Saki had ever seen him.

“Today was really fun,” Taka said. “Your family is so warm and inviting...I kind of forgot myself a few times.” He laughed. “It really made me long for when Shin was still around. I was a bit like Michi; always full of energy and constantly asking questions. But Shin never seemed to mind. He'd answer every question I had to the best of his ability, and he'd do his best to make sure I was always happy.” Taka's eyes became clouded. “I sometimes wonder if he was tired of always looking after me. He was practically my father, taking on so much responsibility so that Mamma could keep giving her all to support us.”

“I don't think so,” Saki said. “I don't think he thought of it like that at all.”

Taka stayed silent for a while. “I'm sure you're right,” he said at last.

Saki tapped the patio railing idly with his thumb. “When Dad died...it didn't happen right away, but there was a shift in how things got done around the house. I had to start keeping an eye on Michi, I had to make sure she got to school safely, and that she did her homework, and that she went to bed on time. I started making meals for everyone, getting up early to make sure everything was done on time.” He took a deep breath before continuing. “In a way, I took over some of my Dad's responsibilities...and some of Mom's too. But I never really thought about it at first. I never lamented my situation. Michi grew up not knowing her Dad, and I was the person she looked up to instead. So I just...did my best.” He looked at Taka. “That's all you can do in that situation, do your best.”

Taka nodded, as if he understood.

“It's pretty clear that he loved you a lot,” Saki continued. “It's in the way you talk about him, and in the pictures of him I saw at the beach house. He was always close to you, always smiling. I don't think someone who resented you would act that way.”

Taka clenched his fists, and closed his eyes. “You're right,” he said. “I guess I just let anxiety get to me for a moment.” He opened his eyes and looked at his hands. “You see, Shin was in high school when I was born. And Mamma hadn't been expecting me at all. If my father hadn't died, I'm sure we would have been a perfectly normal family. But instead, Shin had to find a way to look after me while also staying on top of his studies. I'm sure it wasn't easy, having a baby brother always clinging to his leg while he tried to have a normal high school life. And it's those kinds of thoughts that creep into my mind at night, when I'm trying to sleep.”

Saki reached out, and took Taka's hand in his own, giving it a gentle squeeze.

“You aren't a burden,” Saki said quietly. “I promise.”

A drop of water fell onto the back of Saki's hand, and he looked over at Taka to see him crying silently. Awkwardly, Saki stood there and continued holding Taka's hand, unsure of what else to do.

“Thanks,” Taka said, and swiped at his face with the back of his free hand. “That means a lot.”

Saki waited until Taka had stopped crying before he tried to speak again.

“Hey...Mom said it's cool if you come over again, so...you can drop by whenever you want.” He tugged on a piece of hair near his ear. “I think she's hoping to have eel again really soon.”

Taka laughed. “Maybe next time, I'll buy sea urchin.”

“Don't even joke!” Saki sputtered. “Do you have any idea how hard to clean those things are?!”

“But they're so tasty~!” Taka said.

“Cook your own sea urchin!” Saki said, playfully kicking Taka in the shin.

“Okay then,” Taka said, “Next time, I want bluefin tuna.”

“Get out,” Saki said, and punched Taka in the side.

Taka rubbed where Saki had punched him, laughing. “I'm going to tell Michi-chan that you beat me up!”

“Just try tattling, see what happens!” Saki said, and wrapped his arms around Taka before tickling him mercilessly.

As Taka howled with laughter and begged Saki to stop, Saki thought about how the most upbeat people in the world still had their own concerns, and how easy it was to offer them support simply by listening to them. It made him wonder why he'd been so closed off before. He stopped tickling Taka, and buried his face in Taka's shoulder.

“Taka,” Saki said, “I'm glad I met you.”

Taka patted Saki's arm. “I'm glad I met you too, Saki.”


	25. Required Attendance

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Netto discovers when Saki's birthday is, and Saki does his absolute best to avoid having a party

Mid July came, and with it came an oppressive heat. Taka visited more frequently, and often brought cold treats with him to share. One particular day, he came over with a watermelon, which he unceremoniously dumped into Saki's arms.

“I really felt like watermelon today,” Taka explained, kicking off his sandals in the entryway. “And it'd be too sad to eat it all by myself, so I brought it over to share.”

Saki looked down at the melon in his arms. “You could have just got a smaller one.”

Taka gave Saki a look, as if to say, 'Are you really this stupid?' and Saki suddenly realized that the melon was just an excuse to hang out.

“Taka-kun!” Michi cried, running over to meet him. Taka's face brightened, and he quickly gathered Michi up into a warm hug.

“How are you?” he asked her.

“Hot,” Michi said honestly.

Taka laughed. “Me too. Do you want some watermelon?”

Michi let out a loud cheer.

Saki gave her a weak smile. “We should chill the melon first, okay?”

Both Michi and Taka seemed to droop. “Aww, okay,” they said in unison.

Saki shoved the melon into the fridge, and Taka plopped himself down at the table in the main room. The patio door was open, and outside, a thin thread of smoke rose up from a coil of mosquito repellent inside of a pig-shaped incense burner, and a glass chime rang softly in the light breeze. Taka let out a soft sigh.

“This is so much better than my house,” he said. “For some reason, it's really hot in every room, and nothing I do can get it to cool down. I even retreated to the cellar, but there's nothing to do down there, and I can't get a wifi signal, so I gave up.”

“I didn't know you had a cellar,” Saki said.

Taka nodded. “There's a wine collection down there.”

 _I shouldn't be surprised anymore, but yet I still am_ , Saki thought.

“Well, whatever,” Taka said, leaning back on his hands. “Spending time here with you and Michi-chan is much better anyway.”

Michi giggled. “Taka-kun got lonely, didn't he?”

Taka's face blushed slightly. “Of course I did! But it wouldn't be a problem if Michi-chan would just move in with me!”

Saki brought his hand down on Taka's head with a sharp chop. Taka whined loudly.

“Stop trying to kidnap my sister!” Saki said, feeling defensive.

Taka rubbed his head and pouted. “I'm not!” He looked at Michi with a tearful expression. “Saki is really mean, don't you think?”

“Don't pick on him, big brother!” Michi chided Saki.

“I'm not,” Saki said sadly. “I'm just trying to protect you.”

Axl and Zer0 appeared on the table while everyone was arguing. With a chuckle, Axl looked at Zer0.

“Maybe we should be taking notes,” he said.

“I think that I should like to retire from comedy,” Zer0 replied.

Saki retreated to the kitchen, and checked the melon in the fridge. He felt that it needed a little bit longer, so he grabbed the jug of barley tea instead and poured himself a glass before getting glasses of ice water for Michi and Taka.

“What is that?” Taka asked, pointing at the barley tea. Saki explained what it was, and Taka made a face. “Ugh, that doesn't sound very good.”

“I don't like it either,” Michi said.

Saki sighed. “Both of you are too young to have refined palates.”

“I'm thirteen,” Taka replied irritably.

The glass chime sounded again.

Saki sighed. “It's too hot to argue about stupid things.”

“I agree,” Taka said. Grinning, he reached into his bag, and pulled out a game console. “That's why I brought this over. It doesn't take much brain power to play a game.”

Michi looked excited. “What game did you bring?” she asked.

“I brought a few,” Taka said. “Let's see, I have the Rainbow Man series, O-kami-san, and Brave Barrister. Oh, and this life sim game where you catch bugs and fish and decorate your village. It's really relaxing!”

Saki looked over the box art for the games, trying to decide what he thought he might like to try. Michi pointed at the life sim game, and said, “That looks fun! Can we play that one?”

“Sure!” Taka said. “We'll have to play on my file, though, since it's a pain to make another one.”

Taka carefully set up the console, using an adapter to plug the device into the older television set.

“I really need to upgrade your television soon,” he muttered. “This thing's a dinosaur.”

“It works just fine,” Saki said stubbornly.

Sitting back, Taka grinned. “Okay, it's all ready.” He turned on the television, and then the console. A moment later, the title screen for the game appeared, and Michi stared at it in wonder.

“I've never seen a game like this one!” she said. “All my friends have much different games that they play.”

“Like what?” Taka asked.

“Well, Ken-kun has a lot of fighting games,” Michi explained. “And Rika-chan likes role playing games.”

“This is kind of a role playing game,” Taka explained. “You take on the role of the village representative, and help to beautify everything. But there's no battles or anything like that. You just kind of spend your days however you like.”

“The characters are so cute!” Michi said. “I like the animals a lot!”

Saki quietly watched Taka teach Michi about the game. It seemed interesting, but he also felt that he might put it down after an hour or so if he tried it.

Taka's village was nicely laid out, with neat pathways leading to little parks and lavish displays. There was even a hedge maze!

“You made all of this?” Saki asked.

“Sure did!” Taka said. “It took forever! But I'm really proud of it.”

“It's so cute!” Michi said.

“There's an observation area at the highest point,” Taka explained. “I themed it after the character who comes by during meteor showers!”

“There are meteor showers?!” Michi asked, her eyes growing wide.

Taka nodded. “Yep! And fireworks shows in the summer! There's all kinds of neat things to see and do all throughout the year.”

“I wanna see that!” Michi said.

Taka laughed. “The fireworks are only on Sundays.”

Michi drooped. “Aww.”

“Hey,” Taka said, “Let's go look for bugs! The cicadas are already out in this game.”

Michi looked really excited, and then she suddenly seemed to remember something. Her expression fell, and she seemed to go rigid.

“Are you okay, Michi?” Saki asked.

“I just remembered,” Michi said in a whisper. “I have to do my summer homework.”

“Uh oh,” Saki said.

“Don't worry about it,” Taka said casually. “You have until the end of August, don't you?”

Michi shook her head. “I can't put it off! I might forget about it again!”

“What do you have to do?” Saki asked.

“I have to write a report about different summer insects,” Michi said. “We get extra credit if we include drawings of them. The teacher said we should try going out and catching them, but I don't really want to do that. I'll probably just look them up online instead.”

“That's a good idea!” Taka said. “And then you can try catching them in this game instead, so that's it's _almost_ like you caught them for real!”

“Sorry!” Michi said, clasping her hands together in an apologetic manner. “I really can't play right now. I have to finish this report so that I don't have to worry about it for the rest of the summer.”

Taka looked depressed. “Michi-chan is so responsible...” he moaned.

“Unlike some people I know,” Saki muttered.

Michi went to get her notebook and pencils from the bedroom, and Saki got up to check on the melon again, since he thought that a nice treat would probably ease the sadness of homework. This time, Saki felt that the melon was cool enough, and pulled it out of the fridge. As he set it on the counter, he tried to think about how he was going to cut it up.

“Let's just bash it open,” Taka said.

“No,” Saki said. He pulled out his biggest knife, and Taka shrank back a little bit. “I'm going to do this properly.”

With some difficulty, Saki managed to cut the melon in half before cutting each half into slices. With a sigh of relief, he looked at his handiwork and smiled.

“That was tougher than I thought it would be...but it looks like it's supposed to, and that's all that matters.”

Taka reached for a slice of the melon, and Saki slapped his hand, frowning.

“Ouch!” Taka said, rubbing his hand. “What was that for?”

“Wait until it's on a plate,” Saki said. “You're always in such a hurry.”

Saki set a few of the pieces on a separate plate for Michi, and brought them over to her.

“Thank you,” she said, taking the plate.

“Do you need any assistance?” Zer0 asked. 

Michi shook her head. “I'm okay. I'm used to looking stuff up on my own. But I'll be sure to ask for help if I get stuck.”

“Don't get juice on the keyboard,” Saki warned.

“I won't!” Michi promised. She settled down in front of the computer, and started searching for insect pictures, munching on the watermelon as she scrolled through the results.

Saki put the rest of the watermelon on the table, and Taka snatched up a piece. Saki pushed a small bowl closer to Taka.

“For the seeds,” he said.

“Wanna see how far I can spit one?” Taka asked.

“Don't you dare,” Saki said.

Saki bit into a piece of the watermelon and chewed slowly, savoring the flavor. This one was particularly sweet and very juicy.

Taka let out a deep sigh. “Summer's almost halfway over. Can you believe that?”

The thought depressed Saki a little. He'd spent quite a bit of his summer working, which was fairly normal, but he longed to be able to make more memories with his family.

“I wish I'd done more,” he said.

“There's still tons of things that you can do before summer ends,” Taka said. “Like going to an amusement park, or hitting the beach again, or going to a pool. There's also things like festivals!”

“Michi did say that she wanted to do all of those things,” Saki said.

“What's stopping you?” Taka asked.

Saki sighed. “I have to work at the beach already. And I'm still doing shifts at the restaurant, not to mention going into the Ministry of Science several times a week. My schedule is already packed.”

Taka made a face. “We keep telling you to drop that restaurant job.”

“I have my reasons to stay,” Saki said, “Even if they're stupid reasons.”

“Well then, quit the other one,” Taka said.

“I would, but they really need help,” Saki said. “They're busy almost every day.”

Taka poked Saki's arm. “Look, you're there so much that you're developing quite the tan.”

Saki looked down at his arms. Taka was right, of course, and it made him realize just how much time he'd been spending at the beach, working. He sighed.

“I couldn't stop myself from saying 'yes',” he said. “Madoi-san was really persuasive.”

Taka devoured another piece of melon before speaking. “You need to learn to put your foot down. You're too soft! You're always worried about inconveniencing others, and it gets you into trouble.”

“Maybe,” Saki said.

“Look, just quit! They'll understand!” Taka said. “Grow a spine, and stand up for yourself.”

Saki frowned. “But—”

“No buts!” Taka said, cutting Saki off.

“I need the money!” Saki whined.

“What about your paychecks from the Ministry of Science?” Taka asked. “What are you doing with those?”

“Groceries, mostly,” Saki said. “And whatever is leftover gets saved.”

“Ugh, you're so responsible!” Taka whined. “Can't you act more like your age?! You're a teenager! Go out and live a little!”

Saki stared absently at the melon rinds on the plate in front of him. Something about Taka's words got under his skin.

“What do teenagers even do?” he asked.

“Huh?” Taka seemed surprised. “Go out and have fun? Go to the movies, play games at the arcade, hang out at cafes, go shopping?” Taka shrugged. “I think making memories is a good thing. It'll carry you through the long, dreary days of being a working adult.”

“Maybe I'd have an easier time doing those things if I had friends,” Saki said with a sigh, and then quickly added, “I mean, other than just you and the others at the Ministry of Science.”

“More friends your own age is what you're trying to say,” Taka said.

“Yeah,” Saki said. “That.”

Taka put his melon rind on the plate, and folded his hands on the table in front of him. “What's stopping you?”

Saki looked at the table in shame. “I never had many friends in school.” he sighed. “It was hard to keep up with conversations. I just didn't share a lot of interests with the other boys in my class.”

“I can understand having a hard time connecting with people,” Taka said.

Saki heaved a deep sigh. “Maybe that's the other reason why I don't want to go to high school. I'm too nervous that I won't be able to fit in.”

Silence fell over the room, punctuated only by the soft typing of computer keys and the ringing of the glass chime outside. Saki turned his thoughts over and over in his head. Was he really scared of not fitting in, or was it a fear of being attacked? He had to admit that there was a lot of lingering trauma that he associated with school that he hadn't addressed yet.

“Teenagers are downright villainous,” Saki said.

Taka opened his mouth to reply, but a loud, screeching sound filled the air. Saki slapped his hands over his ears, and looked towards the computer, where the noise had originated. Michi had jumped backwards from the computer, which turned off with a loud snap, and the smell of burning plastic filled the air.

Taka dove for the computer, pushing Michi out of the way, and unplugged everything. He had a grim expression on his face as he peered into the computer tower through the air vents.

“Are you okay?” Saki asked a dazed Michi. “What happened? What was that noise?”

Saki noticed Michi trembling slightly, and pulled her close to him. She leaned against him.

“The computer broke, I think,” she said. “B-but I didn't do anything wrong, I promise!”

Saki glanced at Michi's plate, where all of her pieces of melon were accounted for. She hadn't been holding one when the computer had overloaded, so he ruled that out.

Having examined the computer carefully, Taka sat back. “No fire, thank goodness,” he said, sighing with relief. “But something in the computer is definitely fried. It could be a fuse.”

“Oh no!” Michi said sadly.

Saki sighed. “I guess we can call Netto, and see if he can come fix it. But if he isn't available, we might have to leave it for a while.”

“That's fine,” Michi said quickly. “I'm okay with not using it for a while.”

Saki and Taka exchanged curious glances, but said nothing. Saki rationalized that Michi was still shaken up by the experience, and didn't press the issue. Instead, he patted Michi's head, and moved her things over to the table.

“You can have Zer0 help you with the rest,” he said.

“Okay,” Michi said. “Thank you.”

“It's a sign,” Taka said. “The universe is trying to tell you to just forget about your homework for now.”

Michi let out a tiny laugh.

“That was quick thinking, unplugging everything,” Saki said.

Taka waved his hand. “I'm used to computers. They overheat from time to time, and you have to cut off the power supply before they catch fire. Electronics are sensitive, you know.”

“I've noticed,” Saki said.

Taka stood up. “I'll contact Netto. You stay here with Michi.” And with that, he walked out onto the patio, and shut the door behind him.

Saki ran a hand up and down Michi's back. “Feeling better?”

She nodded. “That was really scary.”

“It scared me too,” Saki said. “That noise was incredible. My ears are still ringing.” He looked at the dark computer screen, and frowned. “I wonder what caused the computer to act like that?” 

Michi shook her head. “I don't know.”

Saki shrugged. “Maybe it was the heat. Or maybe the computer is just old.”

“That's probably it,” Michi murmured.

Saki heard Taka talking to someone for a few moments, after which he came back inside with a smile on his face.

“Netto says that he'll be by in a little while. He thinks he has an idea of what it was.”

“Oh yeah?” Saki asked. “At least he knows.”

The door to the bedroom slid open, and Keiko poked her head out, rubbing at her eyes sleepily. “What was that noise?”

“Oh, Mom!” Saki felt guilty. “Did it wake you up? We're sorry.”

“The computer made it,” Michi said. “And then the computer died.”

“Oh no!” Keiko said.

“Netto's coming over to fix it,” Taka said reassuringly. “Everything is under control, so you can go back to bed.”

Keiko seemed to consider this for a moment. “Mmm, no, I think I'll get up.” She yawned loudly. “I might have nightmares about the house burning down if I try to go back to sleep.”

 _Don't remind me about how close that was just now_ , Saki thought anxiously.

Taka motioned to the watermelon slices on the table. “Did you want some watermelon? We saved you a few pieces!”

 _Liar_ , Saki thought. _You were totally going to eat all of those yourself_.

Keiko cleaned herself up and got dressed while Michi went back to her homework, and Taka forced Saki to try one of his video games. It was about a wolf kami who had to use ink to repair pieces of the world, and while the concept itself was interesting, Saki was especially impressed by the graphics, which all looked like ink paintings.

“The spirit of the peach tree is pretty,” Keiko said as she munched on her watermelon.

“Pretty well endowed, you mean,” Axl said with a snicker.

“I wish I looked like that,” Keiko said with a sigh. She pushed her boobs together with her hands, pouting. 

Saki felt a rush of embarrassment, and covered up Taka's eyes. “Mom! Please!”

“It's not like he hasn't seen boobs before!” Keiko said. “He has a mother too!”

“You act like you're still in your teens!” Saki said angrily. “Can't you be a little more modest?!”

“I don't mind,” Taka said calmly.

“Don't encourage her,” Saki growled.

***

It was late afternoon before Netto arrived. Saki had just come back from grocery shopping, and was getting ready to make dinner when there was a knock on the door. He opened it to find Netto grinning at him, carrying a huge sports bag.

“Heard you're having some computer trouble,” he said.

Saki opened the door wider, and let Netto inside. “We sure are.”

Netto entered the apartment. “It seems like forever since I was last here.”

“Sorry you have to come by so often,” Saki said apologetically.

Netto waved his hand. “Don't worry about it.” He kicked off his shoes, and walked towards the main room. “I like visiting.”

“Hello!” Keiko greeted Netto warmly.

“Hello!” Michi echoed.

“Hey!” Netto gave them both a wide grin. “Sorry to intrude.”

“You're not intruding,” Taka said. “Saki was just getting ready to make dinner, actually.”

Saki gave Taka an angry look.

Netto looked at Saki expectantly. “What are you making?”

“Somen,” Saki replied.

Netto sighed happily as he put his bag down on the floor near the computer. “Cold noodles on a hot day? That sounds amazing.”

Saki sighed deeply. “I suppose you can stay for dinner then.”

Netto looked delighted by Saki's invitation. “Sounds great, thanks!”

After a moment, Netto set to work opening up the computer and looking around inside. He made a few thoughtful noises, and scratched his head.

“Do you know what's wrong?” Keiko asked.

“Looks like a few of the fuses are blown,” Netto replied. “There might be an issue with the power supply. I'll replace the fuses first, and see if that helps.”

He pulled a small screwdriver out of his bag, and set about taking the old fuses out. Michi watched him work, carefully leaning over to see what he was doing.

“Can you believe it's already mid July?” Taka asked Netto.

“I sure can't,” Netto said. “Time flies when it's hot.”

“Is it already mid July?” Keiko asked. “Goodness! That means it's almost Saki's birthday!”

Saki froze. His mother had spoken the forbidden words.

Netto and Taka snapped around to face Keiko.

“What was that?” Netto asked.

“What did you say?” Taka asked.

Keiko stared at them with confusion. “I said that it's almost Saki's birthday.”

Netto and Taka glared at Saki. 

“Why didn't you say anything?” Taka said.

“It's not that big of a deal,” Saki said.

“Of course it's a big deal!” Netto said angrily. “ _All birthday celebrations are mandatory!_ ”

Saki felt his face heat up. “I don't even _like_ my birthday! It's just like any other day, and it doesn't mean anything, really.”

Taka wore a look of betrayal. “Saki! How could you say that?!”

“That's right!” Netto added. “Birthdays are a celebration of everything you've achieved! You just _have_ to celebrate them!”

Saki shook his head. “No, I don't.”

Keiko sighed. “He's always been like this. Every year, he insists that we don't celebrate his birthday, even though he always makes sure to celebrate ours.”

“ _MOM!_ ” Saki yelled. “Stop saying unnecessary things!”

“He always makes Michi a cake, every year,” Keiko went on, completely ignoring Saki. “Always by hand. It's just the sweetest thing.”

Saki covered his face with his hands. He felt mortified.

“Aww!” Taka cooed affectionately at Keiko's explanation. “Saki's just a big ol' softy!”

“It's a crime that he won't celebrate his own birthday,” Netto said, clenching his fists. “This calls for drastic measures!”

“No, it doesn't!” Saki barked. “I'm dead serious! No one is going to celebrate my birthday, and that's final!”

Everyone seemed crestfallen at Saki's outburst.

Saki pointed a finger threateningly at Netto. “Swear, Netto. Swear that you won't try anything funny. Don't you dare try to throw me a birthday party. Swear that you won't.”

For a moment, Netto sat still, not saying anything. Finally, he lifted his hand, and with a solemn expression, said, “I promise that I won't throw you a birthday party, Saki.” 

“Good,” Saki said. He pointed at Taka next. “You too. Swear you won't.”

“Sure, sure,” Taka said indifferently. “I promise I won't.”

No one spoke for a long moment. Finally, Saki relaxed, and turned back to making dinner.

“So what day is his birthday anyway?” Netto asked Keiko.

Saki glared daggers at Netto. “ _What did I just say?!_ ”

“You made me promise not to throw a party,” Netto said. “Not that I couldn't ask what day it was.”

“It's July 18,” Keiko said.

“ _Mom!_ ” Saki gave Keiko an exasperated look.

“Oh Saki, don't be so stubborn,” Keiko said. “Your friends want to do something nice for you! Why won't you let them?”

“Because my birthday doesn't need to be celebrated,” Saki said. “It's just another day. I'm probably going to be working anyway, so there's no point.”

“Working on your own birthday?!” Taka said with a gasp. He put a hand to his chest in disbelief.

Netto pinched the bridge of his nose. “I don't know why you hate your own birthday so much, Saki, but I'm not just going to sit around and let you waste that day! It only comes once a year!”

Saki turned back to making food, and ignored Netto. He couldn't understand why anyone would care how he celebrated his own birthday. Wasn't it supposed to be _his_ birthday? He could acknowledge it however he liked, and he chose to pretend it didn't exist.

Netto returned to swapping out fuses in the computer, while Taka pulled out his PET and started typing furiously. Saki was pretty sure he knew what Taka was doing: he was contacting someone and trying to set up a party, despite promising not to.

 _Damn it, I just can't trust them_ , Saki thought angrily. _Well, whatever they're planning, I'm not going to let it happen. There's no way I'll let them waste their time throwing me a party_.

***

“Turns out that it was a bad power unit,” Netto explained as he put the side panel back on the computer tower. “It must have shorted out, and blown the fuses. Thankfully, I suspected as much, and brought a spare, so it's all fixed.”

“That's great,” Saki said happily. “Now you can finish your report, Michi!”

Rather than look happy, Michi seemed nervous. She tried to smile, but Saki could tell that it was forced. Saki briefly wondered what was wrong, but reasoned that she might still feel guilty about the damage, and that he should let it go.

“Oh, that's wonderful,” she said. “Thank you so much, Netto-kun.”

“Yes, thank you,” Keiko said. “You're always lending us a hand.”

Netto grinned. “It's my pleasure!”

Saki leaned over, and tried to sneak a glimpse at Taka's PET. The boy noticed, however, and quickly tilted it away.

“What?” Taka asked.

“Are you trying to set up a birthday party, even though I asked you not to?” Saki asked bluntly.

Taka stared at Saki with a withering expression. “For your information, I was contacting someone on Freebay about making a trade. They have a model kit I've been looking for, so I'm going to trade it for an extra figurine I bought months ago by accident.”

Saki narrowed his eyes. “How do you 'accidentally' buy an extra figurine?”

Taka sighed. “I ordered it, but there was an error when I went to pay for it. I thought that the purchase hadn't gone through, so I hunted it down in a store instead. But a month later, the figurine arrived at my door. Apparently, the purchase had gone through anyway.”

“Wouldn't you have noticed when you looked at your bank statements?” Saki muttered.

Taka shook his head. “I buy a lot of things. It's hard to keep track of them all.”

 _Everyone should have such problems_ , Saki thought bitterly.

Netto picked up his bag. “I should probably be going.”

“So soon?” Keiko asked.

“Yeah,” Netto said. “I have a lot of work to do for my class. But thanks for dinner, it was delicious!”

Taka stretched. “I should probably leave soon too.”

“Really?” Michi asked.

“I want to make sure I'm not walking home in the dark,” Taka explained. 

Saki frowned. He was convinced that the two of them were actually leaving to go plot his birthday party in secret.

“You could stay over,” Saki said.

“We don't mind,” Keiko added.

Taka smiled. “That's very kind of you. But like I told Saki a while back, I can't really sleep well in a bed that isn't my own.”

“Well, okay then,” Keiko said. “Be careful on your way home!”

“Come on,” Netto said to Taka. “I'll walk you to the station.”

Saki walked the two boys to the door. As they put on their shoes, Saki made eye contact with them, and motioned that he was watching them closely. In response, they shrugged, giving Saki a confused look.

 _I just know that they're planning something_ , Saki thought. _But I can't prove it. And it's going to drive me insane if I keep thinking about it_.

After Netto and Taka left, Saki flopped down on the floor in the main room and sighed.

“Are you still upset that I told them when your birthday is?” Keiko asked.

“A little,” Saki admitted. “I'm more upset by the fact that they're going to try to plan a party, no matter how hard I protest.”

“Cheer up, sweetheart,” Keiko said. “At least they love you enough to throw you a party!”

Saki sighed, and turned away.

“You used to love your birthday,” Keiko said sadly. “I wonder when that changed...”

***

The eighteenth quickly approached, and Saki found himself on edge. He found himself jumping at shadows, and listened intently to the conversations of everyone around him, trying to catch someone in the act of plotting his birthday party. It was so bad that his sleep started to suffer.

 _I don't know why I'm so worked up over this_ , Saki thought. _It's just a stupid party for a stupid day. But that's the problem: it's just a stupid day. There's no real significance to it. Why anyone would go out of their way to celebrate it is beyond me_.

He woke up on the morning of the eighteenth, and rolled back over. His only shift that day was a night shift at Argenterie, so he had no real reason to get up yet. But despite his best efforts, Saki could not go back to sleep. He tossed and turned, and buried his face in his pillow, but to no avail. He was now wide awake, and keenly aware of the sweet scent of something cooking.

 _What is that...?_ Saki thought. He took a deep sniff, trying to place the scent. _Pancakes...?_

Crawling out of bed, Saki slid the door to the bedroom open, and spotted his mother and sister in the kitchen. Keiko was standing at the stove, wearing an apron and holding a spatula. Michi was standing next to her, and the two of them were singing a nonsensical song together.

“ _Pancakes~! Pancakes~! Fluffy, fluffy pancakes~! Full of air and full of love~!_ ”

Saki shuffled over to the kitchen, unwilling to disturb them.

“Time to flip it!” Keiko said happily. “Are we ready?”

“Yes!” Michi said.

Keiko and Michi counted down together. “One, two three! Flip!” With a practice hand, Keiko flipped the pancake over, and smiled.

It was Michi who noticed Saki first. She looked over at him with wide eyes. “Oh, good morning, big brother!” she said cheerfully.

Keiko turned to look at him. “Good morning, birthday boy!”

Saki cracked a weak smile. “Good morning.”

“We're making pancakes!” Michi said.

“I noticed,” Saki replied.

Keiko lifted the finished pancake out of the pan, and set it on a plate. The pancake was very thick, and looked very soft. It jiggled slightly as Keiko slid the plate away from the hot pan.

“Since you're so reluctant to celebrate, we decided to make breakfast instead,” Keiko explained. “And Michi thought that pancakes would be a nice treat.”

“They're so big!” Saki said. “They look just like the ones in those cute cafes in Shibuya.”

“Zer0 found a recipe for them online,” Keiko said, ladling more batter into the pan. “They're not that hard to make, they just require a little elbow grease.” She leaned towards Saki, and whispered, “The secret is air. You beat your egg whites until they're really fluffy.”

Saki smiled. He was genuinely touched by Michi and Keiko's thoughtful gesture.

“Thanks, Mom,” he said. He glanced around. “Do you need help making the s—?”

Keiko pointed to the table. “Uh uh. Go have a seat. I won't have the birthday boy working on his own birthday breakfast.”

“That's right!” Michi said, putting her hands on her hips.

Saki laughed. “Okay, okay, I get it.” He walked over to the table, and sat down.

Keiko carefully flipped the pancake in the pan. “You slept in. Is everything okay?”

“Yeah.” Saki ran his fingers through his hair, trying to de-tangle it a little. “I've been so worked up over the idea of my friends throwing me a party that I haven't been sleeping well. I guess I was just tired.”

“That's understandable.” Keiko gave Saki a gentle smile. “But why do you think you hate the idea of a party so much?”

“You made a big fuss the other day,” Michi noted.

Saki sighed. “I dunno. I just hate the idea of people wasting time and money on me over something as stupid as my birthday. The thought makes me...itchy.”

Keiko laughed. “'Itchy'? How odd!”

“I'm already anxious about money all the time,” Saki said. “I'd rather people just spent that money on something else.”

Keiko hummed thoughtfully. “Maybe the real reason you hate the idea of people spending money on you for your birthday is that you think you don't deserve it. Which is _absolutely_ not true, by the way.”

Saki sighed. “I've never really had many friends, so it's possible that I got used to never having people celebrate other than you and Michi.” He glanced over at the shrine under the window. “And Dad.”

“He used to make such a big fuss, I remember,” Keiko said with a far-off look in her eyes. “He'd always make you a big cake, and put up streamers and balloons, and insist on getting you more than one present.”

“He sure liked to spoil me,” Saki said. “I wonder if he would have done the same for Michi?”

“More than likely,” Keiko said with a laugh. “The day she was born, he ran through the hospital, yelling about how beautiful she was. And he would show off her picture to anyone willing to look. It was clear that he loved her very much.” She put the pancake in the pan on a plate, and turned the stove off. “Knowing him, he would have spoiled you both rotten.”

Saki sat in silence, staring at the table. He could remember his father's reaction to Michi's arrival in the house, and for a few days, Saki had felt worried that his father might not love him as much anymore. But when he'd said this to his father, the man had simply laughed, and yanked Saki into a bear hug.

“ _Of course I still love you!_ ” his father had said. “ _How could I stop loving you? Now there's two of you to love! You see, I'm not dividing my love, I'm multiplying it!_ ”

“Dad was pretty dumb,” Saki said, his lips twitching into a smirk. “He said the dumbest things sometimes.”

Keiko laughed. “He sure did! You should have heard how he proposed!”

Michi hesitantly walked over to Saki, and stared into his face anxiously. When Saki returned her gaze, she shifted on her feet.

“Umm...maybe the reason you hate your birthday so much is because Papa isn't here to spoil you anymore.”

Saki looked at Michi, feeling dumbstruck. He didn't really know how to respond. While it was true that he sort of missed his father, Saki had moved on a long time ago. He scratched his head, and tried to form a response.

“Well...maybe that's a little bit true. But I think the real reason is probably that...I want to save that money people would spend on me, and spend it on you instead.”

Michi frowned. “Why?”

Saki chuckled. “Why? Because you're still a kid, and you deserve stuff like lavish birthday parties. You deserve to have a little magic in your life while you're still young.”

“But so do you!” Michi argued.

Saki shook his head. “I'm older, Michi. I'm at the age where I'd be expected to start thinking about my future, to stop daydreaming and get serious.” He sighed. “There's no time for joy when you're busy preparing for your future. And I'm especially busy! I have to work really hard to make sure everyone at home is happy and healthy.”

“Bzzt!” Keiko said, holding up her arms in an 'x' shape. “Wrong. You're still a kid, and you deserve to have some magic in your life too!” She put her hands on her hips. “Besides, you're not the only one trying to support us. I work very hard too, you know! I pay the rent and the bills, and I make sure you have clothes on your backs and everything you need day-to-day.” She puffed up her chest with pride. “Maybe things are a little tight, but I'll have you know that I've been saving for years now! I have a pretty big nest egg, a really good start on what I'd need to put you both through school.” She sighed and dropped her arms. “It's not good to think that you're the only one trying to support us, Saki. Let the grown-ups handle the hard stuff. Focus on being a kid.”

“But I'm the one buying all the food!” Saki argued.

“Yes, and I'm very grateful for that,” Keiko said. “But I wouldn't mind if you started using your earnings to, say, pay your way through high school instead, or pay for things that _you_ want.” She shook a fist at Saki. “If I have to smack some sense into you, I will!”

“You wouldn't actually hit me, would you?” Saki asked.

Keiko let her fist drop. “No, of course not.” She smiled. “Well, whatever. Enough of all this talk. Let's eat these pancakes before they get cold!”

Michi threw herself on Saki, and gave him a big hug, yelling, “No more sad feelings!” Saki laughed, and they tumbled backwards onto the floor.

“Okay, okay! I surrender!” Saki said. “You win. I won't be sad anymore.”

Michi crawled off of Saki. “Good,” she said, and straightened up before running back into the kitchen to help Keiko put the finishing touches on their breakfast.

“Ta-da~!” Keiko said as she put a plate with two fluffy pancakes down in front of Saki. They were covered in red syrup, a dollop of whipped cream, and a whole strawberry. Saki's eyes widened with disbelief.

“You both made these?!” Saki asked. He looked at his mother and sister in turn. “Thank you.”

“Go on, dig in!” Kieko said happily. “Tell me how good they are!”

Saki quickly cut off a piece of the pancakes, and popped it into his mouth. He chewed, and let the flavors develop in his mouth. He then swallowed, and grinned happily.

“It's so good!”

“Yay!” Keiko and Michi cheered, giving each other a high-five. “We did it!”

“You're going to eat too, right?” Saki said. “I'd feel bad if I was the only one eating.”

“Of course!” Keiko said. “But we wanted you to have the first bite, since it's your birthday and all.”

“Happy birthday!” Michi cheered.

Saki laughed. “This might be my favorite birthday yet.”

***

One of the female servers at Argenterie looked at Saki with concern. “Are you okay? You seem a little pale...”

Saki laughed nervously. “Huh? Really?” He touched his cheek, and sighed. He did feel a little bit clammy. “I suppose I am. I'm just really anxious about going home after my shift...”

“Why's that?” the server asked.

“I'm positive that my friends are trying to organize a surprise birthday party for me,” Saki said. “I've been trying to prevent it from happening, but I suspect my Mom might be in on it.”

“Ehh?!” The server looked shocked. “Is it your birthday, Tanaka-san?! I had no idea!”

Saki glanced around at the rest of the staff, who had stopped what they were doing and were staring at him with surprise. Feeling even more anxious than before, Saki forced a smile.

“Oh, it's okay. I don't really make a big deal out of my birthday, so I never really tell anyone when it is.”

“Ah, I see.” The server put a hand to her chest and sighed with relief. “I was scared that I had forgotten about it.” She looked at Saki again, this time with curiosity. “But why don't you want your friends to throw you a party?”

“Oh, well,” Saki said, “It's just that I rather hate people making a big deal out of my birthday. I especially hate it when people try to throw impromptu parties.”

As Saki spoke, out of the corner of his eye he saw a male server exit the kitchen and walk towards him, a covered plate in his hand. Upon hearing Saki's statement, he turned on his heel and walked right back into the kitchen again.

“Oh, that's too bad,” the female server said. “I'm sure they would have been really excited to do something special for you.”

Saki pursed his lips for a moment. “I suppose.”

Just then, one of the sous chefs burst out of the kitchen, the covered plate from before in his hand. He marched right over to Saki, stating, “I heard it was your birthday, Tanaka-san!”

“Wait!” the male server from before said as he chased down the sous chef, frantically trying to stop him. “He doesn't—!”

But the sous chef didn't listen, and put the plate down on the counter in front of Saki. With a flourish, he lifted the lid to reveal a piece of cheesecake with a single unlit candle in it.

 _Oh boy_ , Saki though. _Here we go_.

Lighting the candle, the sous chef launched into a round of 'Happy Birthday', and the servers joined in. Saki buried his face in his hands, mortified.

“Make a wish!” the sous chef said. “And blow the candle out!”

Saki glared at the candle, and thought, _I hope that I never have to suffer through this kind of stupid pandering ever again_. And then he blew the candle out.

The whole restaurant clapped. Saki wanted to drop through the floor.

***

The brakes on Saki's bike let out a small shriek as he came to a stop in front of a familiar ramen restaurant. He got off his bike, and trudged inside.

“Welcome!” the owner said, and then recognized Saki. “Ahh, Saki-kun! What brings you in so late?”

Dropping onto a stool at the counter, Saki sighed. “I'm hiding.”

“Hiding?” the owner asked. “From what?”

“My friends,” Saki said, laying his head on the counter.

The owner laughed. “Oh, now I _have_ to know why!”

Saki closed his eyes. “My friends are trying to throw me a surprise party,” Saki said.

At this, the owner let out a great belly laugh. His wife poked her head out of the kitchen to see what all the fuss was about, but after determining that it wasn't anything important, she went back to work.

“I have never heard anyone say that they did not want a party from their friends before,” the owner said, wiping at his eyes. “Do you truly hate the idea so much?”

“No,” Saki admitted. “It's more like...I don't want them to go through all the effort.”

“Ahh, I see, I see.” The owner nodded. “But if you do not go, then their efforts are wasted. Don't you think that would be even worse?”

Saki frowned. “I guess. But I never asked for this in the first place!” He sighed. “It's bad enough that my co-workers embarrassed me tonight, I don't want a second helping.”

The owner patted Saki's head affectionately. “Ahh, it is a curse to be so loved.”

Saki sat back up. “It's not like they actually like me or anything! I think they felt obligated, which is silly. And as for my friends, they clearly just want an excuse to throw a party.”

The owner crossed his arms. “I can see that arguing won't change your mind, so I will simply say this: it is only when a man acquires everything that he suddenly sees the things that he cannot buy. Sometimes the greatest treasures are the simplest and easiest to ignore.”

“So you're saying that I should be happy that my friends are wasting time and money on me?” Saki asked.

“No, not wasting,” the owner said. “ _Investing_.”

Saki sat there, thinking about this for a long moment. It was such a simple thing to say, but it gave Saki an entirely new perspective. He'd been so wrapped up in believing that it was a waste of money to celebrate something trivial that he'd forgotten the thing being celebrated: himself. They weren't celebrating out of obligation, but rather from a place of love and kindness. He felt tears sting his eyes.

“I guess I'd forgotten that I'm worth more than how hard I can work,” he whispered.

At that moment, the sound of car doors slamming shut outside made Saki and the ramen shop owner look towards the door, where a moment later two men entered. Saki immediately recognized Laika, but the other man next to him—a tall man with long, pale hair wearing a black suit—was someone Saki wasn't familiar with.

“Laika?” Saki asked. “What are you doing here?”

Without answering Saki's question, Laika and the man in the suit walked over, put a hand under each of Saki's arms, and lifted him to his feet before dragging him out of the restaurant and to a waiting black town car.

“H-hey!” Saki protested loudly.

The man in the suit opened the car door, and both men shoved Saki inside. Laika slid in after him, and the door shut behind him. A moment later, the man in the suit slid into the driver's seat, and the car took off.

Once he'd recovered from his shock, Saki looked around, and realized that Enzan was in the car as well. The two locked eyes, and Saki felt a rush of heat to his face.

“What the hell was that about?!” Saki snapped.

Enzan knitted his fingers together, and smirked. “If you hadn't tried to run, then this wouldn't have had to happen.”

Saki felt his temper flare up. “This is kidnapping!”

“Hardly.” Enzan leaned forward, and with an incredibly menacing voice as he said, “If I wanted to kidnap you, then I would have.” 

Saki felt a shiver run up the length of his spine.

Enzan smiled. “In any case, we're already behind schedule, so if you could just cooperate, that would make my life so much easier. I've already put so much time and effort into this as it is.”

 _So they forced Enzan to plan the party instead!_ Saki thought angrily. _What a_ _stupid_ _loophole!_

Saki looked at Laika, who sat with his arms crossed, not making eye contact with anyone.

“Sorry you got roped into this too,” Saki told him.

Laika snorted. “You'd better be sorry.”

“Don't be like that, Laika,” Enzan said. “You seemed fairly content to play your part in all of this when I brought it up originally.”

“Probably because he got to scare the crap out of me in the process,” Saki muttered.

Enzan sighed. “If you want to blame someone, blame Netto. He's relentless when it comes to people's birthdays. No matter how hard you try to avoid them, he finds you anyway.” There was a glassy look in Enzan's eyes, as if remembering something traumatic. “He always finds you.”

“What's the deal with him and birthdays anyway?” Saki asked, crossing his arms angrily.

“Something about always having a reason to celebrate them,” Laika grumbled. “I honestly don't know what he's going on about.”

“Believe me, I understand how you feel about birthdays,” Enzan said with a sigh. “They're so pointless to celebrate. It's just another day. Doing anything more than acknowledging it is too much.”

“That's exactly how I feel!” Saki said.

“But Netto's different. He refuses to let a year go by without celebrating someone's accomplishments. I think deep down he just wants a reason to have a party, but he's always so exuberant about the whole thing that it's infectious.”

“I don't want people to waste money on me!” Saki whined. “I appreciate the sentiment, but all I really need is a 'happy birthday!' Anything more than that is gratuitous.”

“Too late for that,” Enzan said.

The car pulled to a stop, and Enzan pulled a black piece of cloth out of his vest.

“I need you to put this on,” he explained. “Even if you already know about the party, everyone still wants there to be a little bit of a surprise.”

Saki sighed, and did as he was told. He tied the blindfold on with a secure knot, and allowed himself to be led out of the car by someone with a firm grip (more than likely Laika). From the route Saki walked, he was fairly certain that they were leading him to his apartment, which was a bit of a relief. He didn't think he would have wanted to go somewhere else for a party. At least at home, he could hide in the closet if things got to be too much.

The door was opened, and Saki was steered inside before the blindfold was removed. Before his eyes could properly adjust, there was a loud 'pop!' and he was showered in confetti. A few more pops followed suit, and Saki realized that people were setting off party poppers. He stared in shock at the people who had met him in the doorway.

“HAPPY BIRTHDAY, SAKI!” they all cried.

Saki pulled some of the strands of confetti out of his hair as he made note of everyone present. There was Netto, of course, and Taka, his mother and Michi, but Saki was surprised to see Netto's mother as well. Haruka gave him a warm smile, and took him by the hands.

“Happy birthday, dear,” she said. “When Netto told me, I knew I just had to make you a cake.”

“You really didn't have to go through the trouble,” Saki said.

“Oh, but I did!” Haruka said. “I just love helping people celebrate their birthdays. It's such a happy occasion!”

“I was so surprised when Haruka-san showed up,” Keiko said. “Why, I haven't seen her in _years!_ ”

Saki blinked in surprise. “You two...know each other?”

“I haven't seen Keiko-chan since...oh, since we were both in that bike gang together!” Haruka said with a laugh. “She was in middle school, I think.”

Haruka-san was the coolest person I've ever known,” Keiko said, sighing dreamily. “I really admired her.”

Saki shook his head. “This can't be real.”

Netto leaned in. “Trust me, it is. She has pictures.”

“I met my husband while I was in that gang,” Haruka said. “I accidentally hit him with my bike. He was fine, of course, but we talked for a long time while we were in the hospital waiting room. It turned out we had a lot in common, and we started dating soon after that.”

“She quit the gang too,” Keiko said sadly. “We understood, of course, but it wasn't the same without her. I quit shortly afterwards.”

“This is information I never wanted to know,” Saki said.

“It's a small world,” Netto said.

Taka latched onto Saki's arm. “Anyway, don't just stand in the doorway! Come inside and open up your presents!”

“There are _presents?!_ ” Saki asked, feeling anxiety churn in his gut.

Netto clapped his hand on Enzan's shoulder. “Nice work tracking him down. Where was he?”

“Hiding out at the ramen shop,” Enzan explained. “It was the first place anyone would think of.”

“I knew you were the right person for the job,” Netto said.

Enzan flicked his bangs. “Playing the villain is the only thing I'm good at, I suppose.”

 _Probably because you might actually be one_ , Saki thought. _That threat in the car was a little too real for my liking..._

Taka dragged Saki over to the table, and forced him to sit down before motioning to a small pile of presents on the floor next to him. Saki felt his chest constrict.

“That's too many,” he wheezed.

“There's only one from each of us!” Taka insisted. “Well, except Laika. He said he couldn't afford one, but that his 'presence' was the real gift.”

“Thanks, Laika,” Saki said. “You're the only one who truly understands me.”

Laika shrugged. “The fact that I'm here at all is a miracle.”

“Open your presents!” Taka insisted. “Hurry up!”

“Fine, fine,” Saki snapped, grabbing a gift off the top of the pile. “Don't rush me.”

The gift was from Netto, and it turned out to be a book about all the different techniques used in Lafleurian cooking. Saki stared at it in shock.

“Where did you find this?” Saki asked.

“I tracked it down with Taka's help,” Netto explained. “He's incredible at locating things online! It took him five minutes, even though I'd been looking for days before that.”

Saki smiled. “Thank you. It's incredibly thoughtful.”

The next present, from Enzan, also turned out to be a book. It was a detailed history of sword techniques, complete with diagrams of the different forms.

“I would say this is thoughtful,” Saki said, “But it also feels as if you're trying to tell me that I need more practice.”

“You do,” Enzan said.

Saki's pride was wounded. “Thanks,” he said through his teeth.

“This one's from me,” Taka said, forcing a present into Saki's hands. Ripping off the paper, Saki saw that it was also a book, this time a book of poems.

“'Floating the River in Melancholy',” Saki said, reading the title out loud. “I've heard of this one! It's supposed to be really good.”

“I asked around, and had this book recommended to me a bunch,” Taka said. “And I remembered that it wasn't part of your collection yet, so I got it for you.”

Saki felt touched. “Thank you, Taka. I really mean that.”

The next present was from Keiko, which turned out to be a small charm. He flipped the small envelope of red brocade over in his hands, trying to read what was written on it.

“It's for safety,” Keiko explained. “So you don't have to worry about all of us so much.”

Saki smiled, feeling himself get a little misty-eyed. He hugged Keiko tightly.

“Thank you,” he whispered to her. “I love you.”

“I love you too,” Keiko said.

“Aww!” Netto cooed affectionately.

Michi was the last one to give Saki a present. Saki carefully tore open the wrapping paper to reveal a small doll made out of felt and yarn that looked a little bit like Zer0.

“Did you make this?” Saki asked Michi.

She nodded happily. “Do you like it?”

“I love it.” He hugged Michi tightly. “I love it, and I love _you_ so, so much!”

She's been working on it for a while now,” Keiko explained. “Her teacher showed the class how to make dolls, and Michi thought it might be a good present, so she worked on this doll for months.”

Saki cried, despite his best efforts not to. “I'm so touched! You worked so hard, and I'm so proud of you!”

“Oh!” Netto snapped his fingers. “I just remembered that Meijin-san asked me to give you this.” He pulled something out of his pocket, and tossed it to Saki. Opening his hands, Saki saw that it was a gachapon. Curious, Saki opened up the plastic orb to find a tiny Rainbow Man figurine.

“He said it was an extra, so you could have it,” Netto explained.

Saki frowned. “Even his gifts are lazy.”

Haruka looked around. “I think that's all the gifts then. Shall we have some cake?”

Saki sighed. “Do I have to blow candles out? I've already done that once today.”

“Yes,” Netto said firmly.

After blowing out the candles on the cake Haruka had made, everyone was served a slice. Saki cut the end off his slice and put it on its own plate, which he set down on the altar as an offering.

 _I wonder if you'd be happy to be at a party like this?_ Saki asked his father silently. _It certainly feels like something you might have planned_.

Once he'd made his offering, Saki returned to the table to eat his slice of cake. Murmurs of approval rose up from everyone.

“It's so good!” Keiko said happily. “If only I could bake half as good as you do!”

“Those pancakes this morning were pretty good,” Saki said.

Haruka laughed. “The most important ingredient is love. Always imagine the people you're making it for, and think of the joy they'll have. That's what I do.”

“I think I might have liked a chocolate cake more,” Enzan said, “But this one is still very nice.”

“You're sure gobbling it up pretty fast for someone who didn't want it,” Netto said, a nasty grin spreading across his face.

Enzan's face flushed. “It would be rude not to eat what's offered.”

Saki glanced at Laika, who'd been even more quiet than usual. He ate his cake with a look of delight, his posture relaxed, and his whole demeanor decidedly peaceful. Saki felt his lips curve up into a smile. 

_I never imagined him to be someone who enjoyed sweets_.

Taka tried to spear Saki's strawberry with his fork. Saki countered, and managed to snag Taka's strawberry instead.

“Hey!” Taka yelled. “That's mine!”

“You tried to steal mine first, so it's only fair,” Saki said. Regardless, he dropped the strawberry back onto Taka's plate. 

“It's not nice to steal other people's food, Taka-kun,” Keiko said.

Taka pouted. “Saki got a bigger strawberry than me.”

“They're all the same size,” Saki argued.

“No, yours is _clearly_ bigger than mine!” Taka said.

“Now, now,” Haruka said. “Let's not fight.”

Taka continued to sulk, and Saki dropped his strawberry on Taka's plate to appease him.

“You can have it,” Saki explained. “I had strawberries this morning.”

Taka leaned up against him. “Have I ever told you how much I love you, Saki?”

“Sucking up to me won't get you anything else,” Saki said.

After the cake was eaten, Keiko made tea, and everyone talked quietly amongst themselves. Saki watched them for a while, smiling absently.

“What's up?” Taka asked.

“This is kind of nice,” Saki admitted. “Having everyone here like this...it's not so bad after all.”

Taka elbowed him in the side. “See? See?! Parties aren't so bad, are they?”

Saki laughed. “I've never had a friend throw me a party before. Shocking as it may seem, I was actually pretty unpopular in school.”

“You're a liar,” Netto said, grinning.

“No, it's true!” Saki said. “All the parties I've ever had were put on by my family. I've never had a party with friends.”

“Well now you have,” Netto said firmly. “And you're gonna get a party every year from now on, whether you like it or not.”

Saki laughed. “We'll see about that.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> _I apologize for the lack of updates! A lot has happened over the past few weeks, but I think I'm finally back on schedule. Also, did you know that Saki shares his birthday with my wife? She also happens to be my favorite Netto muse! In fact, the line, 'All birthday celebrations are mandatory' was something she came up with, and I just ran with it._
> 
> _The charm that Keiko gives Saki is a type of omamori called a kanai-anzen charm, or a charm for the safety or well-being of one's family, as well as peace and prosperity in the household. I chose this one specifically because I felt that Keiko would understand Saki's anxieties about the family, and the charm was her way of reassuring him that things would be okay. Keiko is also a big believer in charms! For example, she picked up an anzan charm when she got pregnant with Saki, since they protect pregnant women, and promote healthy pregnancies and easy deliveries. For omamori, you are usually told to bring them back to the shrine at the end of the year, usually on New Year's, for proper disposal, and to replace it with a fresh one._


	26. Punch Through

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Saki takes it upon himself to do some training with Tamako

Summer marched on. The days continued to be excruciatingly hot, and Taka came over for almost every one of them. At some point, he insisted that they should go to Shibuya again to escape the heat in an air conditioned building, but Saki kept saying no, since he wasn't sure if he should drag Michi all the way to Shibuya for nothing.

“Why Shibuya anyway?” Saki asked.

“It's pretty close to here,” Taka explained. “Plus, it has all kinds of stores that I like to visit.”

Saki sighed. “Don't you have enough clothes?”

“There's more than clothing stores in Shibuya!” Taka said. “We could go to karaoke, or hit up a manga cafe, or eat at some funky restaurant! The possibilities are endless.”

Saki sighed. “I don't really know if I'd even like karaoke.”

“Karaoke is for everyone!” Taka insisted. “You're not supposed to be _good_ at karaoke! It's just a fun way to blow off steam.”

Saki sighed. “It doesn't sound like something I want to do right now.”

Taka frowned. “If we go browse the thrift stores, we might find something cool.”

Saki shook his head. “I don't know if Michi would have the patience for that.”

With a frustrated groan, Taka flopped over onto the floor. “Saki, come on! We haven't left your house in days! You only leave to go to work or buy groceries! I feel like we're in self-isolation, and if I wanted to do that, I'd stay home.” He flailed his limbs. “I want to go do something! Let's go somewhere!”

Michi looked at Saki. “Maybe you _should_ go somewhere, big brother.”

“What about you?” Saki asked, concerned. “Don't you want to go somewhere with us?”

Michi thought about it for a moment. “Well...yes. But I also have to finish my summer homework.” She glanced at the computer nervously. “I've been putting it off for a while now.”

“I already told you, it isn't due until you go back to school,” Taka said. “You should just put it off until the night before.”

“But that would be bad!” Michi said. “Then I'd have to rush, and it wouldn't be very good! Besides, it's bad to put something off. If I do it now, then I don't have to worry about it for the rest of the summer!”

Taka glared at Saki. “She's just like you.”

“I trained her well,” Saki said with pride. “It's like the saying goes; 'Don't put off until tomorrow what you can do today'.”

Taka's eyes glazed over with disinterest. “Who said that? Some philosopher? I bet it was a philosopher.”

Saki tried to recall where he'd heard it before. “I can't remember. Probably someone important though.”

“Whatever.” Taka sat back up. “Michi wants to be responsible, which is boring. I think that we should go do something fun.”

“It wouldn't be fair not to take Michi,” Saki scolded.

“I don't mind,” Michi said.

“See?” Taka said. “She said she doesn't mind.”

“It doesn't matter if she doesn't mind!” Saki snapped.

“You should go,” Michi said. “I bet you would enjoy a change of scenery.” She smiled. “Also, I don't think I could concentrate if Taka-kun was whining all the time.”

Taka pouted, and Saki suppressed his laughter. Michi had a really good point.

“Michi-chan is so mean!” Taka whined loudly. “She really _is_ just like Saki!”

Michi and Saki laughed.

“Fine then!” Taka said, getting to his feet in a huff. “I'll just go by myself!” Tears gathered in his eyes. “I bet Mayu-chan will appreciate me!”

“Mayu-chan...?” Saki asked, confused. “Who's Mayu-chan...?”

“She's my favorite maid at this cute cafe in Shibuya,” Taka explained. “Whenever I come in, she always pats me on the head and tells me, 'It's okay, Taka-kun, you can always come back and talk to me~!' in a sweet voice. And she always feeds me my sundaes too!”

Saki sighed. “That's because it's her job. Idiot.”

“Even if it isn't real love, I can pretend it is,” Taka said.

With a grumble, Saki got to his feet. “Fine. If you're going to throw a fit, then I'll go with you, if only to keep you from harassing people just trying to do their jobs.”

Instantly, Taka's tears dried up, and he wore a beaming smile. “Great! Let's go then!”

 _It was all an act_ , Saki thought bitterly. _He played me like a fiddle, that brat!_

A haiku fell from Saki's lips. “Shrill cicada cry/a dewdrop falls to the ground/bitter melon taste.”

“Who wrote that one?” Taka asked.

“I did,” Saki snapped. “Just now.”

“Needs work,” Taka said.

“As if you have any right to judge my poems,” Saki grumbled.

“I'll have you know that I read that book of poems before I gave it to you,” Taka said. “I didn't really get most of it, but I did feel _something_ while reading them.”

“Probably the sensation of your brain cells rubbing together,” Saki said.

“All I'm saying is that I don't know what I'm supposed to feel when I hear your poems,” Taka said in an exasperated tone.

Saki sighed. “Let's just go,” he said, “Before I change my mind.”

“Have fun!” Michi said, and waved as they left the apartment.

***

“I could be at home, spending time with Michi,” Saki complained. “But instead, I'm at this silly cafe, with you.”

Taka gave Saki an innocent look. “Did you want your own sundae? I just thought that it would be better if we shared one. I mean, look at how big they are!”

Saki glared at Taka. “That's not what I mean, and you know it.”

Taka put down his spoon, and gave Saki a serious look. “Listen, you need to learn how to go out and not get overwhelmed by crowds.” He put a hand to his chest. “I had to learn that too, you know.”

Saki frowned. “What are you talking about? I'm fine.”

“I see the way you look when we're in a big crowd,” Taka said. “You look scared, and really overwhelmed. Maybe it's the sound, or maybe it's the feeling of being closed in, but whatever it is, it's affecting your enjoyment.”

“Maybe I just don't want to go to crowded places because they're usually places I'm not interested in,” Saki countered.

“See? Now you're being defensive,” Taka said. “Just admit that you have social anxiety, and this will get easier.”

Saki shoved a spoonful of ice cream into his mouth so that he didn't have to answer.

“I had to learn how to deal with it in my own way,” Taka went on. “And even now, I'm still not entirely comfortable with being in crowded places. But I keep going into them because I won't get used to them if I don't.” He glared at Saki. “You can't keep avoiding them forever.”

“Sure I can,” Saki said. “Watch me.”

“All you have to do is bear it for a little while,” Taka said. “And then you can go to karaoke later and let all that frustration out—”

“I'm not going to karaoke!” Saki snapped.

“You're just being stubborn!” Taka said. “Come on, it'll be—”

A loud slam on the glass window next to them interrupted Taka, and made both of them flinch. For a second, Saki felt his heart stop and he briefly thought that he might die. Looking up, he saw Tamako pressed up against the window, grinning excitedly.

“Why does she keep doing that?” Saki asked.

“She's going to freak out the other patrons,” Taka added.

Tamako peeled herself off the window, and ran into the cafe and up to their table. She hip-checked Saki further into the booth, and crammed herself in next to him.

“I just keep running into the two of you!” she said.

“Are you in Shibuya visiting Yuya again?” Saki asked.

“I sure am!” Tamako said. She glanced at the sundae, and then as Saki's spoon. “Are you going to finish that?”

Saki pulled his spoon away from Tamako, slightly disgusted. He'd had it in his mouth, after all. How could she think of putting it in her own mouth without a second thought?

“So, how is Yuya?” Taka asked.

“He's fine,” Tamako said. “Well, kind of. He's got a pretty bad attitude when it comes to Net Battling.”

Taka frowned. “Does he?”

“Yeah,” Saki said. “I battled him a while back, and he seemed to think that he was just destined to lose. He also kept saying that he really couldn't keep up with Tamako when it came to Net Battling. I thought me and Zer0 had talked some sense into him, but I guess it didn't stick.”

“He mentioned battling you,” Tamako said. “He seemed really impressed. He also said that him and Crashman had been training, but he didn't feel very confident in his abilities yet.” She sighed wearily. “He's always been like this, you know, ever since we were kids. He just doesn't have any confidence in himself.”

“Why do you think that is?” Taka asked.

Tamako shrugged. “He's always been a bit weak-willed and passive. He'd get bullied a lot, but just sit there quietly and take it. It made me so mad, you know? I'd always end up chasing them off, but I guess it meant that Yuya never fought his own battles as a result.”

“That makes sense,” Saki said.

“Anyway, I'm really glad that he's training again,” Tamako said. “I've always thought that him and Crashman were a really great team.” Her gaze became soft. “I'm a little jealous of how close they are.”

“They do seem to have a really good understanding of each other,” Taka said. “Yuya didn't really give any orders during that double battle we had.”

“Even in my fight, he didn't say much,” Saki admitted. “But it was clear that they had some kind of communication going.”

“Maybe they've got Synchro potential,” Taka theorized.

“That's a possibility,” Tamako said.

“Synchro is the result of an Operator and Navi who've formed a really close connection to each other,” Taka explained. “Strong enough to transcend words, and even strong enough to link their minds together. Some even experience what their Navis feel. Yuya and Crashman don't seem to communicate verbally in a fight, but it's clear that they know what they're doing.”

“If Yuya and Crashman were able to use Synchro, that would explain a lot,” Tamako said. “Me and Metalman train all the time, so we're pretty used to how each other handles a fight, but I'm not sure me and Metalman are at the level of Synchro yet.”

“Don't say that,” Saki said. “There's a pretty good chance that you and Metalman are close enough to use Synchro. You two sure seemed in sync during our battle.”

Tamako thought about this for a while. Finally, she nodded, and gave Saki a serious look.

“You know, you might be right.” She tapped her lip. “But I still want to keep training. As long as we can keep improving, I don't want to stop moving forward.”

“I feel that way too,” Saki admitted. “At first, I really felt like Zer0 was the only reason we won battles, and it drove me to better myself as well.”

“That's the spirit!” Tamako said.

“But it sounds like Yuya doesn't feel the same way,” Taka said.

“Yuya seems to think that talent is something you're born with,” Tamako said. “He keeps insisting that no matter how hard he trains, he'll never get to my level.” She sighed. “I don't want him to compare himself to me. I want him to train himself to be the person _he_ wants to become. If he's constantly comparing himself to me, then he'll never get there. He'll just keep feeling like he isn't making any progress.” She looked down at the table top with a sad expression. “Sometimes, I think it was wrong of me to intervene. I just keep thinking about how he would have been if I hadn't.”

“You didn't do anything wrong,” Saki said. “You did what you felt was the right thing to do.”

“Maybe.” Tamako tapped her fingers. “But I never saw any kind of desire in him to get stronger when we were kids. I was always worried that maybe he hated Net Battling in general. And I knew how much he idolized me. It was pretty obvious, even for someone as dense as I am.” She chuckled. “When Yuya confidently told me that he was leaving Yokayoka to make something of himself, I was overjoyed. For the first time in his life, he seemed motivated. He had a real fire in him, a desire to become a better person, and make something of himself. He wanted to stand on his own, without me there to protect him. I couldn't have been prouder.” She shook her head. “But when I came to visit him, all that fire was gone. He seemed even emptier than before.” She sighed. “I suspect something happened to him, but he won't talk about it.”

Saki pursed his lips. Even though Yuya had told Saki about failing college and being unable to get a good job, he felt that it wasn't his place to tell Tamako about it.

“I keep telling him that it's okay if he comes back to Yokayoka, but he's really stubborn,” Tamako said. “He keeps insisting that he'd rather stay here in the big city, and keep trying to make something of himself.”

“He probably feels that going back to Yokayoka after making such a big deal about succeeding would be like giving up,” Saki said.

“You're probably right,” Tamako said. “That's why I don't do more than remind him that Yokayoka will always be there for him. It's not my place to force him to do anything.”

“But you're still worried about him, aren't you?” Taka asked.

“Of course I am!” Tamako said. “Yuya's like my little brother. I just want him to be happy.”

Taka looked down at the sundae on the table. “Uh oh, we've been talking for so long that it's starting to melt,” he said, and began shoveling some of the ice cream into his mouth. 

“That's no good!” Tamako said. “Let me go ask for another spoon, and I'll give you a hand with it!”

After getting another spoon from the cafe staff, the three of them set to work demolishing the rest of the sundae. By the end of it, Saki felt a little sick.

“That was almost too much ice cream,” he moaned.

“Even I'm feeling a little ill,” Taka admitted. “I didn't realize the largest size was really that big.”

“Whew!” Tamako sighed, and sat back looking satisfied. “That was delicious! Thank you for sharing with me!”

“In the end, it all worked out,” Saki said. “Somehow.”

Tamako looked thoughtful for a moment, and then said, “I guess this would be as good a time as any to train. I've gotta burn all those extra calories off.”

“I don't know if I can move after eating all of that ice cream,” Taka said, looking a little pale.

“I certainly feel pretty sluggish,” Saki admitted.

“Maybe I'll let you guys digest a little then,” Tamako said. She turned to Saki. “But you guys should really consider training with me and Metalman. I guarantee that you'll make some progress.”

Saki considered the offer for a moment. “Training, huh? It might not be a bad idea.”

“They would certainly employ a different style of training than we are used to,” Zer0 said.

Tamako grinned. “Me and Metalman, we're all about raw power.”

“Might be too intense for me,” Taka said. “I'm more of a low-impact kind of person.”

“I'm strictly long-range,” Axl added. “You don't need a lot of power when you fire a gun.”

Tamako laughed. “Aww, are you sure? You certainly look like you need some muscle on those skinny arms of yours!” She reached out and gave Taka's bicep a gentle squeeze.

Taka laughed nervously. “No, I'm pretty sure. Thanks anyway.”

“Well, at least one of you is up to the challenge,” Tamako said, giving Saki's shoulder a firm pat.

Saki grimaced. “I can't say I'm excited, but strength training might be a good thing.”

“Great!” Tamako slid out of the booth. “When you're ready, send me an email, and I'll tell you where to meet up.” She gave the boys a small wave. “See you around!” And with that, she left the cafe.

“I always feel a little tired after talking to Tamako,” Taka admitted.

“She sure is intense sometimes,” Saki replied.

Taka folded his hands on the table. “So? Are you going to take her up on her offer?”

Saki shrugged. “Why not? I think we might learn something.”

“Yes,” Zer0 said, “I am quite curious to learn their routine.”

“Do you think it'll be as intense as Laika's training routine?” Taka asked.

Saki laughed. “Maybe. But I don't think anything can top Laika's boot camp.”

Taka grinned. “I bet she'll have you doing weird stuff, like carrying her on your back while you run up a mountain, or standing under waterfalls.”

Saki shook his head. “No way. It'll probably be something like endless push ups.”

“Well, whatever it is, make sure you document it,” Taka said. “I wanna see for myself what kind of hell she puts you through.”

***

On his next day off, Saki messaged Tamako, and asked if her offer to train him was still open. Tamako replied with an enthusiastic 'YES!' and told him to meet her at a park in Shibuya as soon as possible. Michi declined going with him, stating, “I still have my homework to do. Drawing all these bugs is a lot harder than I thought it would be.” And so, Saki set out for Shibuya by himself.

Tamako was waiting for him in the park, near a cluster of trees. She waved excitedly when she spotted Saki, and ran to meet him.

“Thanks for coming!” she said.

“Thank you for inviting me,” Saki replied.

“Are you ready to get started?” Tamako asked.

Saki nodded. “I'm ready.”

Tamako led him to where she had set her things up. A small statue stood in between a set of benches, and the small cluster of trees shaded the area from the hot summer sun. It was a pretty beautiful spot, but Saki suspected that he wouldn't have much time to enjoy it.

“So, here's how this is going to work,” Tamako told Saki. “Metalman is going to show Zer0 how he trains, and I'm going to teach you how to throw a punch.”

“Huh?” Saki felt confused. “Why are you teaching me how to punch?”

Tamako grinned. “You'll see. Metalman's in the statue's network, waiting for Zer0, so you'd better not keep him waiting.”

Saki plugged Zer0 into the statue, and Zer0 was greeted by Metalman, who gave him a welcoming nod.

“It is good to see you once again,” Zer0 said.

“You seem well,” Metalman replied.

Zer0 glanced around. “So then, what shall we be doing today?”

Metalman motioned to a huge boulder that was nearby. Most of the network was dotted with boulders, in fact, and Zer0 looked back at Metalman with a puzzled expression.

“I do not understand.”

Metalman walked over, and patted the boulder. “We're going to break them.”

“Break them?” Zer0 asked.

Metalman nodded. “We're going to punch them.”

“What?” Saki asked.

Zer0 looked troubled. “I do not think I am able to break a boulder simply by punching it.”

“You never know until you try,” Metalman said.

Saki shook his head. “Is this really how you train?”

“Sure is!” Tamako said. “Metalman's whole fighting style relies on his powerful punches. If he can break a boulder, then he can take down even a really defensive Navi.”

“I...see,” Zer0 said.

 _Maybe this was a waste of time after all_ , Saki thought. _I don't really know if this will do us any good. Maybe I should decline..._

“I will do my best,” Zer0 said confidently.

“Huh?” Saki looked at Zer0 in shock. “You're actually going to try it?!”

“As Metalman said, I will not know unless I try,” Zer0 said. “So I shall try.”

Saki frowned, deep in thought. Zer0 seemed eager to give the strange training a try, so what would it hurt for him to try too? If nothing else, it might help him to improve his punches...should he ever need to punch someone.

Metalman motioned for Zer0 to approach, and patted the boulder again. “Try to break it,” he said.

Zer0 took a wide stance, clenched his fists, and took a deep breath. Then, he slammed his fist into the boulder with a loud 'hiyaa!' For a moment, nothing happened. Then, Zer0 pulled his hand away, shaking it and looking as if he might cry.

“It would seem...that my form was incorrect,” he whimpered.

“That looked like it hurt,” Saki said sympathetically.

Tamako laughed. “Of course it did! He punched it like he meant it!”

“You have the spirit,” Metalman said, “But you aren't punching correctly. Here, let me show you.” He lifted his hand, made a fist, pulled his arm back, and punched the rock with all his strength. It shattered into pieces before turning into data fragments and disappearing.

“Incredible,” Saki whispered.

Zer0 nodded. “I see. I shall try again.”

The rock re-materialized, and Zer0 took his place in front of it once more. As before, he took a wide stance, but this time he adjusted how he clenched his fist. Pulling his arm back the way he had seen Metalman do it, Zer0 unleashed a punch on the rock once more. And while the rock didn't break, Zer0 didn't hurt his fist this time.

“Good,” Metalman said. “That was good.”

“See that?” Tamako asked. “Did you see how Metalman clenched his fist?”

“Yeah,” Saki said. “Why?”

Tamako took hold of Saki's hand, and forced him to curl it into a fist. “When you make a fist, the thumb should always be under your fingers, like this. Don't ever put your thumb inside your fist, or you'll break it when you hit someone. And when you punch, the impact should be mostly on your knuckles. If you let your fingers hit first, you might break them. The knuckles are harder, and hurt more. Got it?”

Saki nodded. “I think so.”

Tamako let go of Saki's hand, and took her position next to him. “When you punch forward, you rotate your fist so that your thumb is on the bottom. When you punch up, you rotate your arm so that your thumb is towards you. Remember to lead with your knuckles.” She demonstrated a proper punch. “Like that.” She looked at Saki. “Now you try.”

Saki attempted a punch, and Tamako gently corrected his form. She made him do a few punches in succession really slowly, walking him through the proper form.

“You have a good stance!” Tamako commented. “Do you do martial arts?”

“I do kendo,” Saki admitted.

“That's good too!” Tamako said. “You already have the basics then. That speeds this up a bit.”

For the next hour or so, Tamako instructed Saki on how to throw a proper punch, while Zer0 continued to punch boulders, hoping to find out how to break them as he'd seen Metalman do. Finally, Tamako called for a break.

“This is sure exhausting,” Saki said, collapsing onto a bench. “I didn't realize how much of a workout this was going to be.”

“Of course it is! This is serious training!” Tamako grinned at Saki. “I studied all kinds of ways to punch. I even learned a few boxing techniques!”

“That's dedication,” Saki said.

“Well, in the end, it was all for Metalman's sake,” Tamako explained. “I didn't want him to feel like he was training all by himself. So I learned too, and now we train together. I think that a Navi and an Operator should be equals. There's no point in one being stronger than the other!”

Saki laughed. “I train because I want to understand how Zer0 fights. That way, I can operate him better.”

“See? That's what I mean!” Tamako said. “If you just make your Navi do all the fighting, you never learn anything, and then your Navi doesn't get any stronger either, because you just keep doing the same stuff all the time.”

Saki smiled. “Maybe that's why everyone I know trains. I never thought about it that way before.”

“You know, me and Metalman had a lot of fun fighting you and Zer0,” Tamako said. “You guys were full of surprises. Taka and Axl too! I was pretty shocked to see his buster change forms like that!” Tamako was animated as she spoke. “As the fight went on, I thought, 'wow! These guys are really good! I can't wait to fight them again someday!' I wondered what you might be like once you'd gotten stronger, and what kind of techniques you might come up with, and I couldn't help but want to see it happen. That kind of excitement is what makes Net Battles so wonderful.”

“When you put it like that, I guess I can understand why Net Battles are as fun as they are,” Saki said.

“Right?!” Tamako said. “I love battling people like Netto and Rockman, who always have some kind of trick up their sleeves. You never know who might come out on top in those kinds of battles! And being in tournaments is really fun too, because you get to challenge all kinds of different Operators and Navis, and experience all kinds of different fighting styles. It just gets me all fired up every time!”

Saki listened to Tamako's impassioned speech with a smile. There was something infectious about Tamako's joy, something that made Saki long to have a battle of his own.

“Five months ago, the idea of Net Battling never crossed my mind,” Saki said. “But once I received Zer0, and the world of battling opened up to me, I realized how fun it was! There's so much strategy that goes into a fight, and everyone goes about it differently. Sometimes, I'm too impatient to come up with a good strategy and end up leaping straight in, but at the end of it, we did our best, and we learned something from it.”

“That's right!” Tamako said. “Some things you can only learn by doing them.”

Saki checked his PET. “How's it going, Zer0?”

Zer0 sighed. “I seem to have improved my form, but the strength I require is still elusive.”

“Don't get so down on yourself,” Tamako said. “After all, Metalman's designed to be strong. You don't need brute strength to win battles.” She tapped her cheek. “Like in our battle: do you remember when you shocked Metalman? I really thought you had me there for a moment!”

“Yes, I recall,” Zer0 said. “The Raijingeki proved effective, however, I was ultimately unable to follow through.”

“Yeah, Crashman got a little heated there,” Tamako admitted. “But that technique of yours really took me by surprise! It's stuff like that you can use to win battles with.”

Zer0 crossed his arms. “Hmm. Rather than brute strength, I should focus on forming techniques. Is that what you are saying?”

“Some of your techniques take advantage of your speed,” Saki pointed out. “Like Gokumonken and Raikousen. But most of them seem to take advantage of your sword style.”

“Having strength is good, but sword techniques are more than just strength,” Tamako said. “They rely on reflexes and dexterity. Still, having a really strong sword attack might help you break through defensive Navis.”

Saki pondered this for a moment. “But what about when you defeated Crashman with just your fists?”

“Yes, I remember,” Zer0 said. “I was able to instinctively execute the technique Axl had shown me, and used that as a foundation for Rakuhouha.”

“Can you show me that technique?” Tamako asked, her eyes shining with excitement.

Zer0 nodded, and took his stance once more. Pulling his arm back, he slammed it into the ground, and unleashed an explosive Rakuhouha. As the energy dissipated, there was a small crater in the ground from the impact of Zer0's punch.

“Ooh!” Tamako clapped her hands. “I like it! It's giving me ideas!” She pointed at Zer0. “Now do that, but punch forward instead of down.”

Zer0 contemplated this. “Directing the energy forward rather than down...I had not considered this. It seems so simple in hindsight.” He nodded. “Very well, I will do this.” He turned to face the boulder once again, and tried to gather energy into his fist as he did for Rakuhouha. But when he punched the boulder, the energy did not discharge. Instead, it fizzled out. Zer0 pulled his fist back, confused.

“What's different...?” Saki said. “It should have worked...”

“Hmm...” Tamako put a hand to her chin. “Maybe Zer0 was using the force of his punch traveling downward to gain momentum. It takes more force to punch forward than it does to punch down, after all.”

“Maybe it was not focused properly,” Metalman said. “Where do you focus your energy?”

Zer0 held up his hand. “In my fist.”

“Maybe you need to focus it on a point instead,” Tamako suggested.

“A point...?” Zer0 asked.

Tamako grinned. “There's this really old theory that says that everything has a point on it that will cause it to break, no matter what that object is. Rather than using force over a wide area, you're supposed to focus your attack to a single point.”

“But a sledgehammer will do more damage than a chisel,” Saki argued.

“Yes, but the chisel is focused on a much smaller point,” Tamako replied. “If you hit the right part of the rock with it, the whole thing splits in half. The sledgehammer just shatters it because of the force behind it.”

“So what you're saying is, Zer0 can't smash the rock because he can't use enough force, so instead he should try finding a single weak point and exploiting it?” Saki asked.

“Bingo!” Tamako said.

“Yes, I see,” Zer0 said. “This makes sense.”

 _I'm glad all of this makes sense to one of us, at least_ , Saki thought. _I'm still trying to figure out why Rakuhouha doesn't work when Zer0 punches horizontally rather than vertically_.

Zer0 turned back to the rock. “Let me try this again.” He took his stance, and punched the rock, with no results. Zer0 pulled back, and punched again. And again.

“It's not working,” Saki said.

“It might take a while to figure out,” Tamako said. “It took me and Metalman a while to learn how to crush boulders so easily.”

“Really?” Saki asked.

“Yeah!” Tamako replied. “He used to just send them flying instead. It took a long time to figure out that he had to curve his punch down rather than straight ahead.”

 _Honestly, that should have been pretty obvious_ , Saki thought.

Zer0's fist connected with the rock, but this time there was a tiny spark. Slowly, Zer0 pulled his arm back, and stared at his hand with curiosity.

“Perhaps that is it,” he muttered. “I am trying to force the energy to a single point, when I should be allowing it to travel through me to reach it instead.”

Metalman nodded. “Like water.”

“Or lightning,” Zer0 said. He pulled back his fist again, and punched the rock again. An instant before his fist connected, Saki saw a bright spark of electricity, and the rock shattered.

“Whoa!” Saki yelped in surprise.

“Nice!” Tamako cheered.

Zer0 slowly lowered his fist, a triumphant grin on his face. “Yes, this is what I was seeking.”

Again and again, Zer0 punched boulders, producing the same results. Each time, there was a bright spark of electricity when his fist connected, and each time the boulder would shatter as if blown apart by an explosive. When Zer0 seemed satisfied that he could use the technique consistently, he lowered his arm and stepped back.

“I'm impressed,” Metalman said.

“Thank you,” Zer0 said. “I could not have done it without your help.”

Metalman shook his head. “I didn't do much.”

Tamako's eyes sparkled. “I never expected to see you guys develop a technique on the spot like that! I'm really inspired now!” She grinned at Saki. “I've decided. Me and Metalman are going to go develop our own technique, and when we're done, we're going to come right back and challenge you!”

“Sounds good!” Saki said. “I look forward to it!”

Tamako laughed. “I'm gonna go tell Yuya to get off his butt too! I bet if we all train together, we'll come up with something in no time!”

“I bet you'll all come up with something great!” Saki said.

***

“Punching _boulders?!_ ” Taka said. He cackled, wiping tears from his eyes. “Oh man! That's insane!”

“Laugh all you want,” Saki said, “But it worked. Zer0 came up with a new technique.”

“Oh yeah?” Taka asked. “What did he name this one?”

“He calls it 'Ganzanha',” Saki said. “And Tamako was so inspired, she declared that her and Metalman were going to go create their own technique, and then come back to challenge us.”

“Crazy,” Taka said, shaking his head in disbelief. “Well, I wish her luck.”

Saki sighed. “Anyway, I should get going. I'll talk to you later.”

“Alright,” Taka said. “I'll probably stop by tomorrow.”

Saki turned the call off, and walked back into the apartment, flopping down at the table in the main room. Michi shuffled over to him, holding a box.

“What's this?” Saki asked.

“It came while you were on the phone,” Michi explained. “It's addressed to you.”

“You shouldn't open the door to strangers,” Saki said, but patted Michi's head affectionately. He then picked up the box and examined it. Immediately, he noticed the name on the return address.

“Yaito Ayanokoji,” Saki muttered. He recalled his unpleasant experience with her earlier in the summer. “I wonder what she could be sending me...?”

When he opened the box, he found a note. He opened it, and read it out loud.

“'To Saki Tanaka-san,

Thank you again for your assistance in the creation of my latest game. As promised, I have sent payment for your work directly to your account.'”

Saki stopped reading and checked his account balance. Sure enough, he had considerably more than he did the day before. Saki's chest clenched at the amount she had paid him.

“This has to be a mistake...How many zeroes is that...?”

He looked back at the note, and continued reading. “'I have also taken the liberty of sending you an advanced copy of the game to enjoy. And as I was uncertain if you would have the console to play it on, I have also included that as well.'”

Saki looked at the rest of the box's contents, and sure enough, there was a brand-new version of the console that Taka had brought over the week before, along with a game still sealed in plastic. He looked back at the letter.

“'I hope that you will continue to enjoy GABCOM games in the future, and I sincerely hope that you will consider assisting me in my future endeavors.

Yours truly,  
Yaito Ayanokoji'.”

Saki threw the letter down onto the table, and stared at it warily. He wasn't excited by the prospect of helping Yaito on another project, no matter how well she had paid him. Michi peeked into the box, and gasped when she saw the new console.

“Is this really ours to keep?” she asked, her eyes wide with hope.

Saki's shoulders slumped, and he smiled. “Yeah, it's ours.” He sighed. “Too bad this is the only game we have for it...”

Michi cheered. “Yay! I can finally play video games at home!”

Saki let Michi have her excitement. He would have preferred to give her a video game console on her birthday or at Christmas, but beggars couldn't be choosers. At least now she would have something to do when he had to go to work, and even their mom seemed interested in video games, so it was likely that she might want to play sometimes too.

“Maybe I should invest in a new television...” Saki thought. He picked up the game box, and read it.

STRAWBERRY PRINCESS VII: ON THE EVE OF A BEAUTIFUL REVOLUTION, it read.

As Saki's eyes scanned the box and the description written on it, he suddenly realized what the game was.

“Oh no,” he groaned. “It's a dating sim.” 

Michi looked confused. “What's a 'dating sim'?” she asked.

Saki sighed. “It's a game where you play as a character who tries to woo all the NPCs,” he explained. “Each character has a unique story, and sometimes you have to play all the routes to get the true ending.” He shook his head. “They...aren't really my thing.”

“Oh,” Michi said. “What will you do then?”

Saki wrestled with the decision in his mind. As much as he despised this sort of game, he was dying with curiosity to see the results of his hard work. Finally, unable to take it, Saki put the game into the console.

“I-I'm only doing this to see how it turned out,” he said defensively. “I don't intend on playing very much of it.”

The siblings settled down at the table, and Saki turned the game on. After sitting through the opening cinematic, the story began.

“'This is the story of a beautiful princess, once again forced to free her true love from the clutches of evil',” the game read. “'As news that her beloved has been captured by the Dark Witch Attena reaches her, the princess sets out on her journey to rescue him, by any means necessary.'”

“There's a bad witch then,” Michi said. “That sounds scary.”

“I'm sure she isn't that bad,” Saki said reassuringly. He advanced through the rest of the expository text, and was suddenly met with an overworld screen.

“World exploration...?” Saki frowned. “I don't know if there are usually overworld maps in these kinds of games.”

Saki moved the character of the princess, who looked suspiciously like Yaito, across the world map, and was suddenly met with a random encounter.

“Okay, now I _know_ that dating sims don't usually have combat,” Saki said irritably.

As he stared at the monsters on the screen, it suddenly dawned on him that they looked familiar.

“These are just Netto and the others,” Saki said. “That one looks like Meiru-san, and that looks like Yuriko-san. There's even one that looks like Tohru-san.”

Michi stared at the screen, clearly confused. “I wonder why they look like that.”

 _Ayanokoji-san probably enjoys bullying her 'friends'_ , Saki thought. He shivered. _I wonder if I'm a monster in this game too...probably not. She had me acting out being a prince, I think_.

Saki spent some time traversing the overworld, fighting monsters. He visited towns for clues about the prince's whereabouts, and how to defeat the Dark Witch Attena. Along the way, Saki ran across other characters who joined the party, all of them good-looking men. He sighed as he realized that they were all romanceable.

“So the actual part of the dating sim is romancing all your party members,” he said. “I wonder if it actually does anything. I mean, at the beginning of the game, it said that the princess' 'true love' was the prince, so...why would you even date the others?”

“Maybe you can be friends with them all instead!” Michi suggested.

“Sounds good,” Saki said. “None of them are my type anyway.”

He experimented with teams, trying to find the best setup for his play style. Eventually, he made a group consisting of a samurai who did the bulk of the damage, a martial artist who was good at breaking through bulky enemies and shields, a mage who also wielded a huge axe, and the princess, who Saki had turned into a heal-tank.

Michi watched Saki fight monsters and charge through the story for a long while before she seemed to get bored. Saki patted her on the head.

“You don't have to watch me,” he said.

“It's okay,” Michi said. “I want to see big brother's character.”

“Me too,” Saki said. “But I feel like I'll have to play through the whole game to get to him.”

They took a break for dinner, and Saki went back to playing afterwards. Michi flipped through a magazine while Saki continued to bulldoze his way through the story.

“Ugh,” he groaned. “That's the sixth dungeon. It feels like this game goes on forever. I'm even skipping all the romance events just to get to the end faster.”

Suddenly, without warning, the princess was stopped by a woman in a flowing black dress and large witch's hat, and Saki sat up straighter. This was the final boss, the Dark Witch Attena.

“'You seek the prince?'” she asked with a cackle. “'Perhaps I'll show him to you, just so that you may despair at being so close, yet so unable to save him!'”

The witch cast a spell, and a portal opened. Through it, Saki could see a character, bound to a large stone pillar. The character lifted his head, and Saki choked on his breath.

He looked exactly like Enzan.

“I need a moment,” Saki muttered, getting up and walking into the kitchen. He got himself a glass of water, and drained the whole thing before he returned to his seat. Upon seeing the Enzan-lookalike, however, Saki had to put his controller down again.

“Is that him?” Michi asked, pointing at the screen.

“I don't know,” Saki said. “All I know is this guy looks _exactly_ like someone I know.”

Taking a deep breath, Saki hit the button to advance the dialogue. In a familiar voice, the Enzan-lookalike spoke.

“My love,” he said. “I knew that you would come.”

Saki threw his controller down, and got up, infuriated. “That's it!” he declared. “I quit!”

Michi scooped up the controller and put it gingerly on the table. “What?! Why?!”

Saki whirled around, and pointed accusingly at the screen. “That's my character. That one, right there.”

Michi looked at the character, and then back at Saki.

“That... _woman_...made me do motion capture for a character that looks like Enzan,” he said, trying desperately not to yell. He clenched his fists. “How _dare_ she use me to fulfill some sick, twisted fantasy!”

Concerned, Michi looked at the screen again. “So, then...this was the character that big brother played?”

Saki let out a long, heavy sigh. “Yes. That's the character I ended up playing.”

“And he doesn't look like you,” Michi continued. “But he looks like someone you know?”

“Yes,” Saki confirmed.

Michi thought really hard. “So...that's really bad, right?”

“Yes,” Saki said.

Slowly, Michi turned the game off, and shut down the console. She looked up at Saki.

“We don't have to finish the game,” she said.

“Thank you,” Saki said, relieved.

He sat down on the floor again, and Michi squirmed into his lap. He looked down at her, and she said, “Do you want to watch television instead?”

Saki smiled. “I'd love to.”

Michi changed the channels until she spotted Masqueraider, and then snuggled up to Saki. He watched the episode for a while, and then pulled out his PET to write an email to Enzan.

 _Hey, did you know about Ayanokoji-san's new game...? She sent me an advance copy and...well, I think you should know about it, personally_.

He sent the email, and received a response a few minutes later.

 _How bad was it? Be honest_.

Saki hesitated as he wrote his reply. _Well, she made you the prince...but I was the one who ended up doing all the motion capture for it_.

There was an almost immediate reply. _This isn't the first time, and it won't be the last. But I'm sorry that you ended up getting roped into all of this_.

Saki frowned. _She's done this before then?_

 _Many times_ , Enzan explained. _It's uncanny how well she manages to replicate everything about me. Uncanny and unsettling_.

 _Well, I didn't have any intention of doing work for her ever again before I knew, and now I want to do it even less_ , Saki replied. _I'm sorry you have to put up with this all the time_.

 _Sadly, you get used to it_ , Enzan replied. _I'll be sure to talk to her about how she used your work in the game. Transparency is important in these kinds of things, and she needs to learn that_.

Saki was glad that Enzan was going to talk to her, but felt awful that it had to even come to that.

 _You ought to put your foot down about being portrayed at all in these games_ , Saki replied. _Although, it's kind of funny that I ended up being your stand-in_.

A long time passed before Enzan responded. _I don't think we're that close, really. A rather poor casting choice, if you ask me_.

Saki angrily typed his reply. _Well, I never asked to be your stand-in anyway, so there! Who wants to pretend to be you anyway?!_

Almost as soon as he'd sent it, Saki regretted his words. Enzan didn't reply for almost an hour afterwards. When he did, his reply was incredibly short.

 _I'm sorry. Good night_.

 _Auughhhh! I hurt his feelings!!_ Saki thought frantically. _Should I write an apology?! What do I even say?!_

By this point, Saki finally realized that Michi had fallen asleep with her head in his lap. Her breath was even and soft, and Saki calmed himself down so that he didn't accidentally wake her up.

 _It's been a long day_ , he thought. _I'll sleep on it, and email him an apology in the morning_.

***

The next morning, Saki was awoken by the sound of his email alert. Opening his mail, he saw a message from Enzan that simply read, “'I got her to put it in writing.'” Saki opened the picture attachment, and saw that it was a selfie that Enzan had taken. He had a completely neutral expression, but he had put up his fingers in a 'peace' sign. In the background, Yaito was crying as she signed a document, which Saki assumed was the contract. Saki couldn't help but laugh.

 _I'm glad that you got her to stop_ , Saki replied. _Also, I'm sorry about what I wrote last night_.

 _Don't worry about it_ , Enzan replied. _I wouldn't want to have to play you either_.

Saki felt his blood boil. _I deserved that_ , he told himself.

Before crawling out of bed, Saki quickly composed an email to Taka, asking for video game recommendations, since he now owned a console. Taka's reply was immediate.

 _I'm coming over_ , he wrote, _and I'm bringing all of my games with me. Get ready_.


	27. Fireworks

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Summer wouldn't be complete without a festival

Saki lowered himself to the floor next to Michi. The patio door was open, and the scent of mosquito repellent was blown in by a soft breeze. The glass bell rang sharply. Taka flopped against Saki, and sighed.

“Summer's almost over,” he whined.

“No,” Saki corrected, “ _July's_ almost over. Summer isn't finished yet.”

“Well, for poor Michi, summer might as well be almost over,” Taka said.

Saki frowned. “Don't say that!”

Michi laughed. “It's okay. It was a really fun summer.” She looked up at the sky with a peaceful expression. “I got to go to the beach with Mamma and big brother, and I got to eat ice cream and watermelon with Taka-kun. I was in a water balloon fight, and I even got to see a ghost!” She looked at Saki and grinned. “And the best part was that big brother spent even more time with me than he ever has.”

Saki felt his face heat up, and he scratched his head nervously.

“But,” Michi went on, “There's just one last thing that I want, more than anything...”

Taka and Saki looked at Michi, curiously. “What's that?” they asked.

Reaching into her pocket, Michi pulled out a crumpled, folded flier, and handed it to Saki. He opened it, and smoothed it out before reading it.

“It says that there's a mid-summer festival that's going to be held at the temple at the end of the month,” he explained. “Oh, I'd almost forgotten about that!”

“Is that a yearly thing?” Taka asked.

“Yeah,” Saki explained. “They usually hold a festival in the summer just before everyone goes back to school. It's pretty fun! The local restaurants have food stalls, and there's games and even a fireworks display at the end of the night.”

Taka's eyes lit up like stars at the mention of fireworks. “Ooh! We all have to go!”

“Yay!” Michi threw her arms up in the air with excitement. “Can we go, big brother? Pretty please?!”

Saki hesitated, but as he looked at the excited faces of Taka and Michi, he gave in.

“Alright,” he said at last. “We can go.”

“Yipee!” Michi hugged Saki tightly. “Thank you, big brother!”

“Oh man!” Taka said, “It's been so long since I went to a festival! I bet it's going to be awesome!” He ran a hand through his bangs. “Let's see, we'll need yukatas...oh, and I'll have to plan out what I'm going to do there so that I can try everything at least once...I wonder if the others want to come with us?”

“It's a bit far for them to come to such a small festival,” Saki said. “They probably have ones closer to them that they can go to. Besides, I bet they'll be busy.”

Taka pouted. “Are you just going to give up before you even try?”

Saki pursed his lips.

“Wouldn't it be more fun if everyone was here?” Taka continued.

“But if they weren't, it'd be a much more intimate thing,” Saki argued. “Just our family and you.”

Taka considered this for a moment. “Hmm, tempting...but it's a festival, so I think the more of us there are, the merrier it'll be.”

Saki sighed. “Okay then. If you think you can organize that, go for it.”

“Yes,” Taka whispered under his breath, and pumped his fist triumphantly.

Michi looked at Saki. “Should we ask Mamma if she wants to go?”

Saki chuckled. “Given that she's been craving festival food all summer, I think it's pretty safe to say that she'll want to go.” He patted Michi's head affectionately. “We can ask her when she gets up.”

“Hey,” Taka said, interrupting, “Do you both have yukatas?”

Saki looked at Michi, and then back at Taka. They both shook their heads 'no'.

“Then I guess I'll have to get you fitted for yukatas,” Taka said, mostly to himself. He was jotting notes down in his PET. “Thankfully, I know a good place.”

“You don't have to do that,” Saki said.

Taka gave Saki an angry look. “Yes, I do. You can't go to a festival and _not_ wear a yukata!”

“I've done it before,” Saki said flatly.

“Me too,” Michi said.

Taka looked exasperated. “It's all about the _experience!_ How can you have a good time and make wonderful memories if you aren't dressed for the occasion?” He pointed at Saki. “'When you are doing special things, you must wear special clothes!'”

“Who said that?” Saki asked.

“A very smart young woman,” Taka replied. “And she's right, you know!”

Michi tugged on Saki's sleeve. “I want to wear a yukata,” she said. “Can I, please?”

Instantly, Saki's stubbornness dissolved. He looked at Taka, and tried to smile.

“I suppose it couldn't hurt for Michi to have a nice yukata to wear sometimes.”

Taka blinked. “What are you talking about? You're getting one too.”

“Oh no,” Saki said, shaking his head. “That would be too much. Just Michi is fine.”

“You know I'm the one getting these for you, right?” Taka asked.

“I couldn't let you do that,” Saki said through gritted teeth.

“I'm not asking for permission,” Taka said cheerfully.

With a big sigh, Saki stopped arguing, and simply flopped backwards onto the floor. It was pretty clear that Taka wasn't going to budge, and Saki was too exhausted to fight anymore.

 _If you want to spend who knows how much money on buying us clothes that we'll only wear a few times a year, then be my guest_ , Saki thought. 

“Why do you always get so worked up every time I want to do something nice for you?” Taka asked.

Saki frowned. “Because, it feels really unnecessary.”

Taka scoffed. “I've told you before, I really like to spoil my friends.”

“Thank you very much,” Michi said. “I'm really happy that I can wear a yukata to a festival!”

“Of course, Michi-chan!” Taka said happily. “I promise, you're going to be so beautiful, you'll leave everyone speechless!”

Michi smiled brightly, and Saki felt a little better. As long as Michi got to make great summer memories, he could bear being showered with expensive gifts.

“Let's see...” Taka consulted his PET. “It looks like he might have an opening on Friday. Does that sound good?”

“Friday's fine for me,” Saki said.

Michi squirmed excitedly. “I can't wait! I wonder what it'll look like?”

***

“A festival?!” Keiko's eyes widened. “Really?!”

Saki let out a tiny sigh. “You don't have to get so excited, Mom. It's just a festival.”

“But we almost never go together because you're working!” Keiko said. “Mind you, so am I...” She clenched her fists with determination. “But not this time! I'll get that time off no matter what!”

“That's great!” Taka said happily. “So will you come with us on Friday to get fitted for a yukata?”

Keiko put her hands on her hips. “I'll do you one better: I still have my old yukata from high school!”

Taka's eyes widened. “Ooh! I want to see it! Please?”

“It would be my pleasure,” Keiko said.

Saki didn't have a good feeling about the whole thing. If the yukata was from when Keiko was in high school, then surely it was too small...

“Mom, maybe you should just get a new one,” Saki said.

“Nonsense!” Keiko said. “If I can still fit into my old high school uniform, then I can still fit into my old yukata! And if I still fit into it, then there's no point in getting a new one, now is there?” And with this, Keiko walked into the bedroom, and shut the door behind her.

 _Oh boy_ , Saki thought.

I bet your mother was a vision back in the day,” Taka said with a sigh. “I can't wait to see how she looks now.”

 _Probably like a 30-something cosplaying as a teenager_ , Saki thought.

After ten minutes or so, Keiko came back out into the main room, now wearing her old yukata. Saki found himself unable to ignore how the front of the yukata was having a little trouble staying closed, but the length was fine, and it fit her everywhere else, even in the hips.

Taka let out a gasp. “You look so beautiful, Keiko-san! Ten years younger, even!”

Keiko giggled happily. “Why, thank you!” She smoothed her hands down over the flowery fabric. “I loved this yukata so much. I remember insisting on this fabric.”

“It's beautiful fabric,” Taka said. “The roses are so delicate and youthful.”

“Yeah,” Saki reluctantly agreed. “It looks really nice on you.”

Keiko blushed. “Goodness, even Saki thinks it's nice? Pinch me, I must be dreaming!”

Saki cleared his throat, embarrassed. “Still, you're much... _bustier_...than you were as a teenager.”

Keiko looked down, tugging the top of her yukata more closed. “True. I've gone up a cup size since then.”

 _Just one?_ Saki thought. _Somehow, I doubt that_.

“Nothing a little alteration won't fix,” Taka said. “I'm sure the original tailor added lots of seam allowance.”

That's true,” Keiko said.

“I want a yukata that matches Mamma!” Michi said excitedly.

“How lovely!” Keiko said. “Matching yukatas sounds like fun!”

“We'll see what kind of fabric he has first,” Taka said. “Who knows, he might even have the same fabric! Although...” He squinted at Michi. “I don't know if Michi would look quite as nice in red flowers.”

“We can try other colors,” Keiko said. “Michi's favorite color is purple, after all.”

“Is it?!” Taka seemed overjoyed. “Purple's my favorite color too!”

Saki sighed and tried to tune the conversation out. He really didn't care what kind of color they ended up picking for him, or even what color would look good on him in the first place. He would leave all of that up to Taka and the tailor.

“I'll also have to pick out hair ornaments,” Taka said. “We can't pick out a yukata and not accessorize it too!”

“That sounds wonderful,” Keiko said. “I still have all of mine, so maybe one of them will be nice for Michi.”

“I think having one that's just for her would be nice too,” Taka said.

“I wanna pick one out!” Michi said excitedly.

Taka knelt down, and whispered to Michi, “Wanna pick one out for Saki too?”

Saki shot Taka a look, and Michi giggled.

“Oh!” Michi said. “Can I wear the shoes that go 'klak klak'?”

“Those might be kind of uncomfortable,” Taka warned. “Are you sure?”

Michi nodded. “I'm sure.”

“Okay then!” Taka said happily. “I'll see if we can find you a pair.”

Keiko pressed her hands together and sighed dreamily. “I can't believe I'm going to go to a festival with my children again. It's like a dream come true.”

“You're making too big of a deal out of this, Mom,” Saki said. “It's just a festival.”

Keiko sighed dramatically. “You wouldn't understand,” she said.

***

Friday came, and Taka dragged the entire Tanaka family to the tailor. Keiko and Michi spent the entire ride admiring the inside of the town car. Keiko even made a big deal out of the real leather seats.

The tailor bowed to them as they entered, and Saki immediately felt under dressed for the occasion. Every corner of the shop had bolts of beautiful fabrics in all kinds of colors and textures. Silks, brocades, and cottons decorated with flowers and birds and clouds were set out on rollers, lining the walls from floor to ceiling. Saki looked around in awe. He'd never seen so many fabrics before in his life. Michi and Keiko also seemed quite astonished.

“See anything you like?” Taka asked them.

Saki recovered from his shock, and smiled. “Not yet. There's...a lot to take in...”

Taka laughed. “That's understandable.”

The tailor took a look at Keiko's yukata as the rest of the group browsed the fabrics. He made a few thoughtful noises as he examined the seams.

“I think I can alter it for you,” he said after a while. “But I'll need to see it on you so that I know how much to take it out.”

Keiko eagerly changed into her yukata behind a screen, and the tailor set to work measuring Keiko and marking out how much he needed to add. Meanwhile, Taka ran across a rather lovely fabric that resembled the fabric used in Keiko's yukata, and showed it to Michi.

“How about this one?” he asked.

Saki looked at the pale purple roses that were delicately scattered across the off-white fabric, and instantly felt his chest tighten. Michi also seemed moved by the fabric, and reached out to touch it with a trembling hand.

“It's so pretty,” she whispered.

“I bet Michi would look even more beautiful if this was the fabric her yukata was made of,” Taka said.

Saki could only nod.

“Then...I want this one,” Michi said. She looked up at Taka nervously. “I can have this one, right?”

“Sure you can!” Taka said reassuringly.

The tailor looked over at their choice. “Oho~! That's a good one. The young lady has a good eye.”

Satisfied, Taka stood up, and looked at Saki. “Shall we find a fabric for you too?”

Saki raised his hands. “I doubt I'm going to have the same kind of emotional response.”

“Doesn't matter,” Taka said. “Everyone feels differently about things. But don't worry: you can trust my judgment.”

Saki sighed. “I guess I'm in your hands, then.”

Taka nodded triumphantly, and began going through the more subdued fabrics. Saki wasn't quite sure what Taka was looking for, and didn't think he would be of much help, but he followed after Taka anyway.

“Hmm.” Taka held up several different fabrics to Saki, making thoughtful expressions as he did so. Saki awkwardly stood still, unsure of what to do. Finally, Taka lifted up a cornflower blue fabric, held it against Saki, and made an excited noise.

“Hmm! I think I've found the one!” he said excitedly. “This one brings out the blue in your eyes so nicely.”

“My eyes are gray,” Saki corrected.

“Eyes change colors based on what you wear,” Taka said. He nodded confidently. “I'm pretty sure this is the one you should use.”

“If you say so,” Saki said. He looked at Taka, and frowned. “What about you? Have you picked out your fabric yet?”

Taka lifted a finger to his lips and smiled. “It's a secret,” he said.

Saki sighed. Why did Taka do things like that? What was the point in being secretive about what fabric he was going to use? It was all the same, in the end. Who cares if Saki saw it before the yukata was finished?

***

The next week or so was incredibly chaotic. A few days after being measured, they went in for their fittings. Saki was quite impressed at how comfortable the yukata was, and Michi beamed happily as she looked at herself in the mirror. It was very obvious that she loved her yukata, and that made the whole thing worthwhile for Saki.

True to his word, Taka would not let anyone see his yukata, and insisted on being fitted on a different day, which Saki argued was inefficient. But Taka seemed intent on keeping it a secret, so Saki eventually dropped it. He was beginning to understand that arguing with Taka once he'd set his mind on something was ultimately futile.

Final fittings were the day before the festival, and Taka chose that exact moment to tell Saki that Netto and Enzan had said that they were coming as well. Saki stared at Taka in shock.

“How did you convince them to come?” he asked.

Taka shrugged. “I just told them what we were doing, and they seemed really interested.”

Saki narrowed his eyes suspiciously at Taka. “Are you sure that's all you said? You didn't blackmail anyone?”

Taka's expression became tired. “Don't you trust me?”

“I...do.” Saki sighed. “Sorry. I just didn't expect them to actually come.”

“That's understandable,” Taka said. “It was especially surprising that Enzan wanted to come. Maybe he secretly enjoys festivals...?”

Taka shrugged. “Who knows?” He scratched his head. “Oh yeah, I'm supposed to tell you that Sakurai-san is coming too.”

“She is?” Saki was genuinely surprised. “Doesn't she live in Amerope?”

“Netto told me that she's visiting for a few weeks,” Taka explained. “Apparently, she was really excited to go, something about feeling nostalgic.”

“Huh.” Saki shook his head. “Who knew?”

“Anyway,” Taka went on, “I'll come over around six? That should be plenty of time to get ready, right?”

“Probably,” Saki said. “It doesn't start until after dark anyway.”

“Great!” Taka seemed excited. “I can't wait!”

Michi was so excited that she barely slept a wink. She fidgeted all day, and Saki tried to distract her with a few of the games that Taka had lent them, but it did little to help. At some point, she switched on the computer, and spent some time looking through websites, which Saki thought was a little odd, but seemed to help her calm down, so he left her alone. They ate dinner, but strangely Saki could barely taste his food. He briefly wondered if he might be sick from stress.

 _I don't know why I'd be stressed out_ , Saki thought. _Maybe I'm excited? It hadn't even occurred to me that I might be excited for this..._ He tried to pinpoint how he was feeling. _Hmm, nope...this is definitely anxiety. Maybe getting fitted for a new yukata was too much for me...I just hope I'll be okay at the festival_.

Before Saki knew it, the doorbell rang. He jumped to his feet, feeling inexplicably nervous. His hand shook as he reached for the doorknob, and he swallowed before he opened the door.

Taka, who had been waiting outside, gave Saki a warm smile, and Saki suddenly felt his stomach do a backflip. His eyes scanned over Taka's outfit: a dark blue yukata patterned with soft pink sakura blossoms and colorful fireworks, along with a matching handbag. He'd pulled his hair back and to the side, adorned with a cluster of pastel silk flowers. A hair stick with a glass bobble held everything securely in place. As Saki's eyes met Taka's, the boy smiled shyly at Saki, and Saki felt his chest clench tightly.

“Wow...” Saki whispered, unable to say anything else.

A soft blush tinted Taka's cheeks. “I'm glad you like it,” he said quietly.

They stood in the doorway, neither one speaking or moving for a long moment. Finally, Taka cleared his throat, and Saki snapped out of his trance.

“U-uhh, right!” He stepped aside to let Taka through. “Why don't you come inside.”

Taka bowed his head politely, and entered the apartment. He slipped out of his sandals, and padded towards the front room. Saki followed after him, still in shock.

 _Taka...really looks beautiful_ , he thought in disbelief. _I've never seen him like this before...he just looks so...radiant..._ Saki swallowed. _What...what am I feeling right now?_

Michi ran to meet Taka, and threw her arms around his waist. Taka knelt down and hugged her back. When he pulled away, he asked her, “Are you ready?”

Michi's response was immediate. “Yes!” she said.

Keiko cooed excitedly at Taka. “Look at you! Such a lovely look! You certainly outdid yourself.”

“Why thank you!” Taka replied. “Shall we get started?”

Taka pulled the finished yukatas out of the bag that he had brought with him. As he handed Saki his yukata, their hands brushed. Saki immediately felt his face heat up, and turned away quickly to hide it.

“I'll change in the bathroom,” he declared, and marched to the bathroom before anyone could protest.

Once the door was securely closed behind him, Saki sank to the floor, and put his face in his hands. Why had he reacted that way to Taka? Sure, he was wearing nice clothes, but he was still the same Taka as always. So then why...?

“I'm being ridiculous,” he muttered to himself, and slapped his face a few times. He pushed himself to his feet, and took a deep breath.

“Okay...let's get dressed. I can't keep everyone waiting!”

Saki managed to get the yukata on just fine, but tying the obi proved difficult. He tried to remember which way he was supposed to pull the obi through, and got rather mixed up in the process. He gave an irritated sigh.

“This isn't that hard,” he muttered. “Why am I having so much difficulty with it?”

“Would you like me to find a tutorial for you?” Zer0 asked.

“Sure thing,” Saki replied, feeling defeated.

Saki did his best to follow the straight-forward tutorial, and, after a few attempts, he managed to make his obi look something like the example.

“Good enough,” he said as he shoved his PET into the pocket on the inside of his yukata, and exited the bathroom. As he approached the bedroom, Saki could hear chattering, and when he slid the door open, he saw Taka carefully brushing Michi's hair while Keiko went through a small box of accessories.

“What do you think of this one?” Keiko asked Taka, and held out a hair stick. Similar to Taka's, it had a glass bobble on it, and Saki thought he saw a flower inside.

“Ohh, that's lovely!” Taka said. “That will go nicely with the one Michi-chan picked out.”

Skillfully, Taka pulled Michi's hair into a bun near the base of her neck, and secured it with the hair stick Keiko had picked out. He put the second hair stick in the same way as the first, and sat back to admire his handiwork.

“She looks lovely,” Keiko said, smiling softly. “What do you think, Michi?”

Slowly, Michi reached back and gingerly touched the bun. “I love it,” she said happily.

Saki approached, and sat on the floor next to Michi. She looked up at Saki with a hopeful expression.

“How do I look?” she asked.

Saki smiled gently. “You look beautiful,” he said honestly.

Michi's cheeks flushed happily. She got to her feet, and brushed herself off.

“I'll go wait in the front room,” she said, and left.

“Should I help you with your hair, Keiko-san?” Taka asked.

“Oh, it's alright,” Keiko replied. “I can handle it. Why don't you help Saki with his hair instead?”

Taka turned to look at Saki, and Saki held his hands up. 

“I'm fine. I don't need help,” Saki insisted.

Taka clicked his tongue disapprovingly. “You're not just going to leave it down like that, are you? At least pull it back!” He moved closer, and reached for Saki's hair, but Saki instinctively flinched. Taka froze, and then slowly pulled his hand back.

“Sorry,” Saki said. “I'm not used to people touching my hair.”

“I'll be gentle,” Taka promised. He scooted behind Saki in order to brush it properly, but paused when he saw Saki's obi. “Looks like you had a hard time getting dressed.”

Saki's face heated up. “I...might have had some trouble, yeah.”

Taka gently untied the obi. “Here, let me do it for you.”

Saki sat perfectly still, hardly daring to breathe while Taka re-tied his obi. Once Taka was done, he patted Saki on the shoulder.

“Okay, all done! Can I brush your hair now?”

Saki nodded stiffly, and Taka began to carefully brush Saki's hair. Slowly, Saki felt the stiffness and anxiety leave him, until the brush strokes were almost soothing. He slowly let his eyes close.

“You have such nice hair,” Taka said enviously. “It's so much easier to brush than mine...”

“I don't really do anything to it,” Saki admitted.

Taka sighed again. “I'm so jealous. My hair is so thick and coarse. Meanwhile, your hair is so straight and silky.” 

“You can have it if you want,” Saki muttered. “It's such a bother having so much hair.”

Taka slowly pulled Saki's hair up into a high ponytail. “Men with long hair are attractive, you know!”

“I know.” Saki bit his lip.

Taka tied the ponytail with Saki's paper hair tie, and sat back. “How you do your hair makes a difference, I promise,” he said, motioning towards the mirror. “Go on, see for yourself.”

Saki looked into the mirror, and was surprised at how much the hairstyle had changed his whole vibe. He tilted his head back and forth, enjoying the cool air on the back of his neck and the soft sound of his hair brushing against fabric.

“I like it,” Saki admitted. “Thank you.”

“Don't mention it!” Taka said happily. He got to his feet, and stretched. “Ahh, I'm so excited~! Can we go now? I don't think I can wait much longer!”

“I'm almost ready,” Keiko promised. She set the last ornament into her hair, and grinned at Saki. “How do I look?”

“Like...a young maiden,” Saki said.

Keiko smiled brightly. “That makes me so happy to hear!”

As Saki and Keiko got to their feet, Taka called out to Michi in the main room. “We're almost ready to go. Are you ready, Michi-chan?”

“Yes,” Michi called back. “I'm coming!”

They all made their way out of the apartment, and out into the encroaching night. Michi's gata clacked against the sidewalk as she walked, and she grinned excitedly.

“Are they uncomfortable at all?” Taka asked Michi. “I brought spare shoes in case you need to change at some point.”

“I'm okay,” Michi said. “I can handle it.” She looked up and smiled. “You're really good at dressing people, Taka-kun.”

“It's a secret talent of mine,” Taka admitted, rubbing his nose with a finger. “I've always wanted to dress everyone for a summer festival, and I finally got my chance!” The boy's eyes glittered. “Saki was especially fun to dress!”

Michi laughed. “Why's that?”

“It's because Saki doesn't like to dress up!” Taka said. “So I wanted him to look especially nice!”

Saki's face heated up with embarrassment. “I can dress nice when I want to!” he snapped.

The group walked to the shrine, being careful not to go too fast for Michi. As they approached the shrine gate, Saki spotted a few familiar figures, and waved to them.

“There you are!” Netto called out, waving back excitedly. Saki saw that Netto had tied the sleeves of his light blue yukata back, and put on a headband, more than likely to keep his bangs out of his eyes while he played the games at the festival. Enzan, on the other hand, in his bright red yukata, seemed more relaxed than the energetic Netto. He gave them a small smile as they approached, and knelt down to greet Michi.

“How are you, Michi-chan?” he asked.

“I'm well, thank you,” Michi said politely.

Netto grinned at Michi. “You look great! Like a little princess!”

From out behind Netto stepped Meiru, who smiled shyly at everyone. Netto quickly introduced Meiru to Michi and Keiko, who greeted her warmly.

Taka leaned in close to Saki, whispering, “Yellow was a great choice for her!”

“My, everyone looks so nice tonight!” Keiko said happily.

“As do you,” Enzan said kindly.

“You seem familiar with each other,” Netto said, eyeing Enzan suspiciously. “Have you met before?”

Enzan smirked. “We met briefly, yes.”

“He came over a few times in the rainy season to go to the mugwort bath with us!” Keiko explained.

Netto's face fell. “You went somewhere without me?”

Enzan sighed. “Yes, and what of it?”

“How cruel of Enzan, excluding Netto like that,” Meiru teased.

“Yeah, how could you?” Netto said angrily. “You should totally buy me an okonomiyaki to make up for it!”

Enzan waved his hand. “Not happening.”

“Then get me some takoyaki!” Netto insisted.

“Buy your own,” Enzan said. “I'm not a credit card that you can use whenever you feel like.”

“I want some cotton candy!” Taka cheered.

“Don't start eating right away!” Saki scolded. “You'll get sick later!”

Suddenly, Taka turned to Michi, saying, “I almost forgot!” He reached into his bag, and pulled out some zenny, which he handed to Michi. “Some fun money!”

“Really?!” Michi's eyes went wide. “Is this really for me?”

Taka grinned. “It sure is! You can't have fun if you don't have any allowance, right?”

“You didn't have to,” Saki said.

“Of course I did,” Taka insisted. “Everyone deserves to have fun. Especially good girls like Michi-chan.”

A moment later, Keiko spotted someone, and waved at them. When Saki looked to see who it was, he felt his whole body freeze. The person Keiko had been waving at was Hinoken.

 _Did Mom invite him?!_ Saki thought frantically.

As Hinoken approached, he had a strange look on his face. “I didn't realize this was going to be such a formal affair,” he said as he stopped at Keiko's side.

“Don't feel bad!” Keiko said, looping her arm around Hinoken's. “I think you look dashing anyway.”

Hinoken gazed at Keiko, and Saki thought the man seemed a little flustered.

“I wasn't expecting to see you like this...” Hinoken said sheepishly. “I'm honestly blown away by how beautiful you look tonight.”

Keiko put her fan to her mouth. “Oh, stop, you charmer!” she said with a giggle.

Saki groaned loudly. “Ugh, gross.”

“If that's how you feel, then we'll just go off on our own so that you don't have to watch,” Keiko said, pouting playfully.

“Don't do anything embarrassing!” Saki yelled at them. “If you start acting like a couple of teenagers on a first date, I'm going to come break that nonsense up!”

“The man of the house, laying down the line,” Hinoken chuckled. “Next thing you know, you'll be wanting her home by ten.”

“NO FUNNY BUSINESS!” Saki roared. “HANDS WHERE I CAN SEE 'EM!”

Saki felt Taka grab hold of his arm, as if to hold him back. Keiko waved goodbye, and her and Hinoken walked off into the festival together.

 _I hate seeing them together!_ Saki thought angrily. _He's clearly not good enough for her! Why can't she see that?!_

“What's wrong?” Netto asked.

Saki huffed angrily. “I wish my Mom would stop dating that clown!”

“Your mother is a grown woman,” Enzan said, frowning. “She can date whoever she wants.”

“Grown woman? Maybe. Grown-up? Definitely not.” Saki said, fuming. “She takes every opportunity to embarrass me. And she still has all her old clothes from high school! Even her uniform! What kind of mother dresses like a teenager?!”

“Saki, calm down,” Netto said. “You're going to spook Michi.” He jerked his head in her direction.

Saki glanced over at Michi, and felt his anger evaporate when he saw her nervous expression.

“I'm sorry, Michi,” he said apologetically. 

“It's okay,” Michi said, shifting her weight from one foot to the other. After a moment, she looked up at Saki and said, “Big brother? May I go off by myself for a little while?”

“Huh?” Saki felt shocked. “Why? Are we upsetting you that much?”

“No, not at all!” Michi said, shaking her head. “It's just that...I'd really like some time to myself, if that's okay.”

Saki tilted his head to the side as he thought of what to say. “Tell you what,” he said finally, “Why don't you hang around with all of us for a little while, and then you can go off on your own later. How does that sound?”

Michi smiled. “Okay!” She slipped her hand into Saki's, and together they began walking up the shrine steps with the others.

“Let's hit the food stalls first!” Netto said.

“Can't you think of something other than food?” Meiru chided.

“No,” he said with a pout.

Taka laughed. “I want food too! I haven't eaten since I left the house.” He looked at Saki. “Hey, how about some grilled squid?!”

“I guess that's fine,” Saki said. “But I'm not really hungry.”

Taka looked at Michi. “How about you, Michi-chan? Are you hungry?”

“No, thank you,” Michi said. “But I might have something later.”

Netto slapped Taka in the back. “Hey, get me some grilled squid too, Taka!”

Enzan frowned. “Stop mooching off of everyone else!”

Saki looked down at Michi. “What do you want to do first?”

“Hmm...” Michi seemed to think very hard. “How about...one of the games!”

“Which one?” Meiru asked. “What about the water balloons?”

“Or the shooting gallery!” Netto suggested. “Or ring toss!”

“What about...the goldfish scoop?” Michi said.

“Nice!” Taka said. “That's a classic.”

“I bet I can get a goldfish before you do, Enzan,” Netto said.

Enzan narrowed his eyes. “You're on.”

As they entered the actual festival, Saki's senses were assaulted all at once. The smell of food cooking filled the air along with the sounds of many people talking and laughing. Somewhere deeper inside the festival came the sounds of spirited drums and flutes, accompanied by the shrill cries of the cicadas. Saki took a deep breath and sighed happily.

It was no surprise that the food stalls were especially busy. Netto hopped into line with Taka, and said that he'd meet everyone at the goldfish scooping game once they were done. Waving, Saki and the others continued further into the festival. Saki spotted some of the other game booths, and made a mental note of which ones he wanted to try later. Michi pulled her PET out of her bag, and Saki gave her a curious look.

“Oh, umm—I wanted to get some pictures,” Michi hastily explained. “To show my friends.”

“I can help you take them,” Meiru offered kindly. 

Michi shook her head. “Thank you, but I'm okay!”

“Are you sure?” Saki asked.

Michi nodded. Just then, Enzan pointed to the goldfish stall. “I think that's what we're looking for.”

Excited, Michi let go of Saki's hand, and ran over to the pools of fish at the stall. After a moment, she pointed at a black one, and said, “That one! That's the one I want!”

Saki tried to get a better look at the fish. It was black from nose to tail, and seemed a little bigger than all the other fish. Saki thought that he had a pretty good chance of catching it.

“Want me to get it for you?” he asked.

Michi shook her head. “I want to try!”

Saki paid the person running the stall, and she handed him three paper nets and a small bowl with some water in it. He looked around the fish, trying to see if any of them would be easy to snag. A fish with a dark speckle on its nose caught his eye, and he went straight for it. However, despite getting the net right under it, the fish slipped away. Saki pursed his lips and tried again.

“Oh no!” Meiru said, holding up a broken net. “I already broke one!”

“The angle is important,” Enzan explained. “If you go in too sharp, you'll break it every time.” He quickly thrust his net into the water, and flicked a fish up and into his bowl. “Like that.”

Meiru looked impressed. “You made that look so easy!”

Enzan looked over at Saki. “Are you using the lifting method?”

“Yeah,” Saki said.

“That works too,” Enzan said, “But be careful the paper doesn't soften up too much.”

Michi made a frustrated noise. “He got away,” she grumbled.

“Is the black fish really tricky?” Saki asked.

“Yeah.” Michi looked determined. “But I'll get him next time!”

“I believe you can do it!” Saki said.

After a while, Taka and Netto walked over. Netto looked down at the fish in Enzan's bowl, and let out a cry of surprise.

“That's amazing!” he said. “You already have so many!”

“You'd better hurry up if you want to beat me,” Enzan said. “I'm still on my first net.”

Netto paid the vendor, and sat down. “No problem,” he said. “Just watch me.”

Saki heard Michi make another sound of frustration, and he looked over to see her net was broken.

“Having a hard time?” he asked.

“Maybe,” Michi said.

Zer0 appeared, and sat on Michi's shoulder. Giving her a reassuring pat, he said, “If you have patience, then I am certain that you will succeed.”

Meiru gave a whoop of triumph. “I caught one!” she yelled.

“Good job!” Saki cheered.

“I knew you could do it!” Netto said.

After a little while, Saki ran out of nets. He looked down at his bowl, and counted four fish.

“Not that many, but that's still a pretty good number,” Saki said.

Zer0 patted Saki's cheek. “A respectable attempt.”

“How's Michi doing?” Saki asked.

Zer0 shook his head. “She has yet to catch her prey, it seems.”

Saki looked over at Michi, who was staring at her broken nets with a dejected face. Saki slid closer, and gave her a hug.

“I couldn't catch it,” she said miserably.

“Want me to try?” Saki asked.

Michi nodded, and Saki bought more nets from the vendor. Settling back down, Saki raised his net and prepared to do battle with the black goldfish. Every time Saki managed to slip the net underneath the fish, it would dart away, and Saki would have to chase it around the pool. After a few rounds of this, Saki finally realized that he was going about the whole thing wrong.

 _How had Enzan done it again? He flicked it upwards..._ Saki tried to mimic the motion with his hand. _Like this? Maybe it was more like this..._ Once he was confident that he could copy Enzan's technique, Saki set his sights on the black goldfish once more. He waited until it was directly in front of him, calmly swimming in place, and swooped in with the net. As soon as it was underneath the fish, Saki flicked it upward, and the fish flopped into his bowl. He gave a cry of triumph.

“You did it!” Michi cried.

“Excellent!” Zer0 said.

The vendor put the fish in a bag for Michi so that she could take it home. She held it up so that the others could see it.

“Look what big brother got for me!” she said proudly.

Meiru clapped. “Very nice!”

Saki looked down at Enzan and Netto, who seemed to be locked in a battle of attrition. Both of them kept scooping fish into their bowls with no signs of stopping, and Saki wondered who would run out of room in their bowl first.

“Let's leave them to it,” Meiru said. “Why don't we go do something else?”

“Sounds good,” Saki said.

“Hey, why don't we try the shooting gallery?” Taka suggested. “I'm pretty confident in that one.”

At the words 'shooting gallery', both Netto and Enzan stiffened. They looked down at the fish in their bowls, and Saki heard them frantically counting under their breath.

“Ha! I have twelve!” Netto said.

Enzan let Netto see his bowl. “Thirteen,” he said.

Netto gave a cry of disappointment. “I thought I'd won that time!”

Taka made a face. “You both still have scoops left.”

“It doesn't matter,” Netto said. “If we don't leave, we might be here all night.” He jerked his thumb towards Enzan. “Besides, I wanna beat Enzan at the shooting gallery!”

“As if,” Enzan scoffed.

The group left the goldfish game, and walked towards the shooting gallery. As they got close, however, Saki spotted another familiar figure.

“Laika?” Saki stared in disbelief at the man in the mint yukata, who was casually leaning one of the cork guns from the gallery on his shoulder. As Saki said his name, Laika turned to look at them.

“What are you doing here, Laika?” Netto asked.

“Heard there was a festival,” Laika said. “Contrary to popular belief, I like to have fun too.”

Netto grinned. “Well, since you're here, wanna have a match against me and Enzan? He beat me at the goldfish game, but I think I can beat him at the shooting gallery.”

Laika laughed. “You both think you have a chance against me?”

“A cork gun and a real gun are very different,” Enzan said. “So yes, I think I have a chance.”

Laika sighed. “Just don't cry when I win, okay?”

As Netto slapped some zenny down on the counter, Michi tugged at Saki's sleeve.

“Big brother?” she asked. “Can I walk around by myself now? I promise that I'll meet up with everyone for the fireworks.”

Saki knelt down. “Are you sure?”

Michi nodded.

“And you won't get lonely?” Saki asked nervously.

“I won't,” Michi promised.

Taka put a hand on Saki's shoulder. “Let her go, Saki. She's a good kid, and I'm sure she'll be careful.”

With a sigh, Saki slumped his shoulders. “Don't talk to strangers, okay? A-and don't eat too much! Just...” Saki looked at Michi, feeling a complicated swirl of emotions in his gut. “Just be careful.”

“I will,” she promised. 

“We're meeting at the top of the hill at ten,” Saki told her. “Don't be late, okay?”

“I won't,” Michi promised. With a smile, she turned and ran off into the festival.

Saki watched her go with a melancholy feeling. Taka patted his shoulder comfortingly.

“Kids grow up so fast, don't they?” he asked.

Saki didn't reply. Instead, he got to his feet, and turned back towards the shooting gallery. At a glance, it seemed like Laika was easily beating the others, methodically knocking down target after target with precision. The frustration on Netto's face told Saki everything he needed to know.

“Yikes,” Taka whispered. “He's _decimating_ them.”

“They never stood a chance,” Saki agreed.

“And neither do I,” Taka said. He grabbed Saki's arm. “C'mon, let's get out of here before Laika challenges me too!”

Before Saki could register what was happening, Taka had dragged him off into the crowds. They ran for a little bit, until Taka seemed satisfied that no one was following them, and they slowed to a walk. Taka wrapped his arm around Saki's, and Saki felt his face begin to heat up.

“S...so...” he said awkwardly.

“Are you having fun?” Taka asked.

Saki nodded stiffly. “Yeah, so far.”

Taka looked at Saki. “What do you want to do next?”

“Uhh...” Saki looked around for something that they could do. Finally, his eyes settled on a booth. “How about the darts?”

Taka smiled. “Sure! That sounds fun!”

They threw darts for a while, and Saki managed to win a small dog plush, which he gave to Taka as a consolation for losing. They tried their hand at the water balloons next, and Taka managed to win one. He then proceeded to play with it for the next little while, until Saki couldn't stand the noise anymore, and took it away from him. At some point, they stopped by the food stalls, and Saki tried the takoyaki, which he found to be delicious.

“Let me have one!” Taka said, opening his mouth. “Ahh~!”

Saki hesitated, unsure if he wanted Taka to eat off the same toothpick as him, but Taka chomped down on the takoyaki anyway, causing Saki to yelp in surprise.

“Hey!” he cried.

“Too slow!” Taka mumbled around his food.

“Get your own!” Saki snapped.

“No way!” Taka said with a laugh. “The ones you have are much tastier!”

Saki felt his face burn with embarrassment. He looked at his toothpick, and wondered if he should keep using it, or get a clean one.

“Want some of my yakitori?” Taka asked. He held the skewer out to Saki, who shook his head.

“Oh, I'm...fine. Really.”

“Your loss,” Taka said with a shrug. He went back to eating his own food, and Saki decided to keep using his toothpick, since he felt that it might be too much trouble to ask for a new one.

Taka pointed at a nearby bench. “Wanna sit down?” he asked.

Saki nodded, and they sat down on the bench to rest their feet. Saki flexed his toes, sighing with relief. A second later, he felt Taka press up to him, and his heart skipped a beat.

“I'm kind of tired already,” Taka said with a sigh. “Can I lean my head on your shoulder?”

Saki's face felt like it had caught fire. “S-sure,” he stammered. He sat perfectly still, hardly daring to breath, while Taka leaned against him. He caught the murmurs of people passing by.

“...a perfect couple...” one of them whispered to the person next to them.

Saki's face grew even hotter, and his ears felt like they might melt right off his head. Still, the idea of him and Taka looking like a couple bothered him less than he thought it would.

_I don't understand what's wrong with me tonight. Taka isn't acting any different than he normally would, but for some reason, it's making me really flustered. Is it because of how he's dressed...? That can't be it! I wish I understood what's making me so anxious right now!_

After a little while, Taka lifted his head, and stretched his arms above his head. “Thanks!” he said, smiling. “I feel a lot better now.”

“N-no problem,” Saki said, trying not to let Taka see how embarrassed he was.

Taka looked down at the paper tray in Saki's hands, and pointed to the last two takoyaki. “Are you going to eat those?” he asked.

Saki practically shoved the tray into Taka's hands. “Here. Take it.”

“Yay! Thanks!” Taka gobbled down the last of the takoyaki while Saki desperately tried to calm down.

 _Maybe we should head back to the group...? I wasn't nearly as overwhelmed when we were with them. Maybe it's the fact that we're alone that's making me nervous_.

Taka got up and put their trash into a nearby can. Brushing himself off, he walked back to Saki, and offered him his hand.

“Wanna go dance?” he asked. “We still have some time before we have to meet up.”

Saki blinked. Some part of his brain wasn't functioning correctly, and it took a long time to realize what Taka had said. He opened his mouth, ready to ask if they could meet up with the others, but instead he said, “Sure.”

Taka, delighted, pulled Saki to his feet, and dragged him towards the part of the festival where the drums had been set up. A circle of people were already there, dancing in unison to the beat of the drum. Saki protested at first, but Taka pulled him into the circle anyway, and Saki had no choice but to try to copy the movements of the people around him. Taka glanced over his shoulder, and laughed at Saki's clumsy movements, but he turned to face him and guided Saki through the steps. Before he knew it, Saki was dancing along with everyone else like he'd been doing it for years.

“Are you having fun?” Taka yelled over the noise of the drums.

“Yeah!” Saki said happily. He felt a smile stretch all the way across his face, and the anxiety that he'd felt earlier had disappeared.

“Me too!” Taka said, smiling at Saki over his shoulder.

After a few minutes, Zer0 appeared on Saki's shoulder. “I hate to interrupt, but it is almost ten.”

“Ack!” Saki reached forward and tugged on Taka's sleeve. “Hey, we have to go meet up with the others!”

“Huh?” Taka asked.

Saki grabbed Taka's hand, and pulled him out of the circle. Taka yelped with surprise, but took a firm hold of Saki's hand as they ran through the festival towards the hill that overlooked the shrine. By the time they reached the top, they were both breathless. Netto and the others ran to meet them, and Saki and Taka doubled over, panting heavily.

“We...we made it!” Taka wheezed.

“Where did you two go?” Enzan asked.

“We turned around, and you were gone!” Netto said.

Saki tried to catch his breath before he spoke. “Taka...dragged me off...”

“We had fun,” Taka added. “We even...danced a little...”

From the trail, Keiko called out to the group. A moment later, her and Hinoken joined up with them, and Keiko patted Saki's back comfortingly.

“Are you okay?” she asked.

“Uh huh,” Taka said. “Me and Taka...ran all the way up here...”

“Goodness!” Keiko said. “Try not to wear yourself out before we get home.”

Hinoken glanced around. “Where's Michi-chan?”

Saki looked around, and sure enough, he couldn't see Michi. “She...went off on her own a while ago...she promised to meet up with all of us before the fireworks...”

Enzan crossed his arms. “Was that a wise idea?”

Saki felt guilty, knowing that it probably hadn't been a very good idea, but Michi had seemed so determined that he hadn't wanted to say 'no'. He hung his head in shame.

“Big brother!” Michi's voice called out faintly from the trail. Saki looked up, and spotted Michi walking as fast as she could towards them. Even from a distance, he could tell that she was limping slightly.

“Michi!” Saki ran to meet his sister, relieved to see her safe. “You had us worried for a minute there.”

“Sorry,” Michi said. “I would have been here sooner, but it's hard to climb this hill in these shoes.”

Taka came over, and pulled a pair of flats from his bag. “That's why I came prepared!” Kneeling down, he gently took Michi's geta off, and slipped the flats onto her feet instead. “How's that? Feel any better?”

Michi nodded happily. “Yeah, much better! Thank you, Taka-kun!”

Keiko looked around the group with a satisfied expression. “At least everyone is here now, and there's nothing left to worry about.” She checked her watch. “And just in time, too. I think the fireworks are going to start at any minute!”

Netto peered down the hill, towards a small clearing in the trees. “Do you think Nenji is helping with the fireworks?” he asked Enzan.

“It's possible,” Enzan said with a shrug.

“I hope he is,” Netto said excitedly. “His fireworks are the best!”

Meiru let out a soft sigh. “How long has it been since we were all together like this?”

Netto paused, and thought about it for a moment. “Probably seven years...”

Laika nodded. “That sounds about right.”

Meiru wore a troubled expression. “And it'll probably be another seven years before this happens again.”

“Don't say that!” Netto said.

“She has a point,” Enzan said. “Traveling back and forth from Amerope isn't easy, you know. And Laika isn't always able to visit either. It's a small miracle that we're all in the same place at the same time.”

Netto folded his arms angrily. “Maybe. But we're not so far apart that we'll never see each other again. The thought of having to wait another seven years to hang out together is a real bummer, and I refuse to think about it!”

Meiru laughed. “That's so like you!”

“Incredibly optimistic, and too stubborn to give up,” Laika added.

“Knowing Netto, he'll do everything in his power to set up another meeting like this as soon as possible,” Enzan said.

“Darn right I will!” Netto said proudly.

Taka gave Saki's hand a squeeze. “Looks like they have a lot of catching up to do.”

“Yeah.” Saki looked at Netto and the others with a smile. “It's probably pretty hard to have friends on opposite sides of the world.”

“That just makes times like this so special,” Taka said. “So that no matter how far away someone is, you always have memories like this to fill the void.”

Saki looked at Taka, surprised by his profound words. Taka looked back at him with a soft expression, and Saki felt his chest clenched a little bit. He opened his mouth to speak.

“Taka, I—”

A sharp squeal interrupted Saki's sentence, and a firework exploded in the sky above them.

“It's starting!” Netto cried.

Taka turned to look at the fireworks, a huge smile on his face. Saki decided to leave the rest of his sentence unsaid, and stared at Taka's enraptured face as the boy watched the fireworks.

 _I'm glad that I came tonight_ , Saki thought. _I'm glad I made these memories with Taka and the others. I'm so glad that Taka forced me out of my shell, and kept encouraging me to try things that I wasn't comfortable with. I haven't been this happy in a very long time, and it's all thanks to Taka..._ He gave Taka's hand a small squeeze. _When we're inevitably separated in the future as we travel down our own paths, I can think back to tonight, and remember that we're not so far apart after all_.

“Hey, Taka?” Saki asked. 

Taka turned his head to look at Saki. “What's up?”

Saki took a deep breath. “Taka, I think that I—”

A few fireworks went off in quick succession, and for a moment, Saki couldn't even hear himself speaking. Taka gave Saki a curious look, and cupped his hand to his ear.

“What did you say?”

Saki shook his head. “It's nothing important.”

“Are you sure?” Taka asked. “It _seemed_ pretty important—”

Saki smiled. “It's fine. I'll tell you some other time.”

“Okay!” Taka replied happily.

Saki noticed Keiko looking at him out of the corner of his eye, and when he turned to look at her, she mouthed the words, 'You can do it!' at him.

 _Thanks, Mom_ , Saki thought happily. _But now's not the time. I'll try again when the time is right_.

“TAMAYA!” Netto yelled.

“TAMAYA!” Meiru echoed.

“Tamaya!!” Keiko yelled, joining in. She giggled like a schoolgirl, and Hinoken gave her shoulders a little hug with his arm.

Taka looked at Saki, who grinned and looked at Michi. They seemed to all be having the exact same thought, and almost in sync, they lifted their hands to their mouths and cried, “TAMAYA!!” at the top of their lungs before dissolving into fits of laughter.

“This is the best night of my life!” Taka said.

“Me too!” Saki agreed.

Taka reached for Saki's hand, and Saki took it. Their palms fit together like puzzle pieces, and Saki felt his cheeks flush a little bit. For just that moment, he felt like everything was right with the world, and he never wanted it to end. He stared up at the fireworks in the sky, and smiled.

“They're beautiful,” Taka said.

“They sure are,” Saki agreed quietly.

They watched the rest of the fireworks in silence, their hands firmly clasped together.


	28. Telephoto Lens

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> On a trip to Shibuya, Taka and Saki stumble across something interesting.

“Saki,” said Taka, “There's this cool place in Shibuya I want to take you to. Are you free?”

Saki looked over at Michi, who was quietly watching television, and sighed a little. Another day of getting dragged around by Taka didn't seem too fun, but he was also kind of bored. After the festival, things had been really quiet, and since Michi was due to go back to school in a few days, she'd been a little bit depressed. A change of scenery might help.

“Is Michi allowed to come?” he asked.

Taka scoffed. “Umm, _duh_ Saki. As if I'd leave Michi-chan at home all by herself.”

“I was just asking,” Saki grumbled. “You don't have to get snippy.”

There was a pause. “Sorry,” Taka said.

Michi had looked up when she'd heard her name, so Saki lowered his PET and asked her, “Would you like to go out today? Taka wants to drag me to somewhere in Shibuya, and he said that it's okay if you come.”

Michi seemed to think it over, tilting her head back and forth as she hemmed and hawed. Finally, she shook her head 'no'.

“Tell him 'thank you for the offer, but I think I'd rather like to stay inside right now'.”

Saki felt crestfallen. “Are you sure? A change of scenery might help.”

“I'm okay,” Michi insisted. “I spent a lot of summer outside as it is.” She glanced at the computer. “Plus, I'm not really happy with my summer homework yet.”

Saki frowned. “You've already spent quite a lot of time on it. Are you still not done?”

“Oh, well,” Michi seemed flustered as she spoke. “I am. But I think I could add a little more to it.”

A sigh escaped Saki. “There's such a thing as working too hard, you know. Grades aren't everything. I'm sure your teacher would be satisfied with what you have already.”

“I know,” Michi said. “But I wanted to write about the cicadas we heard at the festival. It was neat to hear their songs and the drums together. Oh, and the fish too!”

Saki chuckled. “I can wait until you finish. Taka won't be here right away either, you know.”

“Yeah!” Taka said, loud enough for Michi to hear. “We can wait for you!”

Michi seemed even more nervous by this. “Oh...umm...thank you...”

Silence hung over the room for a moment, and Saki realized something.

“Michi,” Saki said slowly, “Do you not want to go out at all?”

She opened her mouth, but shut it again. After a second, she nodded, a guilty look on her face.

“You don't have to make excuses if you don't want to,” Saki said. “It's true that I thought a change of scenery might help, but I don't want to force you to do anything you don't want to.”

“I'm sorry,” Michi said sadly. “I like hanging out with Taka-kun, and I'm glad you wanted to bring me along, but...” She looked at the floor. “I think you two should go by yourselves. I'd just be in the way.”

“Ehh?” Saki was bewildered. “What do you mean?”

“I mean...” Michi hesitated. “I mean that I'd get in the way of your time together.”

“Our time...together...?” Saki felt even more confused.

“But Michi-chan,” Taka said, “It's fine! We like it when you come along! You're not in the way at all.”

Michi pouted. “No, I mean...I'd be a third wheel.”

Saki felt his face and ears slowly heat up. Was Michi trying to imply that this was a date?!

“I-it's not like that!” Saki blurted out. “Me and Taka are just hanging out! We're friends, that's all!”

The atmosphere in the room got incredibly awkward, and Saki desperately wanted to escape.

“S-sorry...” Michi said quietly. “I just thought...”

“I mean, it's _kind_ of a date,” Taka said. “It's a _friend_ date.”

“You're not helping,” Saki growled.

The room grew silent again, and Saki wanted to escape more than ever. Michi looked at him with an apologetic look, and stood up, walking into the bedroom and softly closing the door behind her.

Saki raised the PET back to his ear. “Hey, is it okay if I meet you there?”

***

Taka waved as he ran over to Saki, who had been waiting by the statue of Hachiko. He seemed flushed and out of breath.

“Sorry it took so long!” he said, and leaned over, panting. “I would have taken the car, but traffic is insane today.”

“It's okay,” Saki said, shaking his head. “I didn't mind.” He scratched the back of his head. “I had to get out of the house. It was just so tense.”

“She seemed to have the wrong idea,” Taka agreed. “I can imagine how embarrassed she must be feeling.”

“Yeah,” Saki said with a sigh. “I'll apologize to her when I get home.”

“Make sure that you do,” Taka said sternly. “She's still a kid, so every mistake feels like the end of the world.” He shaded his eyes and looked around. “Anyway, since we're here, let me show you that shop I told you about on the phone.”

“What is it, anyway?” Saki asked.

“It's this neat little store that sells vintage clothing and old vinyl records,” Taka explained. “I thought you might dig the laid-back vibe.”

Saki's cheeks heated up a little bit, and he looked away, embarrassed. “Sounds cool,” he said after a moment.

Taka grinned. “Wanna grab a drink or something first? It's still really hot, after all.”

“I guess so,” Saki said. “I think there's a convenience store close by.”

“I was thinking we could get boba tea,” Taka said. “Been craving that chew, you know?”

Saki gave Taka a flat look. “No, actually, I don't.”

Taka looked at Saki, flabbergast. “Whaaat? You've _never_ had boba tea?!” 

“It never appealed to me!” Saki replied sharply.

Grabbing Saki by the wrist, Taka dragged him towards the intersection. “Come on. You're going to try it.”

“And what if I don't want to?” Saki asked.

Taka glanced over his shoulder. “Too bad.”

The nearest store that sold boba tea was at least a block away, and Taka dragged Saki the whole way there. Once inside, Taka quickly ordered an Okinawa milk tea, and then stared at Saki until he finally made his order. He had decided to try the taro tea, and the taste was fine, but the texture of the boba themselves was interesting. Saki thought that it would probably be something he would have to get used to.

“I heard that boba tea is trendy in Amerope,” Taka said as they left the shop. “It's always interesting to see what becomes popular overseas, and what doesn't.”

“I can't see why this would get popular in Amerope,” Saki said, looking down at his drink. “Personally, I would think that they texture of the boba would scare them off.”

“According to the blogs I've read, most people think it's kind of a unique experience, and very novel.” Taka sipped his tea. “But then again, they think everything about us is 'novel'.”

“Not like we don't think the same things about them,” Saki muttered.

Taka shrugged. “Anyway, are you ready to check out some clothes?! I know I am!”

The vintage clothing store was pretty small, and the two of them browsed what was hanging on the rack outside. Saki even saw a few pieces that he might like to wear, and Taka was more than happy to buy them for him.

“If you coordinate these with more modern pieces, I bet they'd be really cute!” he said.

Most of the vinyl records were of bands that Saki wasn't very familiar with, but he did find one of Ryu Tetsuya's hit single 'Okuhida Yearning'. Saki had always been fond of the nostalgic feeling the song gave off, but it always made him a little sleepy.

“Too bad I don't have a record player,” Saki said with a chuckle.

“Some people frame them, and put them on their wall,” Taka said.

Saki slipped the record back into the box. “I'll pass.”

Taka dug through more of the clothing racks, and found a worn-in denim jacket with a cloth hood. He held it up to himself, and looked at Saki with anticipation.

“Well?” he asked.

Saki, having learned his lesson from his trip to the hot spring, chose his words very carefully.

“It's really simple. I bet you could do a lot with it.”

“That's what I thought too!” Taka said happily. “Maybe I could put a patch on the back! Something graphic. Pair it with a hat. Or, keep it as is, and pair it with a bold shirt. Ooh, the possibilities are endless!”

Saki felt himself smile. Even if he didn't really understand fashion that much, Taka's joy was still infectious.

After combing the store from front to back, Taka paid for their finds, and they left the store. Saki checked his PET, and saw that it was still fairly early in the day.

“What now?” he asked.

Taka gave a thoughtful hum. “We could walk around a little,” he said. “Or maybe get a bite to eat.”

“I think I can wait on food,” Saki said.

Taka grinned. “Okay then, how about we check out one of the big malls? The one oh nine might be cool to browse.”

“Air conditioning sounds fantastic,” Saki replied.

Taka giggled. “Not even going to pretend, are you?”

They made their way towards the large shopping mall, but as they were passing by a small parking lot, they spotted a crowd of people and stopped to investigate. Saki could see a large truck nearby, the kind used by celebrities while on movie sets, as well as several men with reflectors and lights. There was someone in rather high-end fashion posing against the blank wall of the building behind them, while a tall man with a camera was instructing them on how to stand.

Taka gripped Saki's arm like a vice. Saki looked over at Taka, whose eyes were open as wide as saucers, and gave him a confused look.

“Some kind of photo shoot?” Saki guessed.

“Yeah,” Taka whispered. “And the photographer...that's...” He stumbled over his words for a moment. “That's Toshiyaki Shashinki! He's one of the most famous fashion photographers in Japan!”

“R-really?!” Saki said.

Taka nodded. “Whoever is getting to shoot with him is incredibly lucky.” He sighed. “I'm so jealous...what I wouldn't give to do a fashion shoot with Shashinki-san!”

Saki looked back at the model, and froze. Rubbing his eyes, Saki looked again. It might have been that his eyes were playing tricks on him, but the model looked familiar...

“Is that...Enzan?” Saki asked, dumbfounded.

Taka stared in disbelief. “Oh my gosh, I think it is.”

The pair stood, staring at Enzan, unsure of what to do or say. As unlikely as it seemed, it really was Enzan modeling a stylish outfit that Saki thought was a bit too heavy for the hot summer weather.

“He's modeling the fall line for a large brand,” Taka explained. “They always release clothes a season in advance, you know.”

“Why?” Saki asked, confused. “That doesn't make sense.”

Taka gave Saki a look. “You start shopping for your wardrobe before the season begins. If you wait until the last minute to get clothes for the weather, then you'll have hardly any time to enjoy them.”

Saki sighed. “That makes no sense.” He looked back at Enzan. “But I have to admire Enzan for wearing such heavy clothes in this heat. He's not even sweating!”

“They probably let him rest in between outfits,” Taka said. “Otherwise, his makeup would run.”

 _He's wearing make-up?_ Saki thought. _I can't really tell. How does Taka know that?_

“Okay then,” Shashinki said, lowering his camera. “That's it for this look. Good job, everyone.” He nodded to Enzan. “We'll shoot the next look in a half-hour or so. The sooner the better. We don't want to lose the light, after all.”

“I'll be ready,” Enzan promised. But as he spoke, he noticed Saki and Taka hovering at the edges of the shoot, and his expression became one of surprise. Taka waved shyly, and Enzan approached them.

“What are you doing here?” he asked.

“That's my line,” Saki said. “I didn't know that you were a model.”

“I'm not,” Enzan replied. “I'm just doing a favor for Himura-san.”

The name was familiar to Saki, and he suddenly remembered the night that Enzan had dined at Argenterie. Himura-san had been the woman who had hit on him, and who had made Enzan visibly uncomfortable. She had also said something about wanting Enzan to model for her, so Saki figured that this was the result of that conversation.

Taka sighed dreamily. “I'm so jealous of you, Enzan! You get to do a fashion shoot with Shashinki-san himself!” He gripped Enzan's hand tightly. “Won't you please introduce me to him? _Pretty please?!_ ”

For a moment, Enzan seemed even more tired than usual, but quickly smiled kindly at Taka.

“I don't mind, but please promise not to interfere with the shoot. He tends to get very stressed out if things run behind schedule.”

“I won't! I promise!” Taka's eyes glittered like stars. “I'm so excited! I can't believe my luck!”

Saki followed after Enzan and Taka, uncertain of what to do. He wasn't interested in the clothes or the photographer, but the process looked interesting. He'd never known how photo shoots were conducted, and there were more people present than he had thought there would be.

Enzan approached Shashinki, and introduced Taka and Saki to him. Taka bowed, barely able to contain his excitement, and came back up wearing a humongous grin.

“It's such an honor to meet you, Shashinki-san!” he said. “I'm a huge fan of your work! Your use of light and contrast is inspiring! I think my favorite shoot that you ever did was the summer spread from last year's Nylon Japan.”

“Why, thank you,” Shashinki said, smiling warmly. “That one was a particular favorite of mine as well!” He looked at Saki, and then Taka, with an interested expression. “So, you're both friends of Ijuuin-san?”

“Yeah,” Saki said. “We work together and stuff.”

“Enzan and I are connected through our parent's companies,” Taka said. “But yes, we're also pretty close friends. At least, I like to think we are.”

Enzan smiled. “I'm shocked that you would even think that we weren't.”

“Splendid.” Shashinki looked at the boys with excitement. “I'm so glad to see that Ijuuin-san has friends closer to his own age.”

Enzan blushed, embarrassed. “Wha-what? What do you mean, Shashinki-san?!”

Saki smirked. “I think he's trying to say that you have a hard time socializing with people who aren't your clients.”

Enzan turned his head away with a huff of indignation.

Shashinki glanced down at the bags in Saki and Taka's hands. “Oh? Been shopping?”

“Yes sir!” Taka said cheerfully. “We browsed through a vintage clothing store, and found a few good pieces.” He pulled out the denim jacket he'd bought. “Like this one. I think it'd be wonderful to coordinate it with some bold pieces, don't you think so?”

“Hmm!” Shashinki looked at the jacket with interest. “It does have a lot of potential.” He turned and called over a young woman, who was standing near the truck. “Honoka-san, can you come here for a moment? I'd like your opinion on something.”

Honoka, a young woman with rosy cheeks and a sweet smile, trotted over to Shashinki. He pointed to the denim jacket that Taka was holding, and asked her, “What do you think? Would it be a good piece to coordinate around?”

She looked at the jacket for a long moment, and then nodded. “It would be a lovely centerpiece,” she said. “You can do so much with it.” She touched the sleeve longingly. “Where did you find this? It's wonderful!”

Taka explained his trip to the vintage store, and before long, him and Honoka were chatting about coordinating clothes. It turned out that she was the stylist for the photo shoot, and invited Taka and Saki to look inside the truck, where the models were clothed and makeup was applied. Taka looked like Christmas had come early, and eagerly followed Honoka and Enzan back to the truck, leaving Saki to nervously stand with Shashinki.

“He has a good eye,” Shashinki commented.

“Oh, yeah,” Saki said. “Taka really loves fashion.” He paused. “He even said that it would be a dream for him to do a photo shoot with you.”

“I'm always flattered whenever young people express interest in my work,” Shashinki said. “After all, it's my job to make the models and the clothing shine. Most people wouldn't even give things like the composition or the lighting a second thought.” He put a hand to his chin, his expression thoughtful. “He has quite the charm to him, though. Very bright and outgoing. I wonder what he'd look like on camera...?”

Saki shrugged. He'd seen Taka's massive collection of selfies, and knew that he could mug for the camera when he wanted to, but Saki couldn't imagine Taka doing a serious photo shoot.

“I'm actually surprised that Enzan would ever agree to model,” Saki said. “He never struck me as a person who was interested in such a thing.”

“I've done a few shoots with him,” Shashinki said. “Usually for interviews. But even I was quite surprised when he agreed to do this shoot with me. And the best part is that he's a natural. He has this commanding presence that works well for modeling.”

Saki scratched his cheek. “Huh. I never thought of it that way before.”

Shashinki looked at Saki with a curious expression. “Have you ever had a professional take your picture before?”

“Just for school,” Saki replied.

“I see.” Shashinki continued to stare intently at Saki. “You have a very strong profile. I think you could look quite striking in the right light.”

Saki balked. “M-me? O-oh no, I don't think I could ever have my photo taken...!”

Shashinki laughed. “Oh, don't mind me. I'm always looking for interesting new subjects.” He smiled kindly. “But I do think you have the kind of face that would be very popular among young people.”

“I'm pretty average,” Saki replied. “I doubt that anyone would be that interested in me.”

Shashinki's eyes twinkled. “You'd be surprised, my boy.”

A moment later, Taka hopped out of the truck, and ran straight over to Saki, grabbing him by the arms with an almost manic energy.

“Saki, I'm going to die!” he said excitedly. “They have so many wonderful brands in there! Number (N)ine, Patchy Cake Eater, Yayukata...I can't believe Enzan gets to wear them all! And he gets to be photographed by THE Toshiyaki Shashinki! UGH! I could just die of envy right now!!”

“I take it you're having a great time?” Saki asked.

“The only thing that would make this even better was if I could be a model _myself_!” Taka said.

For a moment, Shashinki looked as though he had just thought of something, and turned to Taka with a delighted expression.

“How would you like to do just that, young man?” he asked.

Taka looked as though he might faint any moment. “M- _me?!_ Model for _you?!_ ” He clasped a hand over his mouth, and looked at Saki with a shocked expression. Saki nodded back encouragingly, and Taka pulled his hands away, smiling like a fool. “I'd be so honored, sir!”

Shashinki held up a finger. “On one condition: you have to convince your friend here to model as well.”

“Huh?” Saki blurted out.

Taka turned to look at Saki, his eyes filled with intent. He grabbed Saki by the arms again, and gave him a firm shake.

“You _have_ to do this with me, Saki!” he begged. “This is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity! If I let it slip away now, I'll never get another chance!” His eyes filled with tears. “Saki, please! Please do this with me! I'll never ask for anything ever again, I promise!”

 _I doubt that_ , Saki thought, _But I can't let him down. Even if I'm not into the idea of modeling, Taka is super into it. And if Enzan can do it, then so can I!_

“Okay,” Saki said. “I'll do it, for you.”

Overjoyed, Taka threw his hands around Saki, and hugged him tightly. “Oh, thank you! Thank you, thank you, _thank you!!_ ”

“You're welcome,” Saki said. “Now let go, please, I'm having trouble breathing.”

Taka let go of Saki, and Saki took a deep breath, rubbing his side. Taka could be surprisingly strong when he wanted to.

“Well, now that that's all settled, why don't we get started?” Shashinki said.

Enzan stepped out of the truck, wearing a different outfit than he had been earlier. Shashinki turned to him with a grin.

“You don't mind sharing this shoot with your friends, do you Ijuuin-san?”

Enzan looked at Taka and Saki with a wary glance. After a moment, he seemed to relax, and shrugged his shoulders.

“If that's what you want, Shashinki-san, then I have no problems.”

Taka hopped up and down, clapping excitedly. “Come on, Saki, let's go get dressed! We can't keep Shashinki-san waiting!” Grabbing Saki's hand, Taka dragged him into the truck.

The inside of the truck was a lot more crowded than Saki thought that it would be. Racks of clothing took up much of the space, and a brightly lit mirrored vanity was pushed up against the wall on the other side. A folding screen was shoved into the back corner, which Saki assumed was where the models would change. Honoka looked at them in surprise as they entered.

“Shashinki-san said that he wants us to model!” Taka told her excitedly.

Her face broke out into a wide grin. “That's wonderful! I'm so happy for you, Wakahisa-kun!”

“Do you think you could start with Saki?” Taka asked. “I think I have an idea for an outfit, so I won't take as long. Besides, Saki is very new to fashion.”

Honoka's eyes lit up with excitement. “Is that true? Oh, how nice!” She gave Saki a small bow. “I'm Honoka Sasaki, and I'm a stylist. It's my job to make all the models look their best.”

“It's nice to meet you, Honoka-chan, I'm Saki Tanaka.” He returned her bow. “I'm putting myself in your care.”

Honoka beamed. “Tanaka-san, I see. I hope we can get along.” She took a moment to look Saki over. “Hmm, you have a very laid-back style. Do you wear something like this every day?”

“Uhh, kind of,” Saki replied, scratching his head nervously. “I don't usually put much thought into what I wear. I usually wear things like jeans and long-sleeved shirts.”

“Well, as much as I dig your t-shirt and denim shorts style, I think we can do better,” Honoka told him. She pulled out a cable-knit sweater, striped blue and black. “How do you feel about something like this?”

“I might melt if I wore it outside,” Saki said with a small laugh.

Honoka chuckled. “True, but we don't have much choice, unfortunately.” She held the sweater out towards Saki. “Hmm, I like the color on you!” She looked through the rack for things to put with the sweater. “I think you could pull off something more mature, but with a playful flair to it. Somewhere in-between Ijuuin-san and Wakahisa-kun's styles.”

“Oh, umm, I see.” Saki had no idea what 'mature, but with a playful flair' looked like, so he just nodded and went along with Honoka's choices. After a little bit of searching, Honoka had put together an outfit for Saki, and had shooed him behind the screen to change. As Saki changed out of his clothes, he could hear Taka and Honoka chatting a little.

“What do you think of this one?” Taka asked.

“Oh, I like it!” Honoka said. “It really feels like you're really familiar with the brand.”

“I'm a big fan,” Taka admitted. “Getting to wear these clothes for a photo shoot is like a dream come true. I still can't believe it's happening!”

“Maybe I should pinch you!” Honoka said with a laugh.

 _I wish I could be as excited as Taka is_ , Saki thought. _He's just happy to be here. Meanwhile, I'm struggling to keep up. And there's the matter of modeling in front of a camera. I don't know if I'll even be any good_.

“Are you doing okay in there, Tanaka-san?” Honoka asked.

“Y-yeah, I'm fine!” Saki replied.

“Let me know when you're done,” Honoka said. “I'm going to help Wakahisa-kun with the rest of his outfit.”

“Sure thing!” Saki said, hastily shoving his head through the neck of the sweater.

After they were dressed, both boys had to have makeup applied. Honoka explained that it was to even out their complexions in the photos.

“Everyone wears makeup at photo shoots,” Honoka said. “Trust me.”

Saki had never worn makeup before, and his only takeaway was that it itched like crazy. The whole time, he had to keep forcing himself not to scratch his cheek. Taka, however, didn't seem bothered by the makeup and chatted casually with Honoka as she was applying it. Saki waited patiently, but even without leaving the truck, he could feel himself sweating.

 _I just want this to be over with already_ , he thought. _It's too hot to be dressed like this_.

After what felt like forever, Taka was done with his makeup, and they exited the truck. Shashinki was finishing up with his current set of photos, and Enzan walked back to the truck, his face filled with relief.

“He wants to do individual shots for both of you, and then some with all of us,” Enzan explained.

“How long do you think this will take?” Saki asked.

Enzan sighed. “Prepare to be here for a while.”

Groaning, Saki pushed his hair out of his face and leaned against the truck. “How do you stand this? I'm already sweating, and I haven't even started shooting yet.”

“It's mind over matter,” Enzan said as he entered the truck. “You just have to believe that it's not hot outside.”

 _Easier said than done_ , Saki thought irritably.

Taka flapped his jacket to dissipate some of the heat. “Maybe it's like self hypnosis?”

Saki frowned. “What's that?”

“Hmm, it's like...when you say something enough that you believe it,” Taka explained. “Some people say that it actually works.” Taka grinned. “I guess the best example that I can think of is that one guy I saw in an anime who convinced himself that stray bullets wouldn't hit him.”

“Sounds stupid,” Saki said dryly.

“Well, it was a cool scene,” Taka said. “But as for if it actually works, I have no idea.”

“Hypnosis is kind of fake anyway,” Saki said.

“If you're a skeptic, then it really won't work for you.”

Saki sighed, and let his head fall against the side of the truck. Besides dealing with the heat, Saki wasn't sure what to do about the photos themselves. He'd never modeled before, and had no idea how he was supposed to stand or what kind of face he was supposed to make. Glancing over at Taka, Saki saw him in some kind of meditative state; his eyes were closed and he was regulating his breathing.

“What are you doing?” Saki asked.

“Trying to get into the right headspace,” Taka explained. “I'm trying to focus on the clothes, and what kind of emotions they evoke in me. The model is telling a story about the clothes to make the reader want to experience it for themselves. If the model looks happy in the clothes, then the reader might feel the same when they wear them. Or if the model is cool or graceful or sexy, then the reader might want to feel that way too. Fashion is supposed to be empowering, so you want to evoke a positive image of the clothes, or people won't want to wear them.”

“Huh, I never thought of it that way before,” Saki said. He looked down at the clothes that he was wearing. How did they make him feel? Other than hot, of course. He closed his eyes, and tried to pinpoint the emotion the clothes evoked in him. The word 'comfortable' came to mind immediately. But was that really the emotion he wanted to convey? He thought harder. These were clothes that he didn't get to wear normally, expensive brand-name clothes that successful people wore. It was a little bit like a power fantasy getting to wear them. 'Powerful' maybe? Or 'confident'? He shook his head and sighed. It was hard to think of what the clothes made him feel. How was he supposed to sell the clothes if he didn't even understand them?

Enzan exited the truck, and stopped in front of the boys. “Are you ready?” he asked.

Taka pumped his fists excitedly. “Totally!”

Turning his gaze to Saki, Enzan asked, “How about you?”

“No idea,” Saki said. “I'm really nervous though. I've never done this before. I have no idea what I'm doing.” He scratched his head. “Any advice?”

“Hmm.” Enzan put a hand to his chin thoughtfully. “Try to look at the camera as if it's beneath you, as if you're allowing it the privilege of taking your photo. It conveys a sense of confidence.”

Taka laughed. “Personally, I just want to show that I'm having a lot of fun. Whatever emotion you exude is what the reader picks up on. If you're nervous, then the photographer will have a hard time too.”

“Oh, I see,” Saki said. He didn't feel like any of the advice had helped.

“Okay, everyone!” Shashinki called out, “Let's set up for the next set!”

The group made their way over to the blank wall that was being used as a backdrop for the shoot. While Shashinki was busy checking his camera, a couple of the members of the crew directed Taka and Saki over to where they would be waiting while Enzan did his set. After a few minutes, Shashinki lifted his camera.

“Alright then! Let's get started.”

Almost immediately, Enzan's whole demeanor changed. His posture was relaxed, but still powerful and imposing, and Saki felt like all the attention in the area was suddenly shifted towards him.

“Amazing...” Saki breathed. _So this is what a professional is like..._

“Do you see how he's standing?” Taka asked. “How you stand is really important for a dynamic photo. If you have a really static pose, it's boring. Sometimes, it can create a really cool shot, but typically, you want to try to be dynamic.”

“What does that mean, 'dynamic'?” Saki asked.

Taka grinned. “Having a dynamic pose is an interesting pose that appeals to the eye. It can be as simple as where you place your feet, or where you position your hands. The goal is not to be straight up and down. In art, it typically means having a line of movement through the body, or in layman's terms, conveying a sense of movement even in a still shot.”

Saki furrowed his brows. “I think I understand that.”

“Enzan has chosen to have a wide stance, and to create angles with his arms,” Taka continued. “It's more dynamic than just standing there. You can also do things like use the wall or a prop to bring one of your legs up, or create asymmetric blocking with your hands.”

“Asymmetric...blocking...?” Saki felt a little overwhelmed.

Taka waved his hands frantically. “Ahh, d-don't worry about it too much! Just follow Shashinki-san's instructions, and you'll be fine!”

Saki turned back to Enzan, and did his best to study what he was doing. He made a mental note of the expressions he used, and the places that he put his feet and hands. Eventually, Saki felt like he had an idea of what he was supposed to do.

Enzan's shoot went for almost a half hour, and when he was done, he walked over to Saki with a smirk on his face.

“Did you pick up anything watching me?” he asked.

“You sure seem like you know what you're doing,” Saki said. “For someone who insists that he's not a model, you seem to have a real flair for it.”

Enzan's cheeks flushed. “It's not hard when you have a good photographer, you know.”

Shashinki motioned for Taka to come over. “Are you ready, Wakahisa-kun?”

“I was born ready!” Taka declared.

Shashinki grinned. “Excellent! I love that kind of energy!”

As soon as the signal was given, Taka turned on the charm. He wore broad, happy smiles, and posed in cute, youthful ways, such as forming hearts with his fingers or making peace signs, tipping his hat, or even doing a jump shot, which Saki quickly found out was much, much harder than it seemed. Once Shashinki was satisfied with what he had, he nodded to Taka, and said, “Good!”

Saki thought about what Taka had done during his photo shoot, and realized that he and Enzan had done completely different things. Enzan had stayed relatively closed-off with his body language, whereas Taka had been very open and inviting. Saki wondered which style fit him more.

“How was I?” Taka asked Saki, breathless.

“You were good!” Saki said. “I'm sure he got some really great shots.”

“It was very 'you',” Enzan commented.

“Excellent.” Taka grinned from ear to ear. “It felt like a great shoot, so I'm satisfied.”

Saki looked at Shashinki, who seemed absorbed with going through his photos. Swallowing, he looked back at Enzan and Taka, and asked, “So, what do you think I should do?”

“Just be yourself,” Taka said matter-of-factually. “It'll be really obvious if you try to fake it.”

“Try to relax,” Enzan added. “You're pretty tense right now.”

“Right.” Saki tried to calm down, even though there was an icy ball in his gut. He breathed in and out a few times, and cleared his mind of everything. It seemed to do the trick, because he felt a lot lighter afterwards.

Shashinki raised his head, and looked at Saki. “Are you ready, Tanaka-kun?” he asked.

“Y-yeah,” Saki replied. He walked over to the wall, and stood there, feeling a little stupid. He had no idea what he would do.

As if sensing his hesitation, Shashinki smiled. “Don't be shy,” he said. “Try to be natural. Can you give me a smile?”

Saki did his best to smile, but felt like it wasn't genuine. Shashinki sensed this too, and nodded. “Okay, how about a frown?”

Saki frowned, and Shashinki made a noise of interest. “That's good! Okay, scowl.”

Saki scowled, and suddenly, he felt a lot better. A laugh bubbled up, and he put a hand to his mouth, feeling embarrassed. He heard the camera click rapidly.

“Ooh, there were some good ones in there!” Shashinki said warmly. “Are you feeling any better?”

“Yeah,” Saki admitted.

“Okay then. Let's try something simple to start.” Shashinki lowered his camera for a moment. “Try to put your hands in your pockets, and look casual. Like you're waiting for someone to arrive.”

Saki did as he was instructed, and Shashinki had him adjust slightly before taking a few photos. He moved around Saki, getting different angles, and after a bit, he had Saki try a different pose. Saki felt like he did a dozen different poses before Shashinki called out to one of the crew.

“Can you get one of those boxes over here?”

Two of the crew members brought a large wooden crate over to Saki, and Shashinki asked him to sit on it.

“Pull one leg up,” he instructed, getting closer to Saki. “Try to seem annoyed, like I interrupted you.”

Saki pushed his hand into his bangs, and glared at the camera. He heard the camera snap multiple times.

“Oh, I like this one a lot,” Shashinki said. “I think I figured out your vibe.”

“What's that?” Saki asked.

“The slightly dangerous boy,” Shashinki said. “The one who gets in trouble all the time, but is a really nice boy deep down.”

Taka burst out in hysterical laughter. “Yeah, that's Saki all right!”

Saki felt his face and ears heat up. “I-I'm not like that at all!”

Shashinki lowered his camera. “Okay, I think we can do a couple of group shots now. Can we reset?”

The crew moved the crate, and everyone was ushered back to the truck to change. Honoka greeted them, and praised them for their work.

“You were all really great!” she said. “I was watching. I think Shashinki-san got some good photos.”

Taka elbowed Saki in the side gently. “See? I knew you could do it! And you were worried.”

“I doubt I was as good as either of you,” Saki said.

“Don't make assumptions,” Enzan said. “You won't know for sure until you get to see the actual photos.”

She picked out some more outfits for everyone, and touched up their makeup. When they were ready, she sent them off with a small cheer.

“Good luck, everyone!”

Taka waved to Honoka excitedly as they left the truck, and they made their way over to the wall once more. Shashinki did a quick check of his camera, and then gave them the signal to start.

For the next half hour, Shashinki had the group play off of each other. Saki got to lean on Taka as if he were a table, him and Enzan got to stand side by side while they judged the camera, Taka got to pose like he was on the cover of a pop album, and they even had a few moments where they got to joke around. Saki even gave Taka a noogie at one point. At the end, Shashinki raised his hand with a smile.

“Okay, everyone! That's a wrap!”

The crew clapped, and Saki bowed out of embarrassment. As quickly as it had started, the applause turned into the sounds of the set being cleaned and the equipment being dismantled. Saki breathed a sigh of relief. It was all over.

“It's over,” Taka moaned. “It all happened too quickly.”

Enzan ran a hand through his bangs and sighed. “At least now I can get back to work. Doing this kind of thing stresses me out.”

“It was fun, once I got used to it,” Saki admitted. “There might even be a good photo of me in there somewhere.”

“I'm glad you agreed to do it with me!” Taka said. 

Saki nodded. “I think I got to understand you both a little bit better.”

Shashinki approached the group. “Thank you for your hard work!” he said.

“Thank _you_ for the opportunity, Shashinki-san,” Taka said, bowing gratefully.

“Yes, thank you,” Saki said, also bowing.

“These photos will be edited, and run in the August issue of Men's Non-No,” Shashinki explained. “Keep your eyes peeled for it!” He nodded to Enzan. “Ijuuin-san, thank you again for doing this. It's always such a pleasure to shoot with you.”

“The pleasure is all mine, Shashinki-san,” Enzan said, bowing politely.

“It was a lot of fun to photograph the two of you as well,” Shashinki said, turning to Saki and Taka. “Wakahisa-kun has a youthful, upbeat energy that's perfect for street fashion. Very photogenic. And Tanaka-san, I knew I saw potential in you! Once you overcame your nerves, you were a natural in front of the camera.”

Saki blinked in surprise. “Huh? I-I didn't think I was all that special...”

“You're an every man, but you also exude a charm that appeals to young people,” Shashinki explained. “You're somewhere in between Ijuuin-san's cool, mature appeal and Wakahisa-kun's fresh, youthful, upbeat appeal. If I had to name it, I would say that it's very...aloof.”

“People like that?” Saki asked.

“Sure!” Shashinki said. “It evokes mystery. You want to know what that kind of person is thinking.”

“Aloof anti-heroes are all the rage in manga,” Taka added.

“Do I come off as an anti-hero?” Saki asked. “I was hoping that I was more of the hero type.”

“More like a sidekick,” Enzan said.

“Definitely not yours,” Saki snapped.

“Well, I look forward to working with you all in the future,” Shashinki said. He handed Saki and Taka his card. “Please make sure to keep in touch.”

“Of course!” Taka said.

And with that, Shashinki disappeared into the crowd of people cleaning up. Saki stretched his arms over his head, feeling his back crack, and gave a groan of relief.

“Once we change out of these clothes, we can go home,” he said.

“You don't want your paycheck?” Enzan asked.

Saki froze. “Paycheck?”

Enzan sighed, bemused. “You didn't think you were working for free, did you?”

Saki felt embarrassed, but tried to hide it. “N-no, of course not!”

“I bet the thought never crossed your mind because everything happened so fast,” Taka said with a laugh.

“Of course I thought about it!” Saki lied.

“Either way,” Enzan said, “Pick up your paychecks before you leave. They don't have your information on record, so they can't just mail them to you.”

“We should probably give them our information anyway,” Taka said, “So that they can contact us again in the future if another job comes up.”

“I don't know if I'll ever do this again,” Saki admitted.

Taka and Saki asked around until they were directed to a woman with a long ponytail near the truck. She looked tired, but smiled when they approached. She introduced herself as the Shashinki's accountant, and took down their information, before handing each of them a small envelope.

“Thank you for all your hard work,” she said.

Saki held the envelope tightly, feeling like he might cry. It was always such a good feeling to get a paycheck.

“Wow,” Taka breathed. “This is the first time I've ever been paid for doing work! It's a really cool feeling!”

“It sure is,” Saki agreed.

***

School started for Michi, and the house became a lot more quiet and empty during the day. Taka lay on the floor of the Tanaka's apartment, and sighed.

“August is just as hot as July was.”

“Yeah,” Saki agreed. The glass chime outside rang. “But I didn't expect it to cool off right away.”

Taka sat up suddenly. “We should go get ice cream.”

“Huh?” Saki said. “I guess so.” He frowned. “You seem awfully excited by the idea.”

“I just remembered that the magazine should be out by now,” Taka explained. “If we go to the convenience store, we can pick up an issue.”

“Ahh, right.” Saki had forgotten all about the photo shoot. “I suppose I should at least see how it turned out.”

They walked to the convenience store, and while Saki got the ice cream out of the ice cream freezer, Taka hunted down two copies of the magazine.

“Why two?” Saki asked.

“One for me, and one for you,” Taka explained. “That way, you have a memento.”

“I really don't need one,” Saki said.

They paid for their things, and moved outside to eat their ice cream. Taka flipped through one of the magazines to find the photo shoot, and gave a cry of triumph as he found it.

“Wow!” he cried excitedly, “These shots are amazing! Just what I'd expect from Shashinki-san.”

Saki leaned in, and looked at the photos in the magazine. Enzan's shots were all very good, and Saki felt as if Enzan's gaze was staring straight into him. He shivered.

“They're all really striking photos,” he said.

Taka turned the page, and Saki spotted Taka smiling for the camera, pulling his cap back on his head.

“Ooh, what a great shot!” Taka said. “Oh, and he used the jump shot too! I was so proud of that one!”

Saki pointed at a picture of Taka and Enzan on the next page. “This was a good one,” he said.

“Enzan looks pretty natural in that one, for sure,” Taka agreed.

As Taka flipped the page, Saki spotted the blue and black striped sweater that he'd been wearing, and his heart stuttered. The magazine had used the shot of him glaring into the camera, his knee up and his hand pushing his bangs back out of his face. Saki felt his face heat up in embarrassment.

“This shot is amazing!” Taka said. “It really feels like the photo is staring right at me!”

“Did it have to be that one?” Saki moaned.

“I think you look really cool in this one!” Taka said.

Saki looked at the other page. “They also used the shot of me and Enzan, I see.”

“Enzan was the focus of the shoot, so they had to make sure he's in most of the photos,” Taka said. “But it really is a great shot of the two of you.”

Once they had flipped through the entire article, they put the magazine away, and finished eating their ice cream in silence. Saki thought about how he looked in his photos, and felt heat creeping up his neck. It was embarrassing to think that people would see his pictures. What would they think of him?

“Oh my gosh,” came a female voice from nearby. “That's them! Those are the models from this month's Men's Non-No!”

Saki turned his head to see two high school girls staring at them, their eyes wide and their mouths agape. Saki's stomach knotted up furiously, and he fought the instinct to flee.

 _Oh no, they recognized me!_ he thought frantically. _What should I do?!_

The girls looked at each other, and then ran over to Taka and Saki, their eyes still wide with disbelief.

“Are you really the models from Non-No?!” the second girl asked.

“We sure are!” Taka said. 

Taka's answer elicited squeals of excitement from both girls. Both of them fumbled for their PETs.

“Can I have your autographs?!” the first girl asked.

“Can I take your pictures?!” the second girl asked.

“Do you have a pen?" Taka asked, all smiles.

“Y-yeah, I think so,” the first girl said, rummaging around in her school bag.

 _What are they doing here at this hour?_ Saki thought. _Shouldn't they be in school?_

The girl finally found a pen, and Taka signed a blank page of her notebook before doing the same for the other girl. When the pen and notebooks were offered to Saki, he froze up.

“Don't mind him,” Taka said. “My friend is really shy.”

“How cute~!” the girls cooed.

Saki reluctantly signed the girl's notebooks, and then both girls took turns taking selfies with them. Saki was sure it was obvious that he was super nervous in both pictures, and felt like he wanted to drop through the ground in shame.

“This is so cool!” the first girl said. “I can't believe we got to meet real life models!”

“Hey, can you introduce us to Ijuuin-san?!” the second girl asked.

“Ijuuin-san is very busy,” Taka said smoothly. “So I'm afraid he doesn't do meet-and-greets.”

“Aww,” the girls moaned in unison.

“But I'm sure he appreciates your support,” Taka went on. “So be sure to support his future endeavors!”

“We will!” the girls cried. They waved as they walked away. “It was nice to meet both of you!”

“It was nice to meet you too!” Taka said, waving back. He smiled until both girls were out of sight, and then his whole body drooped. “Whew, that's exhausting. I have so much more respect for celebrities now.”

“I got so nervous,” Saki admitted. “I didn't think that anyone would actually ask me for my autograph.”

“You're famous now,” Taka said. “Get used to it.”

“I don't want to!” Saki replied. He looked at Taka. “But wow, you acted like you've done this before.”

“I'm a fan myself,” Taka said. “I've been to a few meet-and-greets, and I know what kinds of things celebrities have to deal with. I just tried to be polite and answer all their questions honestly.”

“I never would have guessed that this photo shoot was your first one,” Saki said. “You knew exactly what you were doing then, and you handled those fans like a pro.”

“It was really nerve-wracking for me too,” Taka said. “My whole body was shaking, and I was sure they would notice.”

“I sure didn't,” Saki said.

“Anyway,” Taka said, “Be careful from now on. Once those photos are online, people will know that you live in this area. Expect a whole lot more of what just happened.”

“I already hate this,” Saki muttered. “Why did I agree to do that photo shoot again?”

“Because you're a sweetheart who just wanted to see my dream come true,” Taka said.

“I should have said 'no',” Saki said. “I'm a fool.”

“Don't worry too much,” Taka said. “Once next month's issue comes out, everyone will forget all about you,” Taka said. “You just have to deal with it until then.”

Saki sighed, and flopped against the wall behind him. “Well, I guess the one good thing that came out of all of this is a better understanding of you and Enzan. It made me realize just how different the worlds we all come from are.”

“Oh yeah?” Taka asked.

Saki nodded. “Enzan has a huge world that never stops. He has to keep up a certain image at all times, and can't slip for even a second. He's always in the spotlight, even when he isn't in a magazine. Everyone knows him, and everyone wants to know him.”

“That's true,” Taka said.

“I don't envy him in the slightest,” said Saki. “And then there's you. Whatever you set your mind to, you do your absolute best. You always give one hundred and ten percent. And I could see just how much fashion really means to you. I didn't really understand all that stuff about how clothes make you feel, or dynamic blocking or whatever, but you did, and it was obvious in the way you modeled. I really felt something when I looked at your pictures.”

Taka grinned. “If I can move the heart of even one person, then I was successful.” He looked up at the sky. “But the truth is, all of these things are just my hobbies, something to fill time. Don't get me wrong, I love them, and they're very important to me, and I take them very seriously, but at the end of the day, they're just something to do. Because as soon as I can, I want to throw myself completely into going to space.” He clenched his fist. “I remember how hard Shin worked when he was chasing his dream, and I want to succeed where he failed. Because it isn't just my dream, it's his too.”

“Is that why you're so passionate about everything?” Saki asked.

Taka nodded. “I can't be lax with anything I do. Whether it's modeling or making clothes or going to space, I can't be half hearted. I have to commit, and see it through to the very end.”

Saki looked at Taka with a new appreciation. He was learning that Taka wasn't as scattered as he seemed, and that his actual dedication to the things he cared about was awe-inspiring.

“I wish you could put as much effort into actual work,” Saki joked.

“Boring work is for boring people,” Taka joked back.

“Are you saying that I'm boring?” Saki asked.

“More like vanilla,” Taka said. “Safe and normal.”

Saki grabbed Taka, and tickled him mercilessly. “That's basically the same thing!”

“Ahaha~! No, no, I meant that—ahahaha—you're average! Ahahaha~!”

Saki stopped tickling Taka, and rested his chin on the top of Taka's head. “You're right, I am pretty average.” He smiled. “But that's probably why I admire you so much.”

Saki couldn't see Taka's face, but he felt him wiggle with embarrassment.

“You really admire me?” he asked.

“Of course I do,” Saki said. “You and Netto and Enzan and Laika...you're all really remarkable people, and I'm super lucky to be able to know you.” He gave Taka a squeeze. “I just know that one day you'll be able to make your dreams come true.”

Taka gave Saki's arm a squeeze. “I know that you will too. Don't sell yourself short.”

Saki chuckled. “Well, it does kind of feel like I could do anything with you around.”

Taka gently pulled out of Saki's arms, and faced him. “Listen, the future is full of a bunch of unknowns, so let's not focus on them for now. Let's just worry about the here and now. We'll let our future selves deal with the rest.”

Saki laughed. “Alright then, whatever you say.” He put his hands on his hips. “So then, what should we do right now?”

“Let's go plan out what we're going to do with the rest of our summer,” Taka said.

Stepping forward, Saki took Taka's hand. “Sure thing,” he said, and they walked back to the apartment together.


	29. Crashing In

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Near the end of summer, Tamako contacts Saki and asks for a match.

Thanks to Taka, August was a busy month. He organized another trip to the beach, a day at the theme park, a place on a rooftop to watch a fireworks display in Shibuya, and even a trip to End City to see Shachihoko Castle and the torii at the Inari shrine. Michi had been especially interested in the art museum, while Keiko had wanted to see all the beautiful rock gardens at the various shrines in the area. Saki, meanwhile, had the most fun while browsing a food market late at night, searching for ingredients that he'd never heard of before.

When they weren't on trips, Taka and Saki were at the apartment, playing video games or walking to the convenience store for ice cream. In fact, Taka was over so much, he was practically living there. Keiko even joked that she should be charging Taka rent.

Every time Saki went outside, he was forced to wear dark sunglasses and a hat, for fear of being recognized by people who had seen his photo in the August issue of Men's Non-No. It was especially bad in Shibuya or at the beach stand where Maha Ichiban and the ramen shop Saki used to work at had joined forces. At one point, Saki was even trapped in a bathroom, hiding from a small knot of high school girls who had spotted him in a grocery store. As August came to a close, however, Saki was recognized less and less, just as Taka told him would happen.

On the last day of August, Madoi clung to Saki's arm and cried. “Are you sure you can't keep working here?” she asked through her tears.

Saki sighed. “I really can't. I have a lot to deal with as it is. I can't keep working another job on top of it. I made a promise to help out for the summer, nothing more than that.”

“Ughh!” Madoi clung to Saki even harder. “What will we do without a guy with your work ethic around here?! I can't rely on any of the others!”

“Hey!” Dingo yelled angrily.

“Is that really how you feel?” Hinoken asked sharply.

“It is true,” Maha said. “None of you are all that dependable.”

“Hey, I work my _ass_ off!” Madoi insisted.

 _Not really_ , Saki thought. _And your customer service is pretty awful too_.

Madoi sighed in defeat. “Our sales were so good this summer. And now we're losing our best server and delivery person. This is the worst.”

“Your curry is good enough to sell all on its own merit,” Saki said. “And word of mouth is a powerful thing. I'm sure the people who came to the stand in the summer will come find your shop.”

“Yeah, maybe,” Madoi grumbled.

Maha nodded to Saki. “Regardless, your help this summer was much appreciated. It will be sad to see you go.”

“It was a lot of fun!” Dingo said.

Hinoken scratched his head. “Yeah, you were alright, I guess.”

Saki chuckled. “Thanks.”

Handing Saki his last paycheck, Maha gave him a small smile. “May you have success in your future endeavors.”

Saki smiled back. “Thanks, you too.”

As Saki left the shop, and started walking back to the train station, he could hear Madoi bawling loudly and sighed. Normally, he would have caved and agreed to continue working at the restaurant, but he knew that he couldn't keep doing that to himself anymore. Working evening shifts at Argenterie, doing drills and tests for the Ministry of Science, learning kendo from Enzan, and taking care of Michi was already a lot more than someone his age could normally handle. And he'd made a promise to his friends and family not to overwork himself anymore.

_It's not good to think that you're the only one trying to support us, Saki. Let the grown-ups handle the hard stuff. Focus on being a kid._

Keiko's words rang in Saki's mind, and he clenched his fists with resolve. _I'm not going to try and take everything on by myself anymore_ , he thought. _I'm going to let the others help too_.

***

“I'm back!” Saki called as he entered the apartment. From the main room, he heard Taka, Michi and Keiko call out, “Welcome back!”

Saki dropped onto the floor of the main room, and draped himself over the table. “Ugh, I'm exhausted. Packing up everything from the shack and taking it back to the store was way more work than I thought it would be, and then Madoi cried and begged me to keep working there.”

“Did you say 'no'?” Keiko asked.

Saki nodded. “I promised to help out for the summer, not for any longer than that. Besides, I made a promise to stop taking on too many things at once.”

Keiko ruffled Saki's hair happily. “Good job.”

After a moment, Saki tried to get to his feet. “Ahh, I guess I should make dinner—”

Taka pushed Saki back down. “Take a break first. You look really tired.”

“Yeah,” Keiko agreed. “I have lots of time before I have to leave for work. You have time to rest.”

Taka looked at Michi excitedly. “What should we have for dinner tonight?”

Michi thought hard. “What about soba? Or maybe udon!”

“Maybe we can grill some meat!” Taka added. “We could add chicken to the udon! Or maybe we could have ramen instead.”

“What about something like hiyashi chuka?” Keiko suggested.

Taka made a face. “There's so many vegetables though!”

While everyone discussed dinner options, Zer0 appeared on the table in front of Saki and said, “You have mail.”

“From who?” Saki asked.

“From Tamako,” Zer0 replied.

Saki pulled out his PET, and read the message.

_Hey kid! Sorry I didn't message you much this summer, but me and Metalman were busy training! From our last meeting in July until today, me and Metalman were off trying to develop a technique of our own to rival Zer0's Ganzanha, and we finally did it. If you'd like to experience it for yourself, we can set up a place to meet and have a battle. I look forward to it!_

“She developed her own technique...?” Saki said. “I'm impressed.”

“I am curious to know what it is,” Zer0 said. “Perhaps we should arrange for a battle.”

Taka stopped talking about food, and leaned closer to Saki. “What's this about a battle?”

Saki showed Taka the message from Tamako. “She came up with a new technique, apparently, and wants to have a battle with me and Zer0.”

Taka seemed to think about it for a moment. “Sounds good. I'll come with you.”

“Okay.” Saki began to type a reply. “I'll let her know we're interested.”

After a few minutes, Tamako messaged Saki back.

_Sounds great! How about we meet up tomorrow near the 109? I think I remember there being a great spot for us to have a battle in that area. In any case, I'm super excited!_

“She said to meet near the one oh nine,” Saki said. “Is there a place to battle around there?”

“Sure!” Taka said. “Do you remember that large digital sign board on the side? I bet she probably wants to have her battle there.”

“That's...kind of public, don't you think?” Saki asked nervously. “Won't it show up on the display? And besides that, Net Battles in public areas aren't really legal, and there is always security in that area, so...”

Taka waved his hand. “It'll be _fine_. What's the worst that could happen?”

“We get arrested?” Saki asked.

Taka tilted his head. “Hmm, true.”

“We could always convince her to have the battle in the statue of Hachiko again,” Taka joked.

“We're lucky we didn't get caught last time,” Saki said.

“True, true,” Taka said.

Saki pinched the bridge of his nose. “Let's see if we can convince her to have a battle in an arcade or something.”

“Killjoy,” Taka said, sulking.

“Don't do anything illegal, okay?” Keiko said with a warning tone. “I don't want to have to come to the police station to pick you up.”

“I won't, Mom,” Saki said. “I promise.”

***

Shielding his eyes, Saki looked around, searching for Tamako.

“Hmm,” Taka said, “Must not be here yet.” He checked his PET. “We are kind of early though.”

“Yeah,” Saki said. “Maybe we can use this time to look for a place to have this battle.”

“There's an arcade inside the building,” Taka said. “I'm pretty sure it has a Net Battle station.”

“Sounds good to me,” Saki said, wiping his forehead with the back of his hand. “Any place with air conditioning would be amazing right now.”

After what felt like forever, they spotted Tamako running across the crosswalk towards them. She was panting heavily, but wore a broad grin, and put her hands on her hips confidently.

“Are you ready to lose?” she asked.

Saki laughed. “I don't know if we'll lose, but we're not going down without a fight.”

“That's the spirit!” Tamako said.

“So, where is this battle going to take place?” Taka asked.

Tamako pointed towards the digital display on the side of the building. “I was thinking there.”

“I knew it,” Taka muttered.

“U-umm, how about the arcade inside?” Saki quickly suggested. “There's a lot of security here, and we don't want to get arrested.”

Tamako frowned. “Oh, I guess that makes sense. I never thought about it like that.”

“You mean you never thought about how it's illegal to battle outside of designated areas?” Taka asked.

Tamako shook her head. “Nope, never. I usually just battle wherever is convenient.”

“Must be nice to be from a small town,” Saki said with a sigh.

Taka led the group into the building, and over to an arcade on the ground level. Inside were countless arcade cabinets and other game machines, with a large Net Battle arena near the back. No one seemed to be using it at that moment, so Saki and Tamako plugged their Navis in, and set up their chip folders.

“It is wonderful to see you again, Metalman,” Zer0 said, offering Metalman his hand.

“Likewise,” Metalman said, shaking Zer0's hand firmly.

“I have heard that you have been training,” Zer0 said. “I would like to hear about that.”

Metalman nodded. “Our old training wasn't good enough. We went into the mountains, and trained there instead.”

Zer0 seemed confused. “Training in the mountains? I fail to see how that would be any more beneficial...”

“There aren't any distractions there,” Metalman said. “Tamako could get stronger, while I focused on creating a new technique.”

“Oh, I see,” Zer0 said.

Metalman nodded. “You created a technique to crush boulders. I created a technique to crush _mountains_.”

Zer0 was visibly surprised by Metalman's declaration. “ _M-mountains?_ Is that even possible?”

“Well, I wasn't able to try it myself,” Metalman said. “But I bet it's possible.”

Zer0 put a hand to his chin, deep in thought. “A technique to crush mountains...quite a fearsome attack indeed. I suppose I shall have to be careful...”

Tamako gave Saki a wide grin. “Are you ready?”

Saki grinned back. “Whenever you are.”

Taka raised his hand. “Me and Axl will be the judges of this fight.”

“And the commentators!” Axl added.

“Let's keep it fair, okay?” He looked at Tamako, and then Saki, and counted down. “Three, two, one...” He let his hand drop. “Go!”

At Taka's signal, Metalman and Zer0 surged forward. Metalman swung his fist, but Zer0, having anticipated the move, dropped down under the attack, and swung upwards.

“You're not the only ones who've been training!” Saki said.

Zer0's sword connected with Metalman, and the Navi stumbled backwards a step. Before Zer0 could follow up, however, Metalman grabbed at Zer0 with his other hand, and Zer0 darted backwards and out of his reach.

“Okay, Metalman, let's go!” Tamako cheered.

Metalman summoned two massive cogs from the floor, and they formed a wall between him and Zer0. Saki, however, didn't seem bothered.

“He used that in our first fight with him,” said Saki. “It's too bad that it won't stop us anymore.”

Zer0 dashed towards the cogs, kicking off of them to gain enough height to use Kuuenzan, only to have Metalman punch directly at him. At the last possible second, Zer0 pulled out of the attack, planted his hands on Metalman's arm, and used it to springboard over him.

“So fast—!” Tamako whispered.

Saki relaxed his jaw and let out a tiny sigh. The attack had been too close for his liking.

“It seems that you have also become faster during your training,” Zer0 observed.

“You might have avoided that attack, but I guarantee that you won't avoid all of them,” Tamako said.

“Tough words from Tamako-san! How will Saki and Zer0 respond?” Axl said in his best commentator voice.

Metalman turned to attack Zer0, who parried the hit and dashed to the side, trying to find an opening. Metalman, however, didn't give Zer0 a chance, and summoned a metal blade to his hand to throw. Zer0 parried the projectile, but it swung around for another attack, and he rolled out of its path. In an instant, Metalman was bearing down on him, his hands clasped together over his head.

 _A downward attack!_ Saki thought, realizing what was happening and quickly sending Zer0 chip data.

“Metal Hammer!” Metalman's fists came down on Zer0 with terrifying force, and the impact kicked up a cloud of dust.

“Nice!” Tamako cheered. “You got 'em!”

“Oh no!” Axl yelled. “This looks like the end for Zer0! Could he really have been flattened by Metalman's attack?”

As the dust settled, Metalman gave a cry of surprise. At his feet, in the crater his attack had left, was a small doll that resembled Zer0.

“An anti-damage doll!” Taka exclaimed. “Saki must have used it just before the attack connected!”

The doll disappeared with a small puff of smoke, and Zer0 materialized behind Metalman. Before Metalman could react properly, Zer0 pelted him with several Kougenjin attacks, forcing Metalman to retreat a bit.

“A downward attack to utilize the crushing force of Metalman's punches,” Saki said, smirking at Tamako. “Not bad. You almost had us with that last attack. But now that I know your trick, it won't happen again.”

“Ain't no tricks here,” Tamako said. “We don't need the element of surprise to win.”

As if to reinforce Tamako's words, Metalman punched Zer0 hard in the gut as he tried to perform a follow-up attack, and sent him flying across the field.

“Ooh, and a hard punch from Metalman!” Axl couldn't keep the joy out of his tone. “That one _had_ to hurt! Can Zer0 recover in time?”

“Hey, can it!” Saki snapped. “You sound like you really want Metalman to win.”

“Axl might not be impartial, but I am,” Taka said. “I believe in both of you!”

“At least pick _one of us_ to cheer for!” Saki yelled.

“Hammer him again, Metalman!” Tamako yelled.

Zer0, still trying to get back to his feet, looked up as Metalman raised his fists once more, ready to deliver a heavy blow.

“I...cannot lose here!” Zer0 declared, and dropped his saber. He punched, their fists connecting in the air, and a massive surge of electricity flooded into Metalman's body. With a cry of pain, Metalman crumpled to the ground, his armor smoking.

“Nice counter!” Saki cheered.

Retrieving his saber, Zer0 prepared to go on the attack, but Metalman pushed himself to his feet, his eyes filled with intensity. It was clear that he was far from done.

“This match is heating up fast!” Axl said. “Zer0 counters Metalman's crushing attack with one of his own, _shocking_ Metalman and everyone else here!”

“Neither Navi looks like they want to give up just yet,” Taka added. “This is still anyone's game!”

Without a word, both Navis circled each other, neither one wanting to make the first move. Finally, Zer0 dashed straight towards Metalman, the tip of his saber scraping the ground slightly and throwing off sparks. Saki could tell that he was fired up, and intent on winning, and it got Saki's pulse racing too. Metalman summoned several metal blades to his hands, and launched them straight at Zer0, who parried them, and then used Raikousen to close the distance between them instantly.

“Wha—?!” Tamako gasped.

The blood pounded so hard in Saki's ears that he couldn't hear anything else. Almost in perfect sync, he raised his hand as Zer0 executed Tenshozan, engulfing Metalman in scarlet flames.

“Take this!” he cried, slamming his hand down onto the battle station. At the same moment, Zer0 used Rakuretsuzan, and drove the heavy mass of ice straight down onto Metalman, instantly extinguishing the flames, and kicking up a huge cloud of smoke.

“Unreal!” Axl yelled. “Could Metalman have been crushed by Zer0's attack?!”

A moment later, Metalman let out a loud roar, and Zer0 leaped backwards as the other Navi rose to his feet, giving his chest a firm pound with his fists.

“He's still standing after all of that?!” Saki asked.

Tamako's grin nearly split her face in half. “Metalman's really tough, you know! It's one of his best traits! He can endure practically anything!”

“Just like how steel takes a beating and keeps going, Metalman proves that he's got what it takes to withstand Zer0's punishing attacks,” Taka said. 

“Boy oh boy, this is getting really exciting now!” Axl added. “How will Zer0 respond?”

Zer0 met Metalman's gaze, and nodded. “I see. You truly have been training, not just to perfect a new technique, but also to withstand all of mine.”

“We haven't been this fired up about an opponent in a long time!” Tamako said. “Watching the two of you really made us want to get even stronger. And when we defeat you, it'll prove that all our training was worth it!”

Metalman ran towards Zer0, who ran to meet him, sword raised. Just as they were within striking distance of one another, however, a drill-shaped bomb planted itself in the ground between them, and both Navis leaped backwards to avoid being caught in its blast.

“Hey!” Axl yelled. “That's interference!”

“Wait,” Taka said, “I know that bomb.”

Out of the smoke, Crashman came running towards the Navis, his arms open wide. “Hey guys!” he said cheerfully. “Long time no see, huh? How about a hug?”

Metalman gave Crashman a puzzled look. “What are you doing here?”

“I heard that you two are having a party,” Crashman explained. “Mind if I join?”

While Crashman spoke to the other Navis, Tamako looked up and spotted Yuya entering the arcade and walking towards them. She raised her hand and waved at him, smiling happily.

“Yuya! Hey! I'm glad that you could...come...” The smile faded from Tamako's face, and when Saki turned to look at Yuya, he felt a knot of anxiety form in his gut.

Yuya seemed hostile. He walked with sharp, angry strides, and his expression was grim. As he approached the group, it felt as if any cheer that had been there was drained away, and a heavy feeling of dread settled over the room. Axl quickly hid behind Taka's shoulder.

Tamako took a few steps towards Yuya. “Hey, what's wrong? Are you okay?”

“Don't come near me,” Yuya spat. His expression twisted into one of anger. 

Tamako stopped dead in her tracks. She seemed confused, and reached out a hand towards her friend. “Hey, if something's wrong, I can help—”

“I don't want help!” Yuya barked angrily. “Especially not from you!”

Crashman looked up at Yuya with a worried expression. Zer0 gave him a curious look, and Crashman just shook his head.

“Yuya's been out of sorts for a few days now,” he explained. “Then, all of a sudden, he just insisted that we were going to come down here, and that he was 'going to settle things once and for all'.” Crashman sighed. “Whatever that means.”

“Could he mean to challenge us?” Zer0 wondered out loud.

“Maybe,” Metalman said. 

“Yuya,” Tamako said, “Please, just tell me what's wrong.”

In response, Yuya just glared at her. He lifted his hand, and pointed at her accusingly. “You! _You're_ the problem!”

Tamako was surprised. “ _Me?_ ” she said.

For a tense moment, no one spoke or moved. Then, Yuya took a step forward, and Saki instinctively put himself between Yuya and Tamako. This only seemed to make Yuya even angrier.

“What's wrong, Tamako-chan? What about when you used to stand up to bullies? Are you really too scared to fight your own battles anymore?” His eyes narrowed. “Or is it just because you don't want to fight me?”

“Yuya, please!” Tamako said, clearly distraught. “Let's just talk this out. I don't know what I did to upset you, but I'll do whatever I can to make it right. Just...” She put her hand on Saki's shoulder, and gently moved past him. “Please tell me what's wrong.”

Yuya clenched his fists. He glared at Tamako with vitriol, and Saki felt himself tremble slightly. He had never seen Yuya like this before, and it was terrifying.

“I've been trying for years and years now to get stronger,” Yuya explained in a tense voice. “All of this time, I was trying to catch up to you. I thought that you were the strongest person I knew. But no matter what I did, no matter how hard I tried, you never saw me as an equal. To you, I was always going to be that little boy that you protected on the playground.”

“That's not...true...” Tamako said. She looked at Yuya with a sad expression. “I've always thought of you as my dear friend.”

The word 'friend' caused Yuya to flinch, and Saki felt his stomach tighten even more.

 _Is he upset because Tamako won't ever see him as a boyfriend...?_ Saki thought. _Oh man, of all the things to lose his cool over..._

“I get it,” Yuya said quietly. “I know I'll never be enough of a man for you. I've accepted that.” He clenched his fists tighter. “But the fact that you and everyone else around you is so strong...it's so _overwhelming_. I feel like that's a world I can't be in. I train and train, but it's never enough, because you're training too. I'm so far behind now that I'll never escape your shadow.”

Tamako put a hand to her chest. “Yuya...that's not true! I know you've been training really hard, and I'm proud of you!” Her eyes welled up with tears. “The only person you have to be better than is the you from the day before.”

For a moment, Yuya's expression softened. A little bit of light came back to his eyes, and he looked at Tamako with surprise.

“Yeah,” Saki added. “When we had our battle, I could tell that you and Crashman were training really hard. You're an amazing Net Battler!”

Crashman smiled and pumped his arms cheerfully. “See, Yuya? Everyone knows what I already know: that you're amazing!”

“And you and Crashman are so close!” Taka said. “It's really amazing! Not many people can be as close as you two are!”

Slowly, Yuya seemed to be calming down. Saki felt the knot in his gut slowly loosening.

“Right!” Tamako said. “See? You're fine the way you are!”

Instantly, Yuya's expression changed back to anger. Taka shot Tamako a frantic look, and her face fell.

“Oh, I see,” Yuya said in an icy tone. “You just want me to stay the same, forever.”

“N-no!” Tamako said, lifting her hands. “That's not it at all—!”

Yuya's angry glare cut Tamako off, and she took a step back. Taka grabbed onto Saki's arm, clearly afraid, and Saki pushed Taka behind him protectively.

“Fine then,” Yuya said. “I'll _make_ you acknowledge me.” He pulled out his PET. “Once I prove to you that I can beat you, then you'll _have_ to recognize me as a man.”

“Yuya, stop!” Tamako pleaded. 

“Yuya, please reconsider!” Crashman pleaded. “You don't have to battle Tamako-chan to prove anything.”

“Beating her in a battle won't change anything!” Saki said angrily. “If you think she won't acknowledge you as a man, then the problem is _you_!”

“Don't goad him, Saki!” Taka hissed. “He's already pretty unstable right now, don't make things worse!”

“Of _course_ you're a man, Yuya!” Tamako insisted. “I don't understand what you're saying! Why would I not think of you that way?”

With a tired expression, Yuya reached into his pocket, and pulled something out. Saki heard Taka gasp sharply, and a second later he lunged towards Yuya. Saki grabbed him, and Taka thrashed, trying to escape Saki's grip.

“No, Yuya-san!” Taka pleaded. “Don't use that chip!”

Saki looked at the chip in Yuya's hand. He'd never seen one like it before. It was silver in color, with a pearlescent shimmer, and had a small orb set into it. The shape immediately reminded Saki of the Synchro Chips, and he suddenly felt sick to his stomach. Even if Saki didn't know what the chip was, it was clear that Taka knew, and was frantically trying to convince Yuya not to use it.

“That chip's dangerous! Please, just put it down!”

“Shut up!” Yuya snapped. “You're just afraid that this chip will put us on equal footing!”

“That chip isn't what you think it is!” Taka said in a panicked voice. “It's really dangerous! If you use it, you'll end up losing Crashman! Is that what you want?!”

“Wait, _what?!_ ” Crashman yelled. “Yuya, listen to him!! I don't want to get deleted!” He waved his arms frantically. “Besides, we don't need some silly chip to win! We're already a great team!”

Yuya didn't seem to be listening. He raised the chip, and moved to slot it into his PET. Tamako stepped forward, and tried to take the chip from him, but he gave her a murderous look.

“STAY BACK!” he roared. “Don't try to stop me!”

“Don't be reckless!” Tamako yelled back. “If Taka-kun thinks that chip is bad news, then you shouldn't use it! Please, just give me the chip.” She held out her hand to him. “Please.”

The whole arcade had turned to look at them by this point, and Saki felt himself start to sweat under their gazes. He heard someone mutter that someone should call the police.

Yuya scowled at Tamako. “You just want it for yourself!”

“No, I don't!” Tamako insisted. “I'm just concerned.”

For a long moment, Yuya said nothing. Then, with a sour expression, he said, “I don't need your concern.”

He slotted the strange chip into his PET.

“NOOOOO!” Taka screamed.

A second later, Crashman convulsed as if he was in pain. He gripped the sides of his head, and screamed. Saki could hear the pain and anguish in Crashman's voice, and it made his stomach clench painfully. He helplessly watched Zer0 and Metalman try to help Crashman, only for Crashman to push them away.

“A-ahh...” Crashman moaned, tears streaming down his face. “Pl...ease...run...”

“Crashman!” Zer0 cried. A second later, Crash let out a feral scream that caused the screens of the Net Battle station to flicker and buzz. Zer0 and Metalman backed up fearfully, and Crashman turned his gaze to them, snarling.

“Wh-what happened?” Saki asked, afraid to know the answer.

Taka put a hand to his mouth, horrified. “Oh no...oh no no no no no...”

Zer0 raised a hand, and attempted to speak to Crashman. “Are you alright? Can you hear me?”

In response, Crashman roared again. Saki could see that Crashman's eyes were blank with rage.

“He's out of control!” Saki said, fumbling for his PET. “Zer0, do something!”

“Understood.” Zer0 quickly tried to secure Crashman's arms, but the Navi threw Zer0 off, and tried to attack him. Metalman quickly used his arms to trap Crashman, but the out of control Navi simply let out a feral scream, and threw Metalman off of him.

Tamako gave Yuya a hard shake. “Do you see now?! This is all that chip's fault! Now do something!”

Yuya, however, stared at Crashman on the display with a vacant look. He seemed too shocked to do anything. Tamako yanked Yuya's PET out of his hands, and began looking at the display.

“What the heck...?! The PET's acting weird too!”

Taka lunged for the PET, and quickly began pressing buttons. “Oh no, it's already started!”

“What has?!” Saki asked, terrified.

“Crashman's back-up data is being corrupted,” Taka explained. “Once that happens, then we won't be able to fix Crashman or reset him. His main core is already fried, I can't stop it—!”

“Wait, what?!” Saki ran to Taka's side. “What do you mean, he can't be fixed or reset?”

“I mean that Crashman's data is being destroyed,” Taka said. “The chip has some kind of program on it that targets the Navi's programming and obliterates it. The Navis that get infected either get deleted, or go crazy and rampage.”

Saki looked at Zer0 and Metalman frantically trying to restrain Crashman, and swallowed. He could already tell that this case would be the latter.

Yuya slowly collapsed to the floor, his eyes devoid of emotion. Tamako shook him, frantically trying to get him to respond, but Saki knew that it was hopeless. The knowledge that he had doomed his Navi to deletion had simply been too much for Yuya, and he'd gone into shock.

“Taka,” Saki said, “We have to stop Crashman before he gets loose and starts destroying everything.”

“Right,” Taka said. He quickly plugged Axl into the computer. “Let me contact the Ministry of Science too. I have a feeling we're going to need their help.”

Axl materialized in the battle arena, and ran to help Zer0 and Metalman. Crashman, thrashing like an angry animal, was proving to be too much for the Navis to handle, and Axl did his best to try and knock Crashman out with a blow from the butt of his pistol, but it didn't have the desired effect. Instead, Crashman flew into an even worse rage, and began firing off drill bombs in every direction.

“Ahh, get down!” Axl yelled, and Zer0 tackled him to the ground. Metalman threw up his cogs in an effort to shield them all from the worst of the explosions. Once the last bomb had exploded, Metalman dismissed his wall, and the others looked around for Crashman, but couldn't see him.

“Where is he?” Taka asked.

After a moment, Zer0 pointed to a small hole in the ground. “It would appear that he has fled.”

“Oh crap,” Saki said.

“Did he escape into the arcade's Network?” Tamako asked.

“If he did, that's bad news,” Taka said. “You guys have to follow him, and make sure he doesn't get away.”

An arcade machine a few feet away suddenly exploded, and the people next to it screamed and ran away. A second later, the machine next to it exploded as well, and one by one the machines blew up as Crashman made his way towards the exit.

“After him!” Axl yelled, jumping down the hole. Zer0 followed close behind. Metalman, who was too big to go down the hole, logged out of the battle station and logged into the arcade's Network from Tamako's PET, which cost him a few seconds. Taka took off running, hoping to stay within range of Crashman as he rampaged through the building's Networks.

“Where did Yuya even get something that dangerous?!” Tamako asked as they ran.

“Who knows,” Saki replied. “We'll worry about that later. Right now, let's just stop Crashman before he causes too much damage.”

Lights around the building's lower level started to explode, and glass showered down on the terrified customers, who screamed and ran for the exit. Saki felt himself getting swept up in the crowd, and tried to make his way back to the others. Taka, more used to crowds, wove through the throngs of people and dashed for the door.

“Axl,” he panted, “See if you can cut him off!”

“Already on it!” Axl replied. He used his thrusters to catch up to Crashman, and skidded to a stop in front of him. Zer0 came up behind Crashman, trapping him.

“Got you now!” Axl said.

Crashman let out a guttural growl, and grabbed Axl by the arm, swinging him around and throwing him into Zer0. The two crashed to the ground in a heap, and Crashman continued his rampage through the Network.

“Metalman, cut him off!” Tamako yelled. “We can't let him get outside!”

Planting himself directly in Crashman's path, Metalman steeled himself and tackled Crashman. The Navi pushed back, but Metalman did his best to hold his ground. Unfortunately, Crashman wasn't going to simply stop, and he grabbed Metalman around his waist before executing a perfect piledriver and knocking Metalman unconscious.

“How strong is he?!” Taka asked.

“It must be the chip,” Saki said. “It really _did_ make him stronger!”

“At this rate, Crashman's going to make it outside,” Tamako warned.

Taka bit his thumbnail. “That's bad news. He'll get into the traffic Network, and mess up the walk cycles. It might cause a lot of accidents!”

“Not to mention all the other stuff he could do,” Saki added. “We have to stop him, right now.”

“Okay, I hate to do this, but you leave me no choice,” Axl said to Crashman as he opened fire. “If you won't stop, then I'll have to do enough damage to keep you from moving anymore.”

In response, Crashman turned and howled threateningly. Zer0 pulled out his saber, and prepared for battle.

“I hate to fight him like this,” Tamako moaned. “But if we don't, then it'll be even worse.”

Out of nowhere, a group of security Navis rushed in, their weapons drawn. They formed a circle around Crashman, and one of them said, “Put your weapons down immediately and surrender peacefully.”

“It looks like security finally caught up to us,” Axl said, relieved. “Hopefully they can—”

The sound of Crashman cutting down one of the security Navis cut Axl off. Zer0 lunged forward, but it was already too late: Crashman ripped through all of the security Navis like paper, and they burst into fragments of data before disappearing.

“He deleted those security Navis without a second thought,” Taka said. “At this point, there's no way we'll be able to reason with him. I think our only option might be...” He swallowed nervously. “ _Deleting him_.”

“We can't!” Tamako said. “Yuya would be devastated if we deleted Crashman!”

“We don't have a choice!” Taka snapped. “He's already beyond saving as it is! We'd be doing him a favor by ending his suffering.”

“I don't want to hear that from you!” Tamako yelled. “If there's even a small chance of saving him, then I want to try!”

Zer0 blocked an attack from Crashman, and grunted with exertion as he was slowly pushed backward. Crashman raised a drill, intent on deleting Zer0 as well, but Axl fired a spray of shots into his face.

“Back off!” he yelled angrily.

Zer0 used the opening Axl had created to attack Crashman with Raijingeki. Crashman screamed, and stumbled backwards, and Axl continued to rain shots down onto him.

“We stopped him, for the moment,” Taka said.

“Now we just have to find a way to restrain him,” Tamako said.

Metalman got up off the ground, and gave his head a shake. When he saw Axl and Zer0 had Crashman pinned, he summoned his cogs and used them to form a cage of sorts. Crashman gave an angry scream, and slammed against the walls of his prison, but he didn't seem to be able to escape.

“I'm glad that worked,” said Axl.

“It will not hold him for long,” Zer0 warned. “He will more than likely make another hole, and use it to escape.”

“I forgot about that,” Axl said. “Let me check on him.” He used his thrusters to peer over the edge of the cogs, and a second later he dodged a drill that Crashman had shot at his head.

“Hopefully, this will hold him until we can find a more permanent solution,” Tamako said, putting a hand to her chest in relief.

Axl peered over the edge of the cogs once more. “Hey, uhh, guys? He's doing something...”

Zer0 and Metalman tensed up. A moment later, there was the sound of something slamming into the cogs, and then Crashman's drill broke through to the other side.

“Did he just punch his drill through one of those?!” Saki asked in disbelief.

Slowly, the drill pulled downward, tearing the metal around it as it did so, and filling the air with the screech of metal grinding against metal. Saki felt himself shudder uncontrollably at the noise, and he slapped his free hand over his ear. Taka pressed his headphones against his head, wincing, and Tamako let out a yell of pain.

“What do we do?!” Axl asked frantically.

“We knew that the cogs would not hold him forever,” Zer0 said. “We will simply have to fight.”

Beside him, Metalman nodded in agreement.

“I don't get why he didn't just make another hole!” Taka said. “Why is he trying to rip through the cogs instead?”

“He's lost any kind of rational thought,” Saki said. “All he knows is that there's something in his way, and he's going to go through it.”

Again and again, Crashman punched his drills through the metal cogs, until they finally took too much damage and shattered into data fragments. Crashman gave a loud roar, and charged at Metalman and Zer0, running on all fours like some kind of beast.

“Here he comes!” Zer0 said.

Metalman punched at Crashman, trying to drive him into the ground, but Crashman avoided the attack and slammed into Zer0, knocking them both down. Struggling, Zer0 tried to push Crashman off of him, but the berserk Navi was strong and Zer0's arms shook with the effort. Crashman opened his mouth, revealing razor sharp teeth, and tried to bite Zer0, who managed to hold him at bay. Metalman and Axl both tried to pry Crashman off of Zer0, but Crashman snapped his teeth at them too.

“Owch! He nipped me!” Axl yelled, shaking his hand. 

Metalman made a fist. “Very well, if you want to bite something that badly, then I'll give you something to bite.” He quickly shoved his fist into Crashman's mouth. Crashman bit down hard, and Metalman winced as the wounds on his hand oozed data fragments, but he pulled Crashman off of Zer0 and did his best to restrain him with his other arm.

“Metalman!” Tamako yelled.

“I'm alright,” Metalman insisted.

Tamako made a pained expression. “Crashman would never hurt Metalman...”

Saki thought back to his first fight with Yuya and Tamako, and how Crashman had lost his temper when Zer0 had used Raijingeki on Metalman. “I have to agree. Crashman doesn't seem like the type to ever want to hurt Metalman.”

Tamako looked at her PET screen, and at Crashman biting down on Metalman's hand, and closed her eyes. Taking a shaking breath, she said, “Okay. I'll admit that Crashman isn't himself anymore.” She opened her eyes. “I still think that he's in there somewhere, but I also know that if we don't do something, he's never going to stop.” Her expression became one of resolve. “Metalman, do whatever you have to do.”

Metalman nodded. He looked at Zer0, and said, “Do you think you can use that technique of yours to knock him out?”

Zer0 nodded back. “Understood.” He planted his saber, blade first, into the ground, and charged up his fist. Pulling his arm back, Zer0 yelled, “Ganzanha!” before slamming his fist into Crashman's gut. There was a crackle of electricity, and Crashman gave a muffled cry of pain before slumping over in Metalman's arms.

Axl approached nervously. “Is he...?”

“Unconscious,” Metalman said, slowly lowering Crashman to the ground and prying his hand out of the Navi's mouth. “Hopefully he will stay that way until help arrives.”

Saki, Taka, and Tamako let out a huge sigh of relief.

“That was really scary!” Taka said, dropping to his knees on the floor. “I didn't think we were going to be able to stop him.”

“I'm just glad we didn't have to delete him,” Tamako said quietly. “Maybe there's a chance that we can save Crashman...”

Saki didn't reply. He glanced at Taka, and the boy's dark expression told him that the chances were probably extremely low.

“Taka,” Saki said, “What the hell was that chip? And why do you know what it is?”

Slowly, Taka looked up at Saki, his expression tired. He spoke in a dull monotone.

“It's a chip that's been circulating in the black market lately,” Taka said. “I've read accounts of people who use the chips on forums, and they all have very similar stories: the chip is silver, and no one can get a proper photograph of it. When the chip is used, the Navi goes berserk, and no longer listens to commands. The Navis back-up data becomes corrupted and unusable, and the Navi is either deleted or goes out of control and eventually escapes into the Undernet.”

Saki stared at Taka in shock. He couldn't believe anything that was coming out of the boy's mouth, but he knew that it was all true. Saki grabbed Taka by the collar of his shirt, and gave him a firm shake. “Why didn't you say something sooner?!”

Taka let out a tired sigh. “I was trying to get you to help with my investigation, but you kept insisting that we should leave it up to the Net Police.” He shook his head. “Look, even the Net Police are having trouble with this stupid chip. And even when people come forward and explain what the chips actually are, people still end up buying it, thinking it's some kind of power up.” He gave Saki a sympathetic look. “I'm sorry about Crashman.”

Saki let go of Taka's shirt, and ran a hand over his face. As frustrated as he was, he knew that it wasn't Taka's fault, but it didn't change how upset the whole thing made him. Finally, he let his hand drop to his side, and said, “Okay, now what?”

Taka shrugged. “Wait for backup, I guess,” he replied.

For several long minutes, everyone stood around in complete silence. Metalman and Zer0 kept a close eye on Crashman while Axl kept an eye out for anyone coming to lend a hand. Finally, Axl let out an excited cry, and started waving his hand wildly.

“I see Rockman!”

Saki checked, and sure enough Rockman came running over to the others, with Searchman and Blues hot on his heels. He waved back, and yelled, “Is everything alright?”

“It's under control for now!” Axl yelled back.

“Oh, that's good!” Rockman said. “I'm glad that—”

In the blink of an eye, Crashman leaped to his feet, and made a mad-dash straight towards Rockman, who was too surprised to fight back. Just as Crashman lifted his arm to strike, the sound of a gunshot rang out, and Crashman was thrown backwards, screaming in pain.

“Rockman!” Axl yelled, rushing over to him. “Are you okay?!”

“I thought he was unconscious!” Saki said.

“I guess he woke up,” Metalman said grimly.

Rockman leaned against Axl, clearly shaken. Searchman, his gun still raised, and Blues, his sword at the ready, moved closer to Crashman, who was clutching his shoulder and glaring up at them. Between his fingers oozed something dark and thick, not at all like the luminous data fragments that usually escaped from injuries that Navis sustained, and Saki felt nauseous looking at it.

“What...what _is_ that?” he asked.

Taka made a face. “Whatever virus that chip was carrying did a real number to his data...I've never seen anything like it before.”

Tamako said nothing, holding her hand to her mouth with a distressed look on her face.

Blues leveled his sword and prepared to strike. “I've confirmed that the target is infected. I'll destroy them immediately.”

“Wait, what?” Tamako blurted.

“I have my orders,” Blues explained coldly. “I am to destroy any infected targets _with extreme prejudice_.”

“But we might be able to save him!” Tamako argued.

“He is beyond help,” Blues stated. “There are no known methods for reversing the effects of the chip. Once infected, the Navi must be destroyed.”

“I won't let you do that!” Tamako yelled. “Crashman is Yuya's beloved partner! Even if it's a slim chance, I want to try—”

“Stop it!” Taka screamed. “Just stop talking!” His expression was twisted with pain. “It's not like any of us want to give up on him either, but we don't have a choice—!” He took a shaking breath. “We don't know how the virus spreads. It might be through contact, or through some other method. And we don't know how it operates either. We can't make an anti-virus for something we know nothing about! And we can't just keep a bunch of infected Navis in quarantine while we try to make one. Who knows what kind of a mess that would be. And even _if_ we manage to make an anti-virus, would it be enough once the infection gets to a certain point? I'm sorry, but we just don't have many options!”

Tamako slowly deflated at Taka's words. The reality of the situation began to sink in, and she turned away from the others, her shoulders shaking. Saki reached out to comfort her, but she shrugged his hand away.

Crashman stumbled to his feet, snarling viciously. Blues lunged forward, and tried to strike Crashman down, only to have his sword blocked by the drill on Crashman's good arm. Making a noise of irritation, Blues pushed Crashman off, and swung again. Crashman continued to parry Blues' strikes, and it quickly became clear that—despite Crashman's injury—the two fighters were fairly evenly matched. Zer0 gripped the hilt of his saber tightly, and pursed his lips.

“Zer0...?” Saki asked.

“I am truly sorry,” Zer0 said, “But I cannot stand by and do nothing.” He looked up at Saki with a determined expression. “I will assist Blues in eliminating Crashman.”

Saki's stomach clenched. “Are you sure? He was your friend, you know...”

“Yes, he was,” Zer0 said. “That is why it is important for me to end his suffering swiftly, so that he may be remembered as he once was, rather than how he has become.”

A sigh escaped Saki. “Okay. If that's how you feel, then I'll Operate you.”

Zer0 nodded, and ran to assist Blues.

Crashman charged Blues, who quickly backed up and out of the way. Off balance, Crashman stumbled, and another gunshot rang out. Crashman screamed as the shot ripped through his leg, and fell to the ground.

“Target's movement has been restricted,” Searchman said. “Hurry and finish him off.”

Blues nodded, and raised his sword as Crashman tried to get to his feet. Zer0 raised his own sword, and him and Blues silently signaled to each other. They both swung at Crashman at the same time—Blues going high, and Zer0 going low—and cut through Crashman cleanly.

“Ghh—!” Crashman let out a strangled cry as he collapsed to the ground. All at once, his body seemed to melt into the same thick, dark substance that had come from his wound, and disappear into the ground. Saki turned his head away, feeling overwhelmed.

Blues and Zer0 lowered their swords, and Searchman lowered his gun. Collectively, they all sighed with relief.

“I'm glad that's over,” Axl said.

“Me too,” Rockman said, his voice shaking.

As the relief faded, everyone suddenly became a lot more somber. They had just had to delete another Navi, one of their own. It didn't sit well with any of them. Metalman lowered his head sadly, and muttered Crashman's name under his breath.

Tamako swiped at her eyes with the back of his hand. “Yuya...I have to go make sure Yuya is okay...” She stumbled back towards the arcade, and Saki followed after her. Taka caught up, and grabbed Saki by the arm.

“Hey,” he said, “I'm really sorry.”

Saki shook his head. “Don't apologize.” He took a deep breath. “I shouldn't have tried to stop you from grabbing that chip away from him.”

“Do you think Yuya-san's going to be okay?” Taka asked.

Saki didn't say anything.

Tamako ran straight to Yuya, and threw her arms around him. He didn't try to hug her back, and simply stared off into space with a blank expression.

“I'm sorry...” Tamako said, her voice quivering. “We couldn't save Crashman...”

Yuya slowly lifted his hands, and pressed them against Tamako's back. She began to sob, and he let her, softly patting her back soothingly.

“I'm sorry, Tamako,” he said in a weak voice. “I never meant for all of this to happen...”

Saki hung back and watched the scene, unsure of what to do. Taka squeezed Saki's hand, and he squeezed back reassuringly.

The sound of footsteps made Saki look up, and he saw Enzan and a few police officers enter the arcade and march up to them. Enzan pulled out his PET, and flashed his Net Police badge.

“I'm going to have to ask all of you to come with me,” he said. “I need you to tell me exactly what happened here.”

Taka looked terrified. “Are we under arrest?”

Enzan shook his head. “It's just for questioning.” He put his PET away. “I know that you've all been through a lot, but your testimonies are vital for this case.” He approached Yuya, and put a hand on his shoulder. “Can you come with us, please?” He looked at Tamako. “You too.”

Tamako nodded, and helped Yuya to his feet. He was still in a daze, and allowed himself to be led out of the arcade by the police officers. Enzan motioned for the rest to follow him, and they complied.

Saki tried his best to remain calm, but his anxiety was in full swing. His gut was tying itself into complicated knots, and his palms were sweating. Even though he wasn't wearing handcuffs, he still felt like a criminal.

 _Maybe if I'd tried to tackle Yuya-san to the ground, instead of just standing there like an idiot, none of this would have happened_ , Saki thought. _What the hell was I thinking?!_

A sniffle escaped Taka, and Saki looked over at him. He was desperately holding back tears, and Saki gave his back a gentle pat.

“It's going to be okay,” he said.

“I-I know,” Taka said. “B-but I'm so scared...”

“Me too,” Saki admitted.

***

Saki and Taka were led into a small room with bare, concrete walls. Its only furnishings were a table, and several chairs, as well as a large mirror on the far wall. Taka stared at the mirror intently. The officers that had escorted them in asked them to sit, which they did. They then asked if the boys wanted anything to drink, and Saki asked for water. Taka said nothing. Then, the officers left the room, and shut the door behind them, leaving the two boys alone.

Saki knew not to say anything. Behind the two-way mirror, there was more than likely someone who was recording everything they said, and both boys knew that even a casual statement might be used against them later.

 _I wonder if they're going to call Mom_ , Saki thought miserably. _I don't want to think about how she'll react_.

After a while, the door opened, and Enzan stepped inside. With him was a tall woman in a pantsuit, carrying two styrofoam cups. She had her hair pulled up into a tight bun, and Saki thought she might be an uptight person, but she gave the boys a warm smile, and Saki felt a little bit better.

Enzan sat down across from Taka, and the woman sat down across from Saki. She handed Saki a cup of hot green tea, and Taka a cup of hot chocolate.

“I thought you might like something warm,” she told them. “You've been through a lot today.”

Saki murmured, “Thank you,” and took a sip of his tea. Taka held the cup in his hands, but didn't move to drink any.

The woman motioned to herself. “My name is Agent North. I work for the International branch of the Net Police.” She gave them another smile. “And you already know Ijuuin-kun.”

Enzan folded his hands on the table. He gave them each a serious look.

“I need you to tell me everything that happened. Start from the beginning.”


	30. Interrogation

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Taka and Saki recount the fight at the 109 building, and Yuya reveals something interesting...

Enzan folded his hands on the table. He gave Taka and Saki each a serious look.

“I need you to tell me everything that happened. Start from the beginning.”

The boys glanced at each other, and Saki gave Taka a small nod. He then turned and looked at Enzan before starting his account of the events from that day.

“Tamako-san contacted me earlier this afternoon, asking if I would have a Net Battle with her. I agreed, and we went to the one oh nine to meet up.”

“Why did she ask you to battle her?” Enzan asked.

“She'd been training, apparently,” Saki explained. “And she wanted to show me the new move her and Metalman had come up with.”

“And was there a specific reason for meeting at the one oh nine?” Enzan asked.

Taka cleared his throat. “Uhh, well, originally, she'd wanted to have a Net Battle in the signboard outside, but we convinced her to have the battle at the arena in the arcade instead.”

Enzan sighed, and pinched the bridge of his nose. “I guess I should be grateful for that.” He let his hand drop back onto the table. “Continue.”

Saki smiled nervously before continuing. “We were in the middle of our fight when Yuya-san showed up.”

“And did you know Otomizu-san previously?” Enzan asked.

Saki nodded. “Yeah, Tamako-san introduced us to him. She said he was her childhood friend.”

Agent North reached down into a briefcase on the floor as Saki spoke, and pulled out a manila folder. Placing it on the table, she flipped through it before nodding to Enzan.

“I see.” Enzan folded his hands in front of him. “What did Otomizu-san do once he got there?”

“He...was acting kind of strange,” Saki said. “He was more aggressive than I'd ever seen him, and he seemed really upset at Tamako-san.”

“He said things like he didn't want her help, and that she was the problem,” Taka said. “And he seemed really intent on fighting her and Metalman.”

“As far as I could tell,” Saki added, “He seemed really frustrated because he never felt like he measured up to her in battle. He...” Saki hesitated. “He also seemed upset that she...never considered him a romantic interest.” He raised his hands. “I mean, that's only a guess based on something that was said.”

Agent North tilted her head curiously. “Can you tell me exactly what was said to make you think that?”

Saki thought hard. “Umm...I think it was when Tamako-san said he was her 'dear friend'. He made a face, like it upset him. And then he said, 'I know I'll never be enough of a man for you. I've accepted that.' He sounded kind of bitter.”

Agent North made a noise and nodded, and Enzan took over the questions once more.

“So he was agitated when he arrived. What happened after that?”

“Umm, we managed to start talking Yuya down,” Taka explained. “But then Tamako-san said something that made him angry again.”

“What was it?” Enzan asked.

Taka shifted nervously in his seat. “She said, 'You're fine the way you are'.”

“And how did he respond to that?” Enzan asked.

“He got really upset,” Saki said. “He accused her of wanting him to be weak and helpless forever, and then he pulled out the chip.”

Enzan leaned forward at this point. “Can you describe the chip?”

“Yeah, uhh...” Saki tugged on a lock of hair near his ear. “It was silvery, but also really shiny...like the inside of an oyster shell. And there was this—gem? orb?—set in it.” He locked his gaze with Enzan's. “It really reminded me of the Syncho chips.”

Enzan's eyes got a little wider at Saki's statement.

“Yeah,” Taka said. “It had this pearlescent sheen, and it had something set into it. It was exactly like the stories I'd read, so I recognized it right away.”

Enzan's head snapped towards Taka, and the boy shrank back, almost like he was afraid. There was something dangerous and intense about Enzan's gaze that made even Saki shiver.

“What do you mean, 'the stories that you've read'?” Enzan asked sharply. “How did you come to have that kind of information?”

Taka squirmed uncomfortably. “I can't answer that.”

 _Does this have anything to do with Taka's investigation?_ Saki wondered. _I kept telling him to let the grown-ups handle things!_

Enzan slammed his hand down on the table. “If you have reliable witness testimonies, then you need to tell me, right now.”

“Back off!” Saki snapped. “You're scaring him!”

Taka clung to Saki's arm, and stared at Enzan with wide-eyed terror. Enzan immediately softened, and sat back in his chair with a sigh.

“Why can't you tell me where you found your information?” Enzan asked. “Are you protecting someone?”

Taka frowned. “Maybe.”

Agent North gave Taka a sympathetic smile. “I understand your feelings, Taka-kun. But if there is information that we can use for our investigation, then we need to see it.” Her voice was calm and gentle. “If these people wish to remain anonymous, then we'll respect their privacy. We just need to have something substantial, so that we can advance our investigation.”

 _Are they really having this much trouble?_ Saki thought. _Taka's a stupid kid with too much time on his hands, and he learned more than they did about all of this just by poking around some questionable forums. It really makes me wonder how inept the Net Police really are_.

Taka seemed to share Saki's thoughts, because he scoffed at Agent North's words. “Listen, if you guys used your brains once in a while, you might have found this information too.” He clicked his tongue in disappointment. “But I bet no one wants to come forward because they'd get arrested for buying illegal chips. Isn't that right?”

Enzan winced, and Saki was pretty sure that Taka's words had hit home.

“What happened after Otomizu-san pulled out the strange chip?” Agent North asked, trying to get the questioning back on track.

“Taka tried to tell Yuya-san not to use it, but he didn't believe us. He insisted that we were just scared that it'd give him an unfair advantage.”

Taka let go of Saki's arm, and sat back in his chair properly. “A lot of people still think that it's an illegal enhancement chip,” he said, his voice devoid of emotion. Saki glanced at Taka, and saw that he looked tired. “Even when Crashman insisted that Yuya-san shouldn't use the chip, he wouldn't listen. Tamako-san tried one last time to get him to give her the chip, but he used it anyway.”

“What happened after he used it?” Enzan asked.

“Crashman went crazy,” Saki said. “Zer0 and Metalman were having a hard time restraining him, and Axl tried to knock him out, but nothing worked. Eventually, Crashman blew a hole in the ground and escaped into the arcade's Network, so our Navis gave chase.”

“Yuya-san was in shock,” Taka added. “He just sank to the floor, and didn't respond to anyone. He was still like that when we got back later.”

“Once Crashman got into the arcade's Network, what happened?” Enzan asked.

“He started wrecking stuff. He blew up a few of the arcade machines, and then started breaking the lights in the main part of the building,” Saki explained. “We managed to cut off his escape out of the building, but he tore through a bunch of security Navis and injured Metalman before we could knock him unconscious.”

“I messaged the Ministry of Science before I left the arcade,” Taka said. “By the time we managed to knock Crashman out, Rockman, Blues and Searchman had shown up.”

“And what did they do?” Enzan asked.

Saki sighed. “Well, Crashman tried to attack Rockman, so Searchman shot him in the shoulder. And...uhh...he started... _bleeding_ I guess?” He scratched his head, feeling helpless. “I don't know how else to describe it.”

“'Bleeding'? Can you try to give me a better description?” Agent North asked.

Taka raised his hand. “It was more like his data was so badly corrupted by that point that it barely resembled data anymore. It was a buggy, fragmented mess.”

“It was also gross,” Saki said.

“So once Searchman shot Crashman, what happened?” Enzan asked.

“Blues said that he'd confirmed that the 'target is infected' and that he was going to 'destroy any infected targets _with extreme prejudice_ ',” Saki said, staring directly at Enzan.

Enzan didn't seem fazed. “What happened next?”

Saki sighed. “Zero, Blues, and Searchman all worked together to...delete Crashman.”

“And all his corrupted data just kind of disappeared into the ground,” Taka added. “Like, he just _melted_ —”

“Stop,” Saki said, feeling nauseous. “I don't want to think about it.”

Enzan heaved a deep sigh. “I see. And after that?”

“We went back to the arcade,” Taka said. “Tamako-san was really upset about having to delete Crashman, and she cried on Yuya-san.” He paused, biting his lip. “He seemed kind of remorseful. He even apologized to Tamako-san about everything that had happened.”

“After that, you and the rest of the officers showed up, and took over,” Saki said.

“I see.” Enzan crossed his arms and leaned back in his chair. Agent North flipped through her folder again for a few minutes, and then lifted her gaze back up to the boys.

“Wakahisa-kun, you seemed to have prior knowledge of the chip before seeing it. Can you tell me what you knew, and how you came across it?”

Taka sighed, but nodded. “Yeah, sure.” He sat up a little straighter in his chair before continuing. “Sometimes...I go on kind of... _questionable_ forums. You see, me and Axl like to troll the edges of the Undernet for viruses that we can fight for practice, and that's how I stumbled across the forums that less-than-respectable people use.”

“What kind of people?” Agent North asked.

Taka shrugged. “People who hack into computers or Networks, people who mod devices or chips, or people who run underground fighting rings. There's also some dubious sellers too, and I've used them a few times.” 

“Buying what?” Agent North asked.

Taka gave her a serious look. “There's been a few times that a really popular figurine or model from a Wonfest release has been sold out within minutes, and I've had to resort to resellers to get one. There was this really amazing one from a few years ago that I really wanted, a Rainbowman X figurine that depicted the two leads in a tragic scene—”

“So you've bought anime merch from resellers, got it,” Enzan said quickly, cutting Taka off.

Taka frowned. “You don't have to be so rude. I was simply answering the question.”

“And was it on these... _questionable forums_ that you learned about the chip?” Agent North asked.

Taka nodded. “A few accounts trickled in near the start of spring about a weird chip that was circulating in the black market. No one really knew where they were coming from, and the asking price for them was ridiculously high, but a few people bought them for the novelty. Collectors, mostly.”

“And what were they saying about the chip?” Agent North asked.

“A lot of them were people posting about how the chips made them uncomfortable,” Taka explained. “Like, just having the chip around them made them irritable and anxious. One guy thought he was being stalked, and kept hearing voices and seeing shadows in the windows. It got so bad that he threw his chip into the Arakawa River. After that, the voices and the shadows stopped.”

 _Extreme paranoia?_ Saki thought. _Maybe it was guilt and anxiety over having an illegal chip?_

“Another person said that he lost the chip,” Taka went on. “He put it on his desk, and then couldn't find it a few days later. And another person said they threw their chip in the trash because he got really anxious, but tried to dig it back out a day or so later and couldn't find it. He _did_ find an escape chip, which he was pretty sure he hadn't thrown out.”

“I see,” said Agent North.

“At one point, a guy was trying to resell one of the chips, so I got him to take a picture of it. The weird thing is, the picture was perfect, but the chip was blurred beyond recognition. All you could make out was the color and the vague shape of it. He insisted that he hadn't edited the picture in any way, and I confirmed it later.” Taka pulled out his PET, and brought up the picture in question. He set his PET on the table, so that everyone could see it, and Enzan and Agent North leaned forward eagerly. “It lacks the signs of tampering, especially if it's a rush job, which it would have been. Only a few minutes passed between his post saying he would take a picture, and him posting it. Also, all the blurring in the photo is natural motion blur, which doesn't make sense, since the chip is stationary and everything else is in perfect focus.”

Saki felt a shiver run down his spine. Just looking at the photo made him uncomfortable in a way he couldn't explain.

Enzan put a hand to his chin. “Maybe it's some kind of safeguard?”

Agent North frowned. “I've seen something like this in images where an object has photo-blocking film on it. But I doubt that this chip would have that.”

Taka shrugged. “Well, whatever it is, most people on the forums started joking that the chip didn't want to have it's photo taken, or that it was shy. It was laughed off for a little while, until the stories about people who had used the chip started to show up.”

“And what were those stories like?” Agent North asked.

“Pretty awful,” Taka said with a grimace. “They were all pretty consistent with each other: the Navis would go crazy and stop obeying orders. Then, the PET would freak out, and the Navi's backup data would become corrupted beyond salvaging. Finally, the Navi would either self-destruct, run off into the Net, or—in a few cases—go insane and _consume_ the Navi they were fighting.”

Agent North put a hand to her mouth. Enzan looked slightly uncomfortable as well. Saki thought about when Crashman had tried to bite Zer0, and realized that he had gotten really lucky. 

“The users all warned people not to use the chips,” Taka went on. “And given how consistent all their stories were, and how adamant they were about not using the chips, the forums exploded. Messages were copied and pasted into other forums, and people tried to warn others about using them. After a little while, everyone in the underground scene knew not to use them, but by then it had already gotten into the hands of normal people who didn't have a clue. Yuya-san was probably one of those unfortunate people.”

Silence settled over the room. Agent North cleared her throat, and shut the manila folder before folding her hands on the desk.

“What you've told me matches what we currently know about this case,” she said. “But what I'm the most curious about is if anyone had ever described who they bought the chips from. Did anyone ever say anything about that?”

Taka shook his head. “The most I've ever seen is people saying they bought the chips from 'a sketchy figure'. No one ever described them in detail, and most of the people in the forums had bought their chips from resellers who wanted to offload them as soon as possible.”

“I see.” Agent North seemed disappointed. “Well, I'm still grateful for your cooperation during this interview.”

 _It's an interrogation_ , Saki thought bitterly. _Stop trying to sugarcoat things_.

“What's going to happen to Yuya-san?” Taka asked.

“We need to question him thoroughly,” Enzan explained.

“Is he going to be arrested?” Taka asked, concerned.

Enzan sighed wearily. “I...don't know yet. My hope is that we can use what he knows to track down the people selling the chips, and if we succeed, we'll probably offer to drop his charges as long as he testifies in court.”

Saki felt relieved. “He's been through a lot, losing Crashman and all. I'm glad that he won't have to go to prison on top of that.”

“He'll have to remain in police custody until we locate the criminals responsible,” Enzan warned. “He's still charged with destruction of property and disturbing the peace.”

Saki's gut clenched, and he looked at Enzan nervously. “What about us...?”

“Oh, don't worry,” Agent North said. “You're not being charged with anything. But in the future, you should leave the subduing of out-of-control Navis to the police.”

Taka sighed. “Yes, ma'am.”

“Admittedly, the circumstances dictated quick action,” Enzan said. “Had you not stepped in, Crashman would have more than likely made his way into the Networks that controlled the traffic lights—causing a serious incident—before we could have arrived.”

“I don't think I even stopped to think about it,” Saki admitted. “I just did what I thought was the right thing to do at that moment.”

Agent North smiled. “You two are part of the Ministry of Science's Cross Fusion program, aren't you? That means you'll probably be taking the test to become Net Savers, correct?”

“I guess?” Saki replied.

“I plan to,” Taka said confidently. “I want to help in any way I can.”

Enzan made a face. “Even if you two manage to get your licenses, I don't want you to think it gives you the right to take on this investigation all by yourselves.” He narrowed his eyes. “These chips are serious business, and I don't want to have to deal with the two of you getting hurt because you got involved with something you couldn't handle. Leave this investigation to the Net Police.”

“Yes, sir,” Taka said, clearly annoyed.

“I mean it,” Enzan said, glaring at Taka. “ _Stay out of it_.”

Clearing her throat, Agent North offered the boys a smile. “Now then, you had said that Otomizu-san was acting abnormally aggressive. Can you explain that?”

Saki shrugged helplessly. “He was really angry, and he yelled at Tamako-san, which he never does. He's usually pretty timid, and never really raises his voice.” Saki paused. “But he really gets fired up during battles.”

“How so?” Agent North asked.

“He's usually smiling and grinning and cheering on Crashman,” Saki explained. “Sometimes, he'll even get really excited when Crashman is winning.”

“Did he ever seem aggressive in those battles?” Agent North asked.

Saki paused. “I mean, not really _him_ per say, but Crashman would get kind of crazy. He'd lose his temper over little things, and rampage a little. It wasn't anything Zer0 couldn't handle, but I guess it was pretty odd how Yuya would never try to calm Crashman down when he got like that.”

“They do say that Navis tend to resemble their Operators,” Agent North said. “It's possible that Otomizu-san was emotionally unstable prior to this incident, and was just good at hiding it.”

“He seems kind of depressed to me,” Taka said.

Enzan made a thoughtful noise. “It could be that he'd simply gotten to the point where he couldn't handle his stress anymore, and lashed out.”

Agent North sat back in her chair, and steepled her fingers over her lap. “What about Shiraizumi-san? Did she ever seem like the type of person who would want to cause harm or distress to someone?”

Saki shook his head vehemently. “No way. She's not the malicious sort. She _is_ pretty pushy, though. She's always trying to convince people to have a Net Battle with her.”

“The pushiest she gets is when she's trying to make a sale, or getting someone to visit the hot springs in Yokayoka,” Taka added. “But Tamako-san's a really nice person! She's really friendly, upbeat, and easy to talk to. Plus, I could tell that she really cares about Yuya-san.”

“It honestly sounds to me like Yuya-san was always struggling to keep up with Tamako-san's insane love of Net Battling,” Saki said. “He's always saying stuff like how he can't escape her shadow, and how he'll never catch up to her. He probably became depressed when he thought that he'd never be good enough.”

“Feelings of resentment...” Agent North seemed to think about this for a moment. “I've seen people lose control over far less.”

Enzan gave the boys a weak smile. “Anything else you'd like to add?”

Saki shook his head. Taka let out a tiny, “No.”

“Very good.” Enzan stood up from the table. “We might have to ask you some more questions later, but for now, I think we're finished.” He motioned for the boys to exit the room. “Let me walk you out to the lobby.”

Agent North stood up as well, and opened the door, giving them a reassuring smile. Saki smiled back. It was obvious that she had played the 'good cop' during the interrogation, but he felt that she was a genuinely kind person, and had simply been herself the whole time. How she had ended up working with Enzan was a mystery to Saki, but he couldn't help but think she had the patience of a saint to put up with Enzan's irritability and occasional mood swings.

 _Good luck_ , Saki thought as he exited the room. _I have the feeling that things are only going to get worse from here_.

Enzan and Agent North followed Taka and Saki out of the room, and shut the door behind them. Enzan ushered the boys over to the waiting room of the police station, while Agent North walked off down the hall in the opposite direction. Taka glanced at her over his shoulder, and Saki gave him a look.

 _Don't you_ _dare_ _try anything funny_ , he thought.

Enzan firmly pushed Saki into a chair, and then did the same to Taka. Crossing his arms, he gave them a stern look.

“Stay here,” he said. “Don't go wandering off. We'll contact someone to come pick you up and take you home in a bit. Until then, just stay put and don't do anything stupid.”

“Are you going to question Yuya-san now?” Taka asked.

Enzan gave Taka a flat look. “Yes, and you're going to _stay_ here. Got that?”

“Why would you ever assume that I'd do anything other than what I'm supposed to do?” Taka asked innocently.

Enzan gave Taka the nastiest glare. “I'd better find the two of you here when I get back.”

“I'll keep an eye on him,” Saki promised.

“Traitor,” Taka muttered under his breath.

Despite Enzan's reluctance, he left the two boys and walked back down the hall towards the interrogation room. Taka watched him go with intense scrutiny.

“Don't even think about it,” Saki warned. “I don't want to get in trouble right now.”

“But don't you want to hear Yuya-san's side of the story?” Taka asked. He looked at Saki with an excited expression. “I bet if we sneak into the room behind the two-way mirror, we could hear the whole interrogation!”

Saki frowned. “What if we don't?”

“Aren't you curious?!” Taka asked.

“Yeah, maybe,” Saki said. “But this is also a police station, filled with police officers. If we get caught, who knows what will happen.”

“We won't get caught!” Taka said. “And if we do, we can always use the excuse that we got lost.”

Saki felt doubtful. “Like that's going to work.”

“Come on,” Taka urged. “You can't always be a good kid and follow the rules forever! It's pretty obvious that the Net Police are really struggling with these chips, and we're more than capable of helping. Don't you want to _do something_?”

Saki hesitated. He couldn't deny that he felt frustrated about not being allowed to help, but the last thing he wanted to do was break Enzan's trust.

“We're only going to listen in on Yuya-san's interrogation,” Taka said. “Most of it is stuff we already know, and it's not like it's a _crime_ to just listen.”

“Yes it is,” Saki said.

Taka waved his hand. “Details. It's not illegal if we don't get caught.”

“This is a bad idea,” Saki insisted.

“Fine then,” Taka said. “I'll just go by myself.”

Saki panicked a little bit as Taka stood up. He grabbed the boy's arm, and tugged him back into his seat.

“Okay, fine,” Saki hissed. “I'll go with you. But only because I want to make sure you don't do anything stupid.”

Taka gave Saki a triumphant smirk. “Works for me.” He glanced over his shoulder. “Okay, I think if we walk casually down the hall, we won't attract any notice. And if they ask what we're doing, we can say we were looking for the bathroom.”

Saki felt doubtful. “Is that really gonna work?”

Taka shrugged. “It's our best bet. Now hurry up! That interrogation is due to start any minute!”

The two boys got to their feet, and casually strolled down the hallway towards the interrogation room. Once Taka was satisfied that no one was watching, he turned the doorknob on the door to the observation room behind the two-way mirror. Surprisingly, it wasn't locked, and the boys slipped inside before they could be noticed.

“Whew.” Saki breathed a sigh of relief, and put a hand to his chest. His heart was beating so hard that he could hear it in his ears, and he took a few slow breaths in an effort to relax. “I was so scared that we'd get caught.”

“This place is so busy that it's easy to go unnoticed,” Taka explained. He turned his head to look through the two-way mirror, and pointed. “Ahh, there they are! The interview has already started.”

“I can't hear anything,” Saki said.

“This room is soundproof,” Taka explained as he looked down at a console full of buttons on a table under the window. “We just need to turn the speaker on, so that we can hear them.”

“Won't they hear us too?” Saki asked.

Taka scoffed. “Nah. We have to turn the microphone on if we want to say anything to them.” He pressed a switch, and sound crackled to life through some unseen speakers near the ceiling.

“—just want to hear what happened,” Enzan was saying. Saki squinted, trying to get a good look at Yuya, who was sitting at the table where he had been less than a half hour earlier. Tamako was sitting next to him, stroking his back comfortingly. Enzan and Agent North had their backs to the mirror, so Saki couldn't see their faces.

“Looks like we didn't miss anything,” Taka whispered.

Yuya sighed wearily. “What...do you mean?”

“Can you start with how you acquired that strange chip?” Agent North asked.

“Oh, that.” Yuya looked down at the table. “Well...you see...”

No one spoke while they waited for Yuya to continue. After a bit, he lifted his head again, and addressed Agent North in a nervous tone.

“It was...about a month ago. I heard that Tamako-chan was going off to train in the mountains, and I remember feeling very... _irritable_ about it. I hadn't been as on top of training as I had wanted to be, so I felt like I was falling even further behind.”

“Did you feel like you couldn't measure up to Shiraizumi-san?” Enzan asked.

“Y-yeah,” Yuya said. “Ever since we were kids, she's been so much better at everything, and I...kind of started to feel really jealous.” He glanced at Tamako. “I'm sorry.”

“I'm sorry too,” Tamako told him. “I never stopped to consider your feelings. I always just assumed that you'd be okay on your own. I probably should have tried to include you in my training.”

“It's only natural that you would assume I'd be okay,” Yuya said. “It's my own fault for not trying harder to improve myself. Instead, I just allowed myself to wallow in self-pity, and blamed all of my mistakes on everyone else.”

Enzan cleared his throat. “Can you return to your story? You were explaining how you came to possess that strange chip...”

“Ah, right,” Yuya said. “I'm sorry.” He shifted a little in his seat. “So I was feeling really miserable, and one day, while I was heading home from work, I heard someone call out my name to me from an alleyway.” He scratched his head. “Admittedly, that's pretty suspicious, and I really should have just kept walking, but I got curious and decided to check it out.”

“What did you find in the alleyway?” Enzan asked. 

Yuya paused, frowning. “Well...the thing is, I'm certain that someone was in there...but I couldn't see them, really. No matter how hard I tried, I couldn't make them out.”

Enzan sat back in his chair, and crossed his arms.

“I bet he's frustrated,” Taka said. “Not having a clear description of the guy who sold Yuya the chip has to be soul-crushing.”

But—!” Yuya's eyes widened. “But I-I remember what he sounded like!” His shoulders drooped. “I could never forget that voice...It was gravelly...and sharp as a knife. Every word felt like it cut into you.”

“Would it be safe to assume it was a man's voice?” Agent North asked.

“Yeah,” Yuya said. “I'm pretty sure it was a man.”

“Can you tell us anything else about the man?” Enzan asked.

“Uhh...” Yuya squeezed his eyes shut. “He...was wearing gloves? When he reached out to give me the chip, he was wearing white gloves...It seemed kind of odd, so I guess that's why I remember.”

 _White gloves...?_ Saki thought about it for a moment. _Yeah, that_ _is_ _kind of an odd detail_.

“Anyway,” Yuya said, continuing with his story, “This guy says to me that he knows that I've been struggling lately. Says he knows a sure-fire way to improve my Navi so that he'll never lose again. I was interested, so I asked what he meant. He tells me about something called a Sigma chip—supposedly, it's some kind of black market chip that enhances a Navi's strength.”

“That's what he called it?” Enzan asked. “A Sigma chip?”

“Yeah,” Yuya said, nodding. “I remember that part really clearly.”

“I see.” Enzan sat forward in his chair. “Please continue.”

Yuya rubbed his neck. “I wasn't really sold on the chip yet, so he kept talking. He said stuff like, 'There's no point in always being the loser', and 'it doesn't matter how hard to try, she's never going to see you as an equal if you keep going like this'.” Yuya sighed. “And then he said the thing that lit a fire inside of me.”

“What was that?” Enzan asked.

“He said...'You'll never accomplish anything unless you seize it with your own two hands...what I'm giving you is simply the catalyst to propel you to greater heights'.”

Agent North made a thoughtful noise. “So, he preyed on your insecurities, and used them to make his deal more enticing.” She tapped the table with her fingers. “It almost sounds like he knew an awful lot about you. Is it possible that he had been following you?”

“Probably,” Yuya said. “It isn't like I keep my routine a secret or anything.”

“It sounds like this wasn't some random coincidence,” Enzan said. “You even said he called to you by name.”

“Yeah,” Yuya agreed. “I really should have realized how sketchy it all was sooner.” He looked down at the table again. “Maybe then, Crashman wouldn't have...”

Tamako patted Yuya's back comfortingly. “I'm sorry about Crashman, Yuya.”

“This is rough,” Taka muttered. “I can imagine how broken up he is about losing his Navi like that...”

“And then having to relive it all over again,” Saki added. “Yikes.”

“My condolences,” Agent North said. “However, it's very important that you continue your story, Otomizu-san.”

Sniffling, Yuya nodded. “Y-yeah...sorry...”

“Take your time,” Agent North told him. “If you need anything, please let me know.”

Yuya took a few deep breaths, and swiped at his eyes with the back of his hand. When he seemed calmer, he continued speaking.

“I took the chip back home with me...and I just...stared at it for a long while. I wasn't quite sure if I wanted to use it or not. I thought it over for the rest of the month, until Tamako-chan got back from training.”

“ _A whole month?_ ” Taka whispered in disbelief. “In most of the stories I read about, the people who had those chips could barely go a day without getting anxious or uncomfortable. The longest anyone lasted was a week, and then that guy threw it into the river.”

“I can't imagine what a whole month of having that chip on them would do to a person,” Saki admitted. “Maybe that's why Yuya-san was so angry...”

“It probably was a factor, but it's more likely that it simply amplified the anger and despair he was already feeling,” Taka said. “What the hell are these chips? They cause paranoia and anxiety just by holding them, and they completely trash your Navi if you use them. Who made them, and for what reason?”

“So after Shiraizumi-san got back, what happened?” Agent North asked.

“I heard that she was going to have a battle in Shibuya, at the one oh nine building,” Yuya said. “I went down there, probably hoping I could have a battle with her. I don't really know what happened, but seeing her...just set me off.” He shook his head. “It was like something inside of me snapped, and I started spouting all kinds of nasty things. At one point, Tamako-chan and the others started talking me down, and I almost came to my senses, and then...” he paused.

“And then?” Enzan prompted.

“And then...Tamako-chan said something about how I was fine the way I was. And my brain took it to mean that she didn't want me to change because she was happy being better than me. At that point...I was so mad that nothing anyone said was going to have any kind of effect on me.”

Tamako looked away, shame written all over her face. Saki knew she was probably blaming herself at that moment, and clenched his fists angrily.

 _Yuya-san was going to explode no matter what we said_ , Saki thought. _Tamako-san just happened to be the unlucky person who set him off_.

“Did you use the chip at that point?” Agent North asked.

“Yeah.” Yuya hung his head. “Almost immediately, I regretted it. Crashman made such an awful sound...and then everything went wrong all at once. He stopped responding to me, and then my PET went nuts...I think I remember someone saying that Crashman's backup data was being destroyed...and the realization that I'd done something so horrible to him hit me like a ton of bricks.” His voice began to shake. “My knees gave out...and then I don't really remember what happened after that.”

“I see.” Enzan crossed his arms. “I just have one more question for you.”

“What is it?” Yuya asked.

“What happened to the chip you used?” Enzan asked.

Yuya seemed puzzled. “What...? It...it should still be in my PET...I didn't touch it again after it went crazy.”

“Are you sure?” Enzan asked, his voice tense. “You had time between when the others left to subdue Crashman and the police arriving to have taken that chip out. Are you certain that you didn't take it...?”

Yuya shook his head. “No! I swear! I never touched that chip ever again!”

Agent North nodded. “I see. That's all the questions I have for you at the moment.” She started packing up the manila folder on the table and putting it back into the briefcase on the floor beside her, before getting up from the table, and exiting the room.

“Umm...” Yuya spoke up hesitantly. “Wh-what about Crashman...? Is he...?”

Enzan folded his hands onto the table in front of him. “I'm afraid there isn't anything we can do to restore him. I'm sorry.”

“Nothing at all?” Yuya asked. “There really isn't anything you can do?”

Enzan seemed to hesitate. When he spoke, he sounded unsure.

“There...might be _one_ thing we can try. I can have the Ministry of Science take a look at your PET, and see if they can salvage anything from it.” He ran a hand through his hair. “But whatever they do find—if they find anything at all—won't be much more than fragments. We won't be able to restore him to the way he was originally.”

Yuya instantly deflated. “Oh...I see...”

“Still,” Tamako said, “Anything at all would be helpful.”

“I'll see what we can do,” Enzan told her.

Taka sighed miserably. “That's the worst feeling in the world...not having any way of bringing someone back...” He shook his head. “Poor Yuya-san...”

At that moment, the door opened, and Saki yelped, his heart stuttering with shock. He whirled around, and found Agent North standing in the doorway.

“I thought so,” she said with a smirk.

“A-A-Agent North!” Taka squeaked. “Wha-what are you—?”

“I had a sneaking suspicion that you two might not be where we left you,” she said. “And sure enough, when I went to check, you two were nowhere to be found. So I put two and two together, and checked in here.”

 _Busted_ , Saki thought miserably.

Agent North motioned for the two boys to exit the room, and they obediently walked out into the hallway. She shut the door after them, and marched them back to the waiting room before forcing them to sit down in the waiting room's uncomfortable chairs. Putting her hands on her hips, she regarded them with a disappointed expression.

“I hope you two know that what you did could land you in jail.”

Saki glared at Taka. “Yeah, we know.”

Taka squirmed. “Look, we're not going to _tell_ anybody—!”

“You invaded Otomizu-san's privacy,” Agent North said with an icy tone. “And you interfered with a police investigation.”

“It's only a criminal offense if we release the information to the public,” Taka said defiantly. “Which I already told you, we have no _intention_ of doing so.”

“Taka, _shut up_ ,” Saki hissed.

Agent North crossed her arms. “Is this some kind of game to you?”

“N-no, ma'am,” Saki said quickly. “I tried to talk him out of it, but he wasn't going to listen, so I went with him to make sure he didn't do anything stupid. We never intended to do anything more than listen, honest.”

For a moment, Agent North continued to glare at the two boys, until she finally sighed and let her arms drop to her sides.

“Look, I understand how you two feel. Your friend was a victim of a crime, and the police don't seem to be able to do anything about it. But you have to believe me when I tell you that we are doing everything in our power to find the people responsible, and bring them to justice.” She sat down in the chair next to Taka. “It's admirable that you want to do something, but you're still just kids. Let the adults take care of things. That's what adults are supposed to do. It would be very irresponsible of us if we let the kids handle everything, don't you think?”

Taka crossed his arms. “Yeah, it sure would be.”

“Ijuuin-kun's working very hard on this case,” Agent North said. “Maybe a little _too_ hard, in fact.” She pinched the bridge of her nose. “He's still pretty young himself...and he's been through quite a lot already. I'm sure he's just concerned about the two of you, and that's why he's being particularly aggressive about getting you to stay out of it.”

 _Sounds about right_ , Saki thought. _Enzan's the type to take everything on himself and not ask for help. It must be pretty frustrating for Agent North_.

A minute later, Enzan approached the group. Saki couldn't help but notice just how tired Enzan seemed. His shoulders sagged and the dark circles under his eyes were bigger than normal. Saki briefly wondered why Enzan hadn't collapsed yet.

“What are you up to?” Enzan asked.

Agent North smiled. “Oh, we were just discussing the latest season of Masqueraider while we waited for you to finish up.”

“Is that so?” Enzan said tiredly. “Well, you all seem to be getting along.”

 _Did Agent North...just cover for us?_ Saki thought, bewildered. _I was sure that she was going to tell Enzan about us listening in on Yuya's interrogation. I wonder what her angle is...?_

“In any case,” Agent North said, “I think we've asked everything we can for now.”

“Agreed,” Enzan said. “I'm fairly confident that they didn't withhold any information.” He gave Taka a sharp look. “And if I really need to ask more questions, I know where to find them.”

Taka swallowed nervously.

“What about Yuya-san?” Saki asked. “Are you done questioning him?”

Enzan nodded. “Yes. We've put him in one of the holding cells. He might have more to tell us at a later date, but for now, it's best if we let him rest after his ordeal.”

“Yeah,” Taka said softly. “He's probably devastated.”

“Shiraizumi-san went home,” Enzan said. “As for the two of you, I've already contacted your parents.”

Saki felt the blood drain from his face. “You called my mom?”

From the corner of his eye, Saki could see Taka curl inward. He was clearly upset by the idea of his mother coming to get him.

“You didn't have to do that, you know. We're both more than capable of going home by ourselves—”

Enzan sighed. “Don't yell at me, okay? I was just following protocol.”

 _And isn't there a law or something that says you can't question a minor without an adult present?_ Saki thought angrily. _He's such a hypocrite_.

“Mom's at work right now,” Saki said irritably. “And I'm not even sure that Taka's mom will even show up.”

“They both informed me that they would come,” Enzan said. “Just sit quietly until they get here, okay? I don't want you two getting into trouble.”

Agent North flashed Saki a knowing smile. “They seem like good kids, Ijuuin-kun. Why don't we give them the benefit of the doubt?”

“Yeah,” Taka said. “I promise I'll sit right here in this chair, and do nothing until Mamma gets here.”

“I'm still mad that you called our moms,” Saki said, throwing himself back in his chair with annoyance.

“Do you not get along with your mother, Tanaka-kun?” Agent North asked.

“No, we get along just fine,” Saki said. “That's the problem.”

As if to punctuate his statement, Saki heard the front door of the police station slam open, and Keiko ran inside, looking pale and breathless. As she ran up to Saki, he could see her fear and concern turning into anger, and braced himself.

“Saki Tanaka!” Keiko yelled, planting her feet in front of him and crossing her arms. “What on earth did you do?! Didn't I tell you when you left this afternoon not to get in trouble with the police?!”

“I didn't!” Saki insisted. “It's not my fault, I swear!”

“Then what are you doing at a police station?!” Keiko asked.

“They wanted me to give a statement, as a witness!” Saki explained, his voice loud and tense. He could feel people staring at him, and he felt his cheeks heat up. “That's it, I swear!”

Slowly, Keiko began to relax. She let out a sigh of relief, and her shoulders sagged. “I was so scared when I got a call that you were at the police station...I thought you'd committed a crime or something!”

“It's like you don't trust me,” Saki said.

“Well, I mean...” Keiko shrugged her shoulders helplessly. “There was that one time in middle school...”

“Let's not talk about that,” Saki said quickly.

Keiko nodded understandingly. She looked over at Taka, and blinked in surprise. “You too, Taka-kun?”

Taka nodded back. “Yeah.”

“How awful! You two must be really worn out,” Keiko said. “Do you want to come back with us? We can all have a nice dinner together.”

“Umm, well...” Taka shifted uncomfortably in his seat. “I'd like to, but they called Mamma already...”

“Oh, your mother's on her way?” Keiko seemed surprised. “Well, that's good!”

Taka tugged on his bangs. “Y-yeah.”

Enzan cleared his throat, and addressed Keiko. “I apologize for calling you away from work.”

Keiko waved her hand. “Oh, don't worry! My boss is very understanding. I was really lucky that one of my coworkers could cover for me.”

“Still, thank you for coming on such short notice,” Enzan said.

“I'm just glad that Saki isn't here for anything serious,” Keiko replied. 

The front door of the police station opened again, and Tsukiko entered the building. She approached Taka with swift strides, her high heeled shoes clicking sharply against the floor with every step. Taka started to tremble slightly, and Saki quickly gave his hand a reassuring squeeze.

Tsukiko came to a stop in front of Taka, and gave him an icy glare. “Do you want to tell me why I'm here?”

“Th-there was an incident, and I was a witness, so they wanted to ask me some qu-questions,” Taka said nervously. “That's all.”

Pursing her lips, Tsukiko stared at Taka for a moment longer before reaching for his arm, and yanking him to his feet.

“If that's all, then we'll be going. Hurry up now.”

Taka winced as his arm was yanked awkwardly, and Keiko's expression became angry. She stepped in front of Tsukiko and put her hands on her hips.

“Please let go of Taka-kun. You're hurting him.”

Tsukiko glanced at Taka, and then glared at Keiko. “What business is it of yours how I hold my son?”

Keiko glared back. “Taka-kun is just a child, and you're handling him far too roughly for my liking. As a mother, it pains me to see you hurt your own child in that way.”

Tsukiko released Taka's arm, but continued to glare intimidatingly at Keiko. “Are you suggesting that I'm hurting him intentionally?”

“I'm saying that you don't strike me as a very good mother,” Keiko retorted.

The tension in the room became unbearable for Saki. It was clear that neither mother wanted to back down, and no one was brave enough to intervene. Taka rubbed his arm, and pressed closer to Saki, who put an arm around him protectively. Finally, Agent North glanced at the boys, and then rose to her feet.

“Alright, ladies, that's enough,” she said sharply, pushing herself between them. “Let's not start a fight in the police station.”

Keiko huffed angrily. “I feel sorry for Taka-kun. No wonder he comes over so often. Maybe if you didn't handle him like a piece of furniture, he'd be willing to spend more time with you.”

Slowly, Tsukiko pushed past Agent North, and put her face incredibly close to Keiko's. In a dangerous tone, she said, “I don't tell you how to raise your child. Don't tell me how to raise mine.” And with that, she walked past Keiko, motioning for Taka to come with her. Giving Saki an apologetic look, he followed after his mother, and together they left the police station.

Everyone let out their breath simultaneously. Keiko still seemed irritated, even after Tsukiko had left, and muttered angrily as she stared at the door.

“Nothing pisses me off more than a mother who clearly never wanted to be one.”

Saki frowned. “Taka said she used to be different, but that she's changed recently.”

Agent North sighed. “Such an intimidating woman. No wonder that boy was scared of her.”

“Wakahisa-san can be... _difficult_ to deal with at times,” Enzan admitted. “But she seemed particularly irritable just now.”

“The first time I met her, she threatened me,” Saki said. “She was pretty intense then too.”

“Well, I can't say I like her very much,” Keiko said. “And I'll be happy to never see her again.”

Saki looked at Enzan, who seemed lost in thought. “What are you going to do now?” he asked.

Enzan rubbed his neck. “I'm going to take Otomizu-san's PET over to the Ministry of Science, and see if they can glean anything from it. If we're lucky, we can isolate whatever program attacked Crashman...and possibly even salvage some of his data.”

“I'm sure Yuya-san would be glad if you did,” Saki said.

“I'll let Meijin-san handle sorting through Crashman's data.” said Enzan. “If anyone can rebuild a Navi from nothing, it's him.”

***

The elevator dinged, and the door slid open. Netto stepped out, and walked quickly towards the door to Enzan's office. The secretary spotted him, and tried to stop him.

“Sir...Sir! Do you have an appointment?”

But Netto didn't even glance at her, let alone stop. She stood up and called after him.

“Sir! You need an appointment—!”

Netto threw the door of the office open, and the secretary quickly picked up the phone, frantically dialing Enzan's number.

Netto marched over to Enzan's desk, and slammed his open palm down on the surface just as Enzan picked up his phone.

“Do you not trust me?” he asked in a tense tone.

Enzan stared at Netto as he spoke into the phone's receiver. “It's alright. I was expecting him. Hold my calls for now.” He hung up the phone, and addressed Netto with a tired expression.

“Of course I trust you,” he said.

“Then why won't you let me help you?” Netto asked. “You said that you were going to depend on me more, and here you are, taking everything on all by yourself again!”

“I can't just openly discuss the details of this case, Netto!” Enzan said. “The Net Police are currently handling it—”

“Then _let them handle it_!” Netto yelled. “Why do you have to be involved too? Don't you already have enough on your plate as it is?”

Enzan hesitated. “That's...”

Netto's shoulders drooped. “Is it because this reminds you too much of the Dark Chips?”

Pinching the bridge of his nose, Enzan sighed. After a moment, he raised his head and looked at Netto.

“Yes,” he said in a quiet voice.

Netto leaned against the desk. “I knew it.” He gave Enzan a serious look. “No matter how much you want to make up for that incident, burning yourself out like this isn't going to help.”

“I know what I'm doing,” Enzan said.

Netto shook his head. “Please, just let me help you.”

Enzan's face fell. “I can't, Netto.”

“Why?” Netto asked. “Is it because you don't want anything to happen to me? I bet you told Saki and Taka the same thing.”

“I did,” Enzan confirmed. “I can't risk any of you getting injured, or worse.”

“What about you, Enzan?” Netto asked. “What if _you_ get hurt? What then? Don't you understand how we'd feel? How _I'd_ feel?”

Enzan's expression twisted for a brief moment. He put his elbow on the desk, and put his head in his hand, looking grim.

“It's not my intention to worry you,” he said softly. “I'm taking every precaution I can, I promise.”

Netto gave Enzan a pleading look. “Let me help you.”

“You're not an official member of the Net Police,” Enzan murmured. “You don't have the authorization to help with this one.”

“Screw authorization,” Netto said. “I'm trying to make sure you don't drop dead from exhaustion!” He crossed his arms. “Not to mention that these chips are starting to make their way into the hands of people I know. I can't just sit on my hands while that's happening.”

“Netto, please,” Enzan whispered.

“Rockman saw what that chip did to Crashman...this isn't someone trying to control Navis, Enzan. This is someone trying to _destroy_ Navis. I won't let another NetOp lose their Navi to something so evil!” Netto clenched his fists. “Even if you tell me not to, I'm going to get involved! And if you won't help me, I'll just do it myself!”

“No, you won't,” Enzan said firmly. “You're going to leave this to the authorities. If you want to help so bad, help the Ministry of Science analyze Otomizu-san's PET.”

Netto trembled. He glared at Enzan, biting his lip. After a moment, he let out an angry huff, and turned to leave the room.

“Fine, I'll help with the analysis,” he told Enzan angrily. “But once I'm done with that, I'm going to help you with the rest of the case, whether you like it or not!”

“Netto—!” Enzan said, but Netto stormed out of the office. He shook his head, and put his head in his hands with a groan.

“I understand how you feel, Netto, I really do,” he whispered. “But there's nothing I can do right now. Can't you understand my feelings?”

Netto stomped up to the secretary's desk, and gave her a stern look. She flinched, and stared back at Netto fearfully.

“C-can I help you?” she asked.

“Enzan's on lunch,” Netto said. “And make sure he _actually takes it_ , okay?”

The secretary looked confused. “H-huh?”

“He has this bad habit of not taking care of himself,” Netto went on. “So make sure that he takes a real break for once.”

“O-of course, sir,” the secretary said.

Seemingly satisfied, Netto marched off towards the elevator, and angrily jabbed the call button a few times.

“Who does he think he is?! I don't care if he doesn't want me helping with this case, I'm going to do it anyway!” The door to the elevator opened, and Netto stepped inside and pressed the lobby button.

“I'll catch this criminal before he does! And then he'll have to admit that he needs my help!” Netto chuckled gleefully. “He'll regret not asking me for help himself!” He cracked his knuckles loudly. “But first, I have some data to analyze...”


	31. Vile Conditions

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Even though Enzan warned Taka and Saki to stay out of trouble, trouble finds them...

A few days passed after being questioned. Saki did his best to put the incident out of his mind and focus on work, but he couldn't stop thinking about it. Up until now, the rumors of weird chips circulating hadn't seemed like any kind of real threat. It was something that the grown-ups would handle, and Saki wouldn't ever have to deal with as long as he was careful. But now he'd seen first-hand what kind of destruction the chips caused, and had watched as someone he knew personally lost their Navi in the most horrible, violent manner possible. Yuya and Crashman hadn't been part of some illegal, underground net Battling ring, or part of some other criminal organization. They had been regular people just like him. It was proof that anyone could be a victim, and Saki's anxiety was becoming almost too much to bear.

What was worse, Saki hadn't seen or spoken to Taka since the questioning at the police station. His mind started to spiral with all kinds of worst-case scenarios, such as Taka no longer being allowed to leave the house, or being shipped off to some boarding school in Kingland. Finally, Saki couldn't stand it any longer, and sent Taka an email asking how he was doing.

Almost immediately, Taka answered. _I'm so bored!!! Mamma was kind of mad when we left the station, but she apologized to me in the car. She said that she didn't realize that she'd hurt me, and that she would be more careful in the future. She also told me that I can't just go off and do reckless things and that I should be more careful. She's been home a lot more lately, so I don't want to try sneaking out, just in case she gets upset again. I meant to contact you sooner, but I've been really preoccupied with something_.

Saki sighed with relief. Taka was alright, and it seemed like his mother hadn't been as upset with him as Saki had first thought.

 _What have you been up to?_ Saki replied.

 _More research into the chips_ , Taka answered. _I know Enzan told us to stay out of it, but I just can't. At the very least, I want to find some useful information to pass along to him. Plus, sitting on my hands and doing nothing makes me really anxious_.

 _I've been pretty anxious lately myself_ , Saki typed. _I wish there was something I could do, but I also don't think it's a good idea to get involved_.

After a few minutes, another email came from Taka. _If you want something to do, why don't you come over? Mamma's in her office mostly, so she's not going to be hovering over us. Plus, if you came over and made dinner, going food shopping would give me a reason to get out of the house for a bit_.

Poor Taka, Saki thought. It's probably rough being stuck inside the house all day.

 _I don't have work today, so I can probably come over_ , Saki replied. _I'll be there as soon as I can_.

Taka's reply was immediate. _Please hurry!!!_

Saki sighed, and put his PET away. Opening the door to the bedroom, Saki softly walked over to where Keiko was sleeping, and gently shook her awake.

“Hnn...mmf?” Keiko rubbed at her eyes. “Oh...Saki...what's wrong?”

“Nothing really,” Saki said, speaking in a soft voice. “I just wanted to let you know that I won't be able to make dinner tonight. Taka asked me to come over and make dinner for him.”

“Oh...” Keiko nodded sleepily. “I see.”

“Michi's at Rika-chan's house, so she won't be back until later,” Saki explained. “I'll leave some money on the table for take-out.”

Keiko waved her hand. “I can pay for it, don't worry. You go and have a good time, okay?”

“Okay.” Saki gave his mother a gentle peck on the cheek. “Get some rest.”

“I should probably get up soon,” Keiko said, yawning. “I always end up sleeping more than I mean to.”

Saki walked to the door, and was about to close it behind him when he heard Keiko mumble, “Stay safe.” He smiled at her, and then shut the door.

***

The leaves on the trees in the Wakahisa's yard were already starting to turn yellow and red, even though it was still relatively warm out. It reminded Saki that fall was fast approaching, and he looked forward to being able to wear layers again. The thought of hot tea accompanied by a sweet persimmon sounded incredibly appealing, and he quietly prayed that the temperatures would drop sometime soon.

As he rang the doorbell, Saki heard the sound of loud, frantic footsteps, and a moment later, the door was thrown open, revealing an excited, breathless Taka.

“You came!” he said, beaming.

Saki nodded. “You seem...happy to see me.”

“Of course I am!” Taka said. “Why wouldn't I be?” He grabbed Saki by the hand, and dragged him inside. “Come sit down for a bit, okay?”

Saki hastily kicked off his shoes, and followed Taka into the house. Even though everything was the same as when he last visited, the knowledge that Tsukiko was upstairs made Saki unreasonably nervous.

“Do you think your mom will end up joining us for dinner?” Saki asked.

Taka sighed. “Maybe. I don't know. She hasn't really left her office much over the last few days, except to make tea.” He motioned to a tin of black tea on the kitchen counter near the stove, where a metal tea kettle sat on one of the elements. “She makes one every hour or so.”

“That's...a lot of tea,” Saki admitted.

“I'm kind of worried about her,” Taka said. He sat down on one of the stools at the kitchen island, and propped up his head with his hands. “She's so absorbed in what she's doing that she doesn't really hear me when I talk to her. I'm not sure what she's working on, but it must be something very important.”

“Well, you said Vega makes parts for NAXA, right?” Saki asked. “That would include things like satellites and space rockets. Maybe it's something like that?”

“Maybe,” Taka said. He kicked his feet idly. “She won't tell me what it is, though.”

Saki sighed softly. Forcing himself to smile, he switched subjects. “Hey, what do you want for dinner?”

Taka perked up at the mention of food. “Oh, hmm. I dunno, actually.”

“It should be something that I can make a large portion of,” Saki said. “That way, you can give some to your mom, and store the rest for later.”

“Sounds good,” Taka said.

“Hmm, something seasonal?” Saki pondered. “It's almost fall, so the fall fruits and vegetables will be out. Oh, and sanma are in season too.”

“Ooh, grilled sanma sounds nice!” Taka said. 

“What about something like oden?” Saki asked.

Taka looked thoughtful. “Hmm...maybe. But it might not make good leftovers.”

“True,” Saki admitted. “I'd also be tempted to eat the whole thing in one sitting.”

“A hot pot might also be good,” Taka said, “But it'd be hard to give Mamma a portion.”

“You also eat all the meat whenever we do stuff like that,” Saki groused. Sighing, he scratched his head. “It's too bad you don't like most vegetables. Fall vegetables are my favorite.”

“I don't mind stuff like sweet potatoes,” Taka said. “And even mashed pumpkin is good. But I don't want to touch stuff like okra or lotus root.” He shuddered. “They're so _weird_.”

“Okay, how about this?” Saki suggested. “I can make nikujaga, and put some fall vegetables in, like pumpkin or sweet potato. Is that good?”

Taka nodded. “I can live with that!” He sighed. “Ahh, but that grilled sanma sounds really good too...”

“You don't have a grill set up here,” Saki said. “Maybe when you come visit next, I'll make it.”

“That sounds great!” Taka said, hopping off his stool. He flashed Saki a wide grin. “Okay, lets go shopping!”

As they were about to leave the kitchen, Tsukiko walked in. Taka pressed himself closer to Saki, and timidly watched his mother fill up the tea kettle with tap water.

“U-umm, Mamma?” Taka said, his voice nervous. “M-me and Saki are going to go buy groceries for dinner.”

Tsukiko lit the element under the tea kettle, and turned to look at the boys. Saki thought that she looked a little pale, and there were dark circles under her eyes. He wondered when she had slept last.

“That's fine,” Tsukiko said. She opened the tin of tea, and scooped some of the leaves into a tea strainer, which she set over the cup she had brought with her. “Just make sure you come straight back afterwards.”

“We will,” said Taka. He shifted on his feet almost anxiously. “Umm, w-would you like to have dinner with us too? We're making nikujaga.”

Tsukiko glanced back at Taka. “No, thank you. I'm rather busy right now. Enjoy your dinner, and don't worry about me.”

Taka sighed. “It's just that...you haven't really had anything more than tea for a few days now. I can't help but be worried about you...”

Tsukiko pinched the bridge of her nose. “I'm fine. Worry about yourself for now.”

An awkward silence settled over the kitchen, and Saki gave Taka's hand a little squeeze. Almost reluctantly, Taka followed Saki out of the room. Neither of them spoke until they were outside.

“She seems less aggressive than she did before,” Saki commented.

“Yeah,” Taka said. “But she's still kind of closed off.”

Saki shoved his hands in his pockets. “Is she always like that?”

Taka nodded. “For a few years now.” He sighed. “Normally, she's very curt with me, or doesn't take an interest in what I'm saying. When she's irritable, she sometimes snaps at me, but at least she never gets violent.”

“That doesn't sound good,” Saki said.

“It's not,” Taka said. “Before things changed, she used to laugh and joke around with me all the time. She would always give what I had to say her full attention. We even did stuff together sometimes, like go to a movie or have a day at the amusement park. Even though she was really busy, she always made time for me. But now...” He shook his head. “Maybe she's just busier than she was back then.”

Saki pursed his lips. He didn't want Taka to have to put up with the way that his mother treated him, but there wasn't much that he could do for him at that moment.

“A-anyway, let's focus on groceries!” Taka said, trying to sound more upbeat. “Are you going to put pumpkin or sweet potato in the nikujaga?”

“Probably sweet potato,” Saki said. “I don't want to change the texture too much.”

“Sounds good!” Taka said. “I'll make sure I pick out the nicest ones for you!”

“Do you even know what makes a sweet potato good?” Saki asked.

“They have to be really big!” Taka replied.

Saki laughed. “You really don't know, do you?!”

“Shut up!” Taka said. “If you're so smart, teach me!”

“Maybe I will!” said Saki.

***

Taka groaned, and flopped over the sweet potato display. “Ugh, this is hard! I don't get it at all!”

Saki patted Taka's head. “It's okay. I'm the one that has to know this stuff, not you.”

“The word of vegetables is vast and frightening,” Taka said.

Saki smiled. “There's nothing to be scared of.” He placed a few sweet potatoes into his basket. “Things like texture and color should be stuff you're already familiar with.”

“Textiles and vegetables are nothing alike,” Taka deadpanned.

Saki walked over the regular potatoes, and picked out a few. “Did you know that there are people out there that get paid to make food look nice for commercials and stuff?”

“Really?” Taka looked surprised. “That makes sense. I had always wondered why everything on television looked way better than stuff in real life...”

“If you aren't able to make it in fashion, maybe you'll become a food stylist,” Saki joked.

“I'd rather eat food than style it,” Taka replied.

Saki looked at the contents of the basket. “Okay, I think I have everything I need for dinner.”

Eagerly, Taka clung to Saki's arm, and said, “You know, I've been trying really hard lately to eat more vegetables.”

Saki gave Taka a suspicious side-eye. “And?”

“And I think I deserve to be rewarded for my efforts!” Taka said. “Like, with a nice dessert.”

A sigh escaped Saki. “And what do you consider to be a 'nice dessert'?”

“Well, maybe pudding, or a cake!” Taka said. “Ooh, what about a parfait?”

Saki sighed. “What about something simpler? Like some dorayaki or manju?”

Taka pouted. “I was hoping for something more special.”

“We can look to see what kinds of cakes they have here,” Saki said. “But I'm really into the idea of having something seasonal.”

Taka tugged on Saki's arm and chanted 'cake' until he begrudgingly followed Taka to the bakery section. Saki made a face, and asked, “Are you sure you don't want some chestnut dorayaki? I bet they'd be amazing with some tea.”

“It's not cold enough to pull out the kotatsu yet, old man,” Taka teased. “Live a little, and have some cake.”

While the boys looked at the different sweets on display, Saki noticed the lights in the store flicker. He stared up at them, confused, and wondered if there was a power surge somewhere.

“Did you notice the lights flicker just now?” Saki asked.

“Huh?” Taka looked up from the cake he was examining. “No, I didn't. Why?”

“Hmm, maybe I imagined it,” Saki murmured.

“Let's get this one!” Taka said, pointing at one of the cakes in the display case.

“Sure,” Saki replied, feeling distracted.

As they were paying for their groceries, the lights flickered again, and this time even Taka noticed. Everyone looked up at the lights, and a few concerned murmurs reached Saki's ears.

“Maybe it _is_ a power surge,” Taka said.

“I hope that's all it is,” Saki said, frowning.

They left the store, bags in hand, and started heading back to Taka's house. But before they had gone three steps, one of the street lights exploded, and people threw themselves to the ground, screaming.

“Ahh—!” Taka flinched, but managed to stop himself from dropping the bag with the cake in it.

“What the heck was that?!” Saki asked. He stared up at the broken street light, now on fire, and felt his gut tighten with fear.

 _Oh no_ , he thought. _Not here, please..._

The street light next to the broken one also exploded, and more screams filled the air. Taka and Saki looked at each other with concern.

“Do you think...?” Taka asked.

“Yeah, it probably is,” Saki replied grimly.

A few more of the street lights exploded, and Saki noticed that each light was a little closer to the store than the last. He swore under his breath, and dropped the bags of groceries on the pavement before pulling out his PET.

Taka reached for his own PET, and asked, “Are we going to do something?” 

Saki gritted his teeth. The image of a fire starting in the building because of a light exploding flashed through his mind. He knew how hard it would be to evacuate everyone quickly if they were all panicked, and he didn't know where the closest fire station was or how quickly the firefighters could arrive. It would be chaos. 

“Ugh, I know I made a promise to Enzan not to get involved, but if we don't do something _right now_ , the people in that store are in a lot of danger,” Saki said.

Taka looked at the burning street lights, and his expression became filled with conviction.

“Let's go,” he said at last.

Saki looked around for a place to plug in, and spotted a port on one of the security cameras attached to the grocery store. He aimed his PET at it, and sent Zer0's data into the camera's Network. Taka followed suit, and soon both Navis were racing to stop whatever was causing the lights to explode.

“Be ready for everything,” Taka told Axl. “This one might be just as bad as Crashman was, if not worse.”

“I'll be careful,” Axl promised. “You just focus on getting those people to safety.”

The two Navis used the power lines to hop into the electrical Network that connected the street lights together, and immediately spotted the source of the explosions. A glitchy and buggy Navi was ripping up the Network, destroying the pathways that carried the electricity to the lights and overloading them. Several Mr. Progs ran past Axl and Zer0, screaming in terror, but one Mr. Prog wasn't able to escape in time. The berserk Navi grabbed the poor Mr. Prog, and started to tighten his hand around it. Axl let out an angry growl, and fired a shot at the berserk Navi's hand, causing it to drop the frightened Mr. Prog, who scrambled to hide behind Zer0's leg.

“Hey!” Axl yelled. “Pick on someone your own size!”

The berserk Navi turned to look at Axl and Zer0, and let out a horrific howl. Zer0 pulled out his saber, and took up a defensive stance.

“You have certainly seized its attention,” he said. “What shall we do now?”

“We can't let it go any farther,” Axl said. “We need to stall it until the others show up.”

“Understood,” Zer0 said. He shifted into an attack stance, and charged the berserk Navi. The blade of the saber glanced off the Navi's arm, and he took a swing at Zer0, who managed to move out of the way in time. Axl followed up with a spray of gunfire, and the Navi let out another awful howl.

“Guh—!” Axl winced. “It sounds like metal scraping together! It makes my teeth hurt!”

“Endure it,” Zer0 told him. He unleashed a flurry of saber slashes on the berserk Navi, making sure to watch out for counter attacks. When the Navi tried to bring his arm down on Zer0, Axl fired his pistol and prevented the attack from happening.

“I think it's working,” Taka said.

“For now,” Saki admitted. “But we need a better way of dealing with this.”

“You mean a way to knock him out?” Taka asked.

“Or at least hold him in place,” Saki added.

Taka glanced around. “We also have to try and evacuate these people in case things get worse.”

“You guys worry about evacuating people,” Axl said. “Me and Zer0 can handle this.”

“Right.” Saki turned and looked around at the people on the sidewalk, who all seemed rather stunned. “Listen,” he said, “You all need to move away from the building, and go across the street.”

A few of the people started to walk away, but most of them looked at Saki with confused expressions. He took a deep breath, and spoke again.

“Listen, there's a chance that a big fire might happen, so you need to get as far away as you can.”

The word 'fire' seemed to register with people, and they all started to quickly make their way to the other side of the street. Saki turned and tried to see what was happening inside the store.

“We'll probably have to get the staff to help us get people out,” Taka said. “No one's going to believe us if we say that a fire might happen.”

“Has anyone called the police?” Saki asked. “Maybe we should do that...”

“Worry about the people first,” Taka urged. “We can call them later.”

Making their way back inside the store, Taka and Saki quickly flagged down one of the staff and explained the situation to them.

“An out-of-control Navi?” the employee asked. “And it's causing the lights outside to explode?”

“Our Navis are trying to stall it, but if it gets into the store's Network, it might start a fire,” Saki explained. “You have to make sure these people evacuate.”

The employee looked uncertain, and Saki clenched his jaw. Yelling at people wouldn't resolve things any faster, no matter how frustrated he was.

“I mean, I can try,” the employee said. “But I don't know if it'll work.”

“Then tell them that there are street lights on fire outside,” Saki said. “Tell them that there's a chance that it might spread to the building, so they need to leave immediately.”

“Okay,” the employee said. “I'll try that.” They hurried over to a microphone behind the service desk, and spoke into it as calmly as they could.

“Your attention, please. We regret to inform you all that there are several streetlights on fire outside, and there is a chance that it might spread to the main building. For your safety, we ask that you please leave the building immediately, in an orderly fashion, and move as far away as possible. I repeat—”

The customers all began talking at once, and a few of them hurried to leave the store as quickly as possible. One of them let out a cry, and pointed to one of the burning street lights.

“Fire! There really _is_ a fire!”

Just like before, the word 'fire' caused a panic, and a lot of the customers raced for the exit as fast as possible. Saki saw a few of them pulling out their PETs and start taking video of the burning streetlights, and he felt disgusted.

“ _Orderly fashion!_ ” Taka yelled as people rushed past him. “Please don't crowd the exits!”

 _What a disaster_ , Saki thought. _I hope that Zer0 has a better handle on his situation than we do on ours..._

A quick look at his PET told Saki that Zer0, in fact, did not have a handle on the situation. The berserk Navi was flailing about, making it hard for Zer0 to even get close, and Axl's shots were having a hard time connecting. Step by step, the Navi was slowly advancing towards the store's Network.

“We're having a little trouble evacuating people,” Saki told Zer0. “How about things on your end?”

“He is proving to be difficult,” Zer0 said. “We cannot seem to—ngh!” Zer0 deflected one of the berserk Navi's hits. “—pin him down.”

“What about finding a way to keep him from moving?” Saki suggested. “Like, shocking him or something?”

“The thought had occurred to me,” Zer0 said. “However, I cannot think of a way to—” He paused mid-sentence, and looked up at Saki. “Wait! Perhaps there _is_ a way after all.”

“Great!” Saki said. “What is it?”

“I can try to freeze him into place,” Zer0 said. “Although, I am uncertain if I will be successful.”

“Anything's worth trying once,” Saki said. 

“Very well!” Zer0 took a running start, and catapulted himself off of the Navi's arm and into the air. As he started to fall back down, he executed Rakuratsuzan, and slammed his ice-covered blade into the ground at the Navi's feet. The ice spread, and quickly encased the Navi's legs, preventing him from moving forward.

“Nice!” Axl cheered.

“I see, so this technique can also be used in this sort of an application,” Zer0 said, pulling his saber out of the ground. “This changes how I think about battle.”

The berserk Navi let out another angry howl, and swiped at Zer0, who was just out of arm's reach. Axl looked at the Navi nervously, his finger still on the trigger of one of his pistols.

“I hope the others show up soon,” he said. “I don't want to have to be the one to take this guy out...”

A moment later, Saki heard the wail of a fire engine siren, and he ran outside to check for himself. Sure enough, the fire department had arrived, and were quickly working to extinguish the burning street lights. A police car arrived a minute later, and several officers stepped out. 

“Can someone explain what's going on here?” one of the officers asked.

Saki approached him. “There's an out-of-control Navi trying to get into the store's Network at the moment. We had the staff evacuate the customers, just in case the building caught fire.”

“And is the Navi subdued?” the other officer asked.

“Not really,” Saki admitted. “Zer0 managed to freeze him in place for now, but it's not going to hold him for long.”

“Understood,” the first officer said. “We'll call in backup and take care of the situation. You two kids should get your Navis out of there for now, and head home.”

The sound of ice shattering alerted Saki, and he looked at his PET just in time to see the berserk Navi breaking free and throwing himself right at Zer0.

“Crap!” Axl yelled, and fired off a few shots.

The berserk Navi didn't slow down in the slightest, but Zer0 acted quickly and unleashed Raikousen on his attacker. The Navi collapsed to one knee, his injuries oozing the same dark substance that Saki had seen coming out of Crashman's wound, and Saki felt sick to his stomach.

“The ice didn't hold him,” Axl said. “What do we do now?”

“Hold on, I'm thinking,” Taka said, squeezing his eyes shut. “Ugh, I hate feeling helpless!”

The officers quickly moved to send security Navis into the Network, and Saki moved back a little so that he wouldn't be in the way. Zer0, meanwhile braced himself as the berserk Navi attacked him again. Axl made a noise of irritation, and focused his shots on the Navi's back.

“Back off, ugly!” he yelled.

The Navi turned towards Axl, letting out an ugly howl, and moved to swat Axl out of the air. Zer0 tried to charge in and protect his friend, but it wasn't necessary. A second later, a red blur slammed into the berserk Navi, and he stumbled backward as a huge gash ripped open across his chest.

“Blues!” Axl yelped.

Blues stood over the Navi, his sword pointed at his head. Rockman came running up a few seconds later, and Blues turned his head to look at him.

“Go back,” he told Rockman. “I don't want you to be involved.”

“Please let me do this,” Rockman begged, his expression one of determination. “I promise that I won't get in your way.”

Blues turned to look back at the berserk Navi with an irritated 'tch!' and said, “I'm not worried about you getting in the way.”

“We apologize, Blues,” Zer0 said. “We happened to be close by. It was not our intention to interfere.”

“You both have the worst of luck,” Blues muttered. “Wherever you go, they seem to follow.”

“Blues, please!” Rockman pleaded. “Don't do all of this by yourself! Let me help you!”

The berserk Navi tried to get to his feet, and Blues drove his sword into the Navi's head, deleting him.

“I don't need help,” Blues told Rockman curtly.

Rockman became upset. “You're not acting like yourself, Blues. What's gotten into you?”

Blues put away his sword, and approached Rockman. “You and I have gone through many dangerous situations in the past. There have been many times where I couldn't protect you.” He put his hand on Rockman's shoulder. “Please, let me protect you, just this once.”

“Blues...” Rockman placed his hand over Blues'. “Doing everything by yourself isn't protecting me, it's just putting you in unnecessary danger.”

“I believe that Enzan-sama has asked Netto-kun to stay out of this,” Blues said. “I suggest that you do the same.”

“Netto-kun and I are of the same opinion,” Rockman said. “We don't want you both putting yourself in harm's way for the sake of protecting us. We're Net Savors too, you know! We should all be fighting side-by-side!”

Blues remained quiet.

“Them too!” Rockman said, gesturing at Axl and Zer0. “They've helped a few times now, and they've proven that they can handle themselves in a fight. Please, let us help you!”

“It isn't so simple,” Blues replied.

Rockman sighed. “I know. We're not officially Net Police. But if I can do anything at all to help, then I will.”

“Rockman's pretty stubborn,” Axl whispered. “Once he sets his mind to something, he won't budge.”

“Blues as well,” Zer0 said. “This will truly be a battle of conviction.”

“I'm just happy things worked out,” Saki said. “It would have been bad if that out-of-control Navi had made it inside the building's Network...”

“Denenchofu is pretty far from Shibuya,” Taka said. “To think that there would be an incident all the way out here...”

“That just goes to show how bad the situation really is,” Saki said grimly. 

Inside the Network, the security Navis finally arrived, and Blues spoke to them about the situation. Rockman, meanwhile, ran over to Axl and Zer0, and put his hands on his hips.

“That was pretty dangerous,” he scolded. “What if something really bad had happened?”

“We did our best to be careful,” Zer0 replied.

“It's not like we went out of our way to find a crazy Navi,” Axl said. “We just happened to be close by when it happened.”

Rockman sighed. “Well, no one was hurt this time, so I guess that's a relief.”

Zer0 turned his head to look over at Blues and the security Navis, and froze. A moment later, he pointed and said, “Who is that?”

Everyone turned to look at where Zer0 was pointing, and sure enough, a strange Navi in purple armor had appeared behind the security Navis. One turned, and addressed the newcomer with a firm tone.

“This is a closed scene, I'll have to ask you to—”

Without warning, the Navi in the purple armor reached out, and grabbed the security Navi by the neck. The other security Navi all drew their weapons, but the Navi in the purple armor didn't move. Blues drew his sword, and pointed it threateningly at the suspicious Navi.

“Let him go, and step away, _now_.”

A chuckle escaped the Navi in purple. A helmet obscured the Navi's face so Saki couldn't see his expression, but he didn't seem concerned by Blues' threatening remark.

“I'm not here for him, or for you,” the Navi said, his voice gravelly and his words sharp. “I'm here because I'm interested in _them_.” He lifted his free arm, and pointed at Zer0 and Axl, who looked shocked.

“For _us_?!” Axl asked.

Zer0 narrowed his eyes at the strange Navi. “What is it that you want?”

The strange Navi lowered his arm. “You two _meddling troublemakers_ have caught my attention. The annoying one's been poking around in places he shouldn't be, and you—” the Navi jerked his head in Zer0's direction, “—seem to be pretty good at taking down my guinea pigs. I can't afford any more losses, you see. It's bad enough that the cops are constantly sniffing around.”

Yuya's words from the interrogation flashed through Saki's mind at that moment. _But I-I remember what he sounded like! I could never forget that voice...It was gravelly...and sharp as a knife. Every word felt like it cut into you._

 _This Navi's voice certainly sounds like the person Yuya-san described_ , Saki thought. _But it would be impossible for a Navi to give Yuya that weird chip...right?_

“When I saw you hanging around with Red over here, I knew that you had to all be in cahoots,” the strange Navi continued. “So I thought I'd sic one of my guinea pigs on you, just to see what you were capable of.”

“So you came after us?!” Taka asked. “Do you have any idea how bad it would have been if we hadn't stopped that Navi? People would have been hurt!”

“All the better,” the strange Navi said, tightening his grip on the security Navi's throat. “Humans are disgusting filth, and deserve to die. They're a plague that needs to be wiped out.”

“What the hell is wrong with you?!” Saki felt rage boil up within him. “How can you say things like that?”

“Because it's true,” the strange Navi replied. “Humans depend on Navis for everything. They can't live without them anymore. They're just a waste of space. And all the docile Navis they keep as pets are no better. All of them are weak trash, and trash needs to be disposed of.” The Navi tightened his grip even further, and crushed the security Navi's throat, deleting him.

Rockman put his hand to his mouth in horror. “What a monster...!”

“Not a shred of remorse,” Zer0 said, clenching his fists. “It astounds me that such a Navi could exist.”

“Don't lump me in with you weaklings,” the strange Navi said angrily. “I couldn't care less about what happens to trash. If you have a problem with how I do things, then come fight me.”

Blues scoffed. “You sound exactly like the Undernet filth that you are.” 

The strange Navi shrugged. “As if you're in any kind of position to lecture me. I know about what you did while you were tripping out on Dark Essence.” He motioned towards Rockman. “Him too.”

“Dark Essence?” Saki asked.

“It's what's in Dark Chips,” Taka said. “Dark Essence messes up Navis pretty badly, and the worst part is that it's addictive. The Navis eventually become dependent on it, and it slowly corrodes their code until it falls apart.”

“We overcame the Dark Essence,” Rockman said. “And we've worked to ensure that something like that never happens again.”

“That's why, if you really are the one responsible for what's happening to Navis like Crashman, then we can't allow you to escape,” Blues said. “I'll force you to take responsibility for your crimes.”

“Your weak justice doesn't scare me,” the strange Navi said. He turned his head towards Rockman. “What scares me is that monster you have lurking inside of you.”

Rockman looked shocked. “What do you mean?”

“You and I aren't so different,” the Navi continued. “Deep down, you want to take the life of something with your own two hands. But unless you stop clinging to your pathetic ideals of morality, you'll never hold a candle to me.”

“I don't want to be anything _like_ you!” Rockman yelled back. “You're just a coward who runs instead of facing reality. When there's nothing left to destroy, what will you do? What kind of hollow existence is worth killing over?”

The strange Navi cackled hysterically. “Oh man! You just never _shut up_ , do you?! Who cares about the end? All that matters is the here and now!”

Zer0 shook his head in disgust. “'He who holds a sword with impure intentions will inevitably be struck down by it'. You speak of weak ideals, but yours are truthfully much weaker than ours.”

The Navi turned his head towards Zer0. “You...” He tried to approach, but Blues barred his path. “You're really interesting, did you know that?”

Zer0 frowned.

“You have so much power and potential for violence,” the strange Navi went on. “But you keep it bottled up. I saw how easily you deleted that friend of yours once you decided that you had no other choice. What's stopping you from going even further?”

Zer0 gave the strange Navi a sharp glare. “My honor would never allow me to needlessly take the life of another.”

The strange Navi chuckled. “'Honor', eh? I guess that you're no better than the others. What a shame.”

“You're awfully mouthy for a criminal,” Axl said.

The Navi sighed. “I'm tired of talking to trash. This is boring. I'm leaving.”

“Take a look around you,” Axl said in a dangerous tone. “You're outnumbered. What do you think is going to happen?”

“I'm going to beat your stupid asses into the ground, of course,” the strange Navi said.

“Big words, but can you back them up?” Blues asked, quickly thrusting his sword towards the Navi.

Instead of dodging, the Navi grabbed Blues by the wrist and yanked him off balance before slamming his knee into Blues' stomach. 

“How...!” wheezed Blues, before collapsing to his knees on the ground. The Navi viciously kicked him in the side. “Bastard—!” Blues gasped, trying to grab the Navi by his leg. In response, the other Navi delivered another vicious kick to Blues' side, and Blues fell to the ground and stopped moving.

“Who's next?” he asked.

Rockman and Axl exchanged looks, and they both opened fire on the strange Navi. The Navi's arm transformed into a nasty looking buster, and he fired back at Rockman with an explosive charge that knocked both Axl and Rockman off their feet and flung them through the air like rag dolls. They hit the ground with a heavy 'thud', and didn't move.

Saki felt his heartbeat quicken and his gut churn. Three Navis were incapacitated in only a matter of seconds, and now Zer0 was the only one still standing. The odds didn't look good.

Zer0 tightened his grip on his saber. The strange Navi slowly walked towards him, his buster raised to shoot again. Zer0 stood his ground, and the Navi got closer and closer to him, his buster charging with a high-pitched shriek. He fired a blast directly at Zer0, but it never connected. Zer0 had used Raikousen to instantly close the gap between himself and the Navi, and delivered a powerful slash to the Navi's torso.

“Oho, tricky~!” The strange Navi turned to face Zer0, his hand touching the nick in the side of his armor left by Zer0's sword. “I wasn't expecting you to be able to move like that. I guess my intuition about you was right.” he chuckled. “You have the potential to be a really fun opponent.”

“This is no time for games,” Zer0 said. “Are you truly the one responsible for the chip?”

“You mean the Sigma chips?” the Navi asked. “Yeah, I am.”

“I knew it,” Saki whispered.

“I even gave one to your friend's Operator myself,” the Navi went on. “I wanted to see what you would do if one of your friends went berserk.”

“You bastard!” Taka growled. “Crashman was our friend! How dare you mess with him just to get to us!”

“How did you do it?” Saki demanded. “How did you give Yuya-san that chip?”

The Navi wagged his finger. “Ah, ah. I can't tell you all of my secrets, now can I?”

Zer0 trembled with rage. “How could you...? All of those Navis...all destroyed because of you...!” He looked at the Navi with the intent to kill. “I cannot forgive your actions!”

“Now that's a good look,” the Navi said. “That's the look of a man willing to kill.” He motioned for Zer0 to move closer. “Show me what your rage looks like. Come at me with everything you've got!”

Zer0 let out an angry yell, and charged the strange Navi with speed that Saki had never seen before. He swung his sword at the Navi again and again, but all the Navi did was laugh.

“That's it!” the Navi yelled. “Unleash your rage! Let your hate consume you!”

“Zer0!” Saki yelled. “Zer0, _stop_!”

But Zer0 didn't stop. Even when the Navi swatted Zer0 away, he sprang back to his feet, and continued to attack recklessly. Saki begged and pleaded, desperately trying to bring Zer0 back to his senses, but to no avail. 

At one point, Saki saw Zer0 pull back his saber and recognized that Zer0 was about to use Raijingeki. Saki could only watch as Zer0 slammed his electrified blade into the strange Navi's chest, unleashing a massive blast of energy that knocked both parties backwards. Zer0 managed to land on his feet and skidded to a stop, and the strange Navi did the same before letting out an insane cackle.

“This is so exciting!” he roared. “It's been so long since I've had an opponent like this!” A huge cannon materialized on the Navi's shoulder, and he pointed it at Zer0 before charging it up. “Let's go all out!”

“Oh man, this is bad!” Taka whined.

“Zer0, look out!” Saki yelled.

The cannon unleashed a blast of white-hot energy straight towards Zer0, but he didn't try to dodge. Instead, he swung his saber downward and cut through the energy, splitting it down the middle and diverting it to either side. Saki looked on in shock.

“What was that?!” he gasped.

“That should have been impossible!” Taka yelped. “Just what the heck is Zer0 capable of anyway?!”

Once more, Zer0 charged the strange Navi, and slashed wildly at him. The Navi slammed his hand into Zero's wrist, and knocked Zer0's sword away. But instead of looking upset, Zer0 simply gritted his teeth and slammed his fist into the Navi's helmet. He knocked them both to the ground, and sat on the Navi's chest, pummeling him with his fists. Something raw welled up inside of Saki, and panic seized him. The memory of sitting on his classmate's chest and beating him until he was bruised and bloody flashed through Saki's mind, and he trembled with terror.

_No, not again, it's happening again..._

Finally, Zer0 pulled his fist as far back as he could, and Saki screamed at the top of his lungs, “ZER0, _STOP!_ ”

Zer0's arm froze, mid punch. Slowly his rage began to fade, and he let his arm drop to his side.

“I will never kill anyone,” Zer0 told the Navi. “Not even filth like you.”

In response, the Navi laughed. “Your name is Zer0, right? I suppose it's only fair that I should give you my name too. You can call me 'Vava'.”

“Vava...” Zer0 glared down at him. “I shall never forget it.”

“Good.” Vava sounded satisfied by Zer0's answer. “The next time we fight, I won't hold back.” With this, he logged out of the Network, and disappeared.

Saki's knees buckled with relief, and he sank to the ground, crying. Taka knelt down and rubbed Saki's back.

“Vava, huh?” he muttered. “What an utterly revolting Navi.”

Zer0 pushed himself to his feet, and looked at his hands as if he'd never seen them before. They started to shake, and he clenched his fists in order to make it stop.

“Who...am I?” he murmured.

Taka put an arm around Saki's trembling shoulder. “Are you okay?”

“Y-yeah...” Saki said, wiping at his eyes. “I was just...really scared that I was going to lose Zer0...”

“I won't lie, I thought Zer0 had gone crazy for a minute there,” Taka admitted. “But in the end, he's still the same old Zer0.”

“Yeah, I guess,” Saki said. He took a deep, shaking breath. “I've never seen him like that be...fore...” His voice faltered. “No, that's not true. He was like this once before, wasn't he?”

“You mean when you were Cross Fused, and he attacked Netto?” Taka asked.

Zer0 looked up at Saki, his expression remorseful. “No, it was different then.”

“Different?” Taka asked.

“Yes,” Zer0 said. “At that time, I was...afraid. I felt an overwhelming fear, and a deep desire to protect myself...”

Saki felt a flood of guilt. “That fear was mine...”

“Perhaps,” Zer0 said. “But at that moment, we were one. You were I, and I was you. Your fear was also my own. My desire to protect you was also the desire to protect myself.” He sighed. “I...cannot explain it well, I apologize.”

“So, you lashed out in fear?” Taka asked.

“Yes,” Zer0 said nodding. “That is why it is not the same as this time.” He hesitated. “However, there was... _one_ other instance like this one.”

Saki frowned, feeling confused. “When was that?”

“During my first battle with Tomahawkman,” Zer0 explained. “I felt a... _rage_ at that time that was much like now.” He pressed a hand to his chest. “I tried my best to push it down then. I knew, somehow, that those feelings were wrong. I was confused as to why I was so upset, and so I tried to pretend that it didn't exist.”

“I think I remember you being a little bit more aggressive than normal during that fight,” Saki admitted. “But it never occurred to me that it was a problem.”

Zer0 sighed. “I cannot explain why, but when I am consumed by rage as I just was, I almost feel as if I am someone else. It...frightens me.”

Taka pursed his lips. For a while, no one said anything.

“Let's...go home,” Saki said at last. “We can't do anything else here.”

Taka logged Axl out of the Network. “Agreed. But we can't just leave Blues and Rockman like this, can we?”

Slowly, Blues pushed himself to his feet. “Don't worry yourself...over me...”

“You're awake,” Saki said. “How do you feel?”

“Like someone slammed their knee into my gut,” Blues grumbled.

Zer0 knelt by Rockman, and helped him back to his feet. “I can't believe he knocked us around so easily,” Rockman said, groaning loudly and clutched his head.

Zer0 sighed. “Indeed. He is a truly fearsome foe.”

“But if he really is the one responsible for the Sigma chips, I can't stop until he's been caught,” Blues said. “One way or another, I have to bring him to justice.”

“ _Now_ will you let us help you?” Rockman asked. “Trying to take him on by yourself didn't work, and it sounds like he was following us for a while now, so he already knows everything about all of us. Plus, it seems like he was targeting Zer0 specifically.”

Blues heaved a weary sigh. “You're right, of course. I'll talk to Enzan-sama about letting you all work with me.” He rubbed his side. “It would certainly be safer to have you where I can see you.”

“Thank you,” Rockman said.

“Damn it!” Saki punched the ground angrily. “I can't believe we were this close to catching the one responsible for the Sigma chips!”

“It can't be helped,” Taka said. “He was just too much for us to handle.”

“At least we know why it's been so hard for the Net Police to discover evidence about the chips,” Rockman said. “They've been looking for a human this whole time, but the true culprit is a Navi.”

Axl materialized on Taka's shoulder. “I'll never forgive that jerk!”

Blues crossed his arms. “For now, we should rest. I'll pass along what happened here to Enzan-sama, and the police will handle the next part of the investigation. All of you should go home and recover.”

“No argument here,” Axl said. “I'm pooped.”

“I am also exhausted,” Zer0 said. “I have much to think about as well.”

Rockman pushed gently off of Zer0's shoulder, and walked over to Blues, who put his arm around Rockman's waist to support him. He turned, and gave Zer0 a warm smile.

“I'll leave with Blues for now. Don't worry, we'll talk again soon.”

And with that, Blues and Rockman logged out of the Network.

***

“We're home,” Taka called as he walked through the front door.

Tsukiko emerged from the kitchen. “You took an awfully long time getting back.”

“Yeah, about that,” Saki said. “We, uhh, got held up.”

“There was an out-of-control Navi near the store,” Taka explained. “We did our best to slow it down until the police arrived.”

Tsukiko let out an exasperated sigh. “What did I tell you about being reckless? You shouldn't have gotten involved with something so dangerous.”

“I'm sorry,” Taka said, looking embarrassed.

“One of these days, you're going to get hurt, or worse,” Tsukiko continued. “Why can't you be content to just stay at home where it's safe?”

Taka hung his head. Anger flared up inside of Saki, and words he couldn't stop poured out of his mouth.

“I don't mean to be rude, Wakahisa-san, but Taka's been trying to get used to being out in public again and it's really hard for him. We understand that trying to stop those out-of-control Navis was dangerous, and we'll try not to let it happen again, but I think Taka going out more is a good thing. Please don't punish him for wanting to go outside.”

Tsukiko stared at Saki for a long, agonizing minute, and Saki felt his gut knot up. Finally, she sighed, and shook her head.

“Of course Takashi wanting to go outside is a good thing,” she said. “I'm sorry. It seems I misspoke.”

“I understand, Mamma,” Taka said. “You're just scared that I'll get hurt. But it's okay, really.” He smiled weakly. “I have Saki to protect me.”

At Taka's words, Tsukiko's expression became dour. Saki felt as if her stare was stabbing into him.

“I see,” Tsukiko said, her tone icy. “So you will always have this boy to hide behind.”

 _What's with the sudden hostility?_ Saki thought. _It's like she_ _hates_ _me or something!_

“I didn't mean it like that,” Taka said frantically. “I just meant that you don't have to be worried about me, that's all!”

Tsukiko sighed, and walked towards the stairs. “I'm going back to work now. The two of you enjoy your meal.”

Taka watched his mother leave with a troubled expression. A moment later, the boys heard the office door shut, and Taka sighed miserably.

“I don't understand why she's like this.”

Saki scratched his head. “Me neither.”

“Well, whatever,” Taka said. “There's no sense dwelling on it. Let's just make dinner and forget about it for now.”

“I'm pretty hungry after that stressful fight,” Saki admitted. “Come give me a hand.”

“Don't ask me to peel or cut anything,” Taka warned. “I'll probably end up cutting myself.”

Saki got Taka to wash the vegetables while he cut up the meat, and then walked Taka through the process of washing and cooking the rice. As Saki was cutting up the vegetables, the doorbell sounded. Taka looked up with a confused expression.

“Odd...I wasn't expecting anyone else today...maybe it's someone for Mamma. I'll go check.”

He left the kitchen to answer the door, and came back a minute later with Enzan and Netto in tow.

“Pardon the intrusion!” Netto said cheerfully.

“What are you two doing here?” Saki asked.

“I wanted to talk to you both about what happened today,” Enzan explained. 

“You came all the way to my house on the off chance that we'd both be here?” Taka asked.

“Blues had said that you both had helped to subdue the out-of-control Navi,” said Enzan. “And since it happened rather close to where you lived, I put two and two together.”

“Then why is Netto here?” Saki asked.

“I was bothering him when he got the call about the infected Navi,” Netto said. “Naturally, I asked him to let me come along.”

“It's more like he clung to my arm and refused to let go until I let him get in the car,” Enzan grumbled.

Saki sighed and crossed his arms. “Okay, so you wanted to talk to us, right?”

“Yes.” Enzan sat down in one of the stools at the kitchen island. “Mostly, I wanted to apologize for the way I spoke to you both at the police station. Had I known that you were already being targeted, I would have been more forthcoming with information.”

“To be fair, none of us knew until today,” Taka said.

“Right.” Enzan rubbed his temple. “Anyway, I wanted to explain everything I know bout this investigation so far, in hopes that we can all work together and find whoever is responsible as soon as possible.”

Saki looked over at the tea kettle on the stove. “Uhh...does anyone want tea? This sounds like it might be a long conversation.”

“Tea would be lovely,” said Enzan.

Netto plopped down in the stool next to Enzan. “Before we start, though, I wanted to update everyone on our analysis of the data in Otomizu-san's PET.”

“You're analyzing Yuya-san's PET?” Taka asked. “What did you find?”

“So far, we can't pin down exactly what kind of program was used, and the code that we _did_ find is...bizarre, to say the least.” Netto explained as he ran a hand through his messy hair. “It doesn't resemble any kind of code I've ever seen. And they're symbols in it that aren't from any known language or alphabet in the world. In fact, most of it looks like gibberish.”

Taka frowned. “Could it be a computer language we've never seen?”

“It doesn't resemble a code at all,” Netto replied. “No one's sure _what_ it is.”

“Maybe it's aliens,” Taka whispered.

“What about Crashman's data?” Enzan asked. “Were you able to salvage any of it?”

Netto shook his head. “Unfortunately, no. It's all gone.”

Everyone sighed dejectedly. Any hopes they had of restoring Crashman were completely dashed, and Saki knew that Yuya was going to be devastated.

 _He was already so depressed when we saw him at the interrogation_ , Saki though. _I don't want to think about how he'll be when he's told that his last hope of saving Crashman is gone_.

“There...uhh, might be something we can try,” Taka said.

Netto perked up. “What's that?”

“Well...” Taka scratched his neck nervously. “You know how Axl's Chameleon Circuit allows him to copy a Navi's data? He copied Crashman's.”

“How?” Netto asked. “When?”

“Crashman hugged him once,” Taka explained.

“He did seem to be the type of Navi who liked physical contact,” Saki admitted. “He would hug or touch Zer0 a lot too.”

Netto's eyes lit up. “So we can use that data to reconstruct Crashman?!”

“I mean, it won't be perfect!” Taka said. “Axl can't do more than copy a Navi's physical appearance and weapon data. Stuff like his personality subroutines are probably gone forever.”

“It's better than nothing,” Enzan said.

“I bet Meijin-san could figure out the rest,” Netto said. “But man, Taka, Axl's ability really came through for us!”

“If I can help, then I'd be more than happy to let you see my data,” Axl said. “E-even though I'm kind of nervous to have someone other than Taka poking around in there...”

“Meijin-san is the best,” Netto assured Axl. “I promise that nothing bad will happen.”

“I guess I believe you,” said Axl.

Saki sighed loudly. “Where the heck do you keep your tea?”

“Second drawer down on the left side,” Taka said.

“This one?” Saki asked.

“No, the _other_ left,” Taka said.

Saki pulled open the drawer, and found an assortment of tea tins. “Okay, cool.”

“The tea pot is in the china cabinet,” Taka said. “The rest of the tools are there too.”

“Why can't you keep everything together?” Saki grumbled as he fetched the tea pot and tea strainer.

“Don't ask me,” Taka said. “Mamma's the one who uses all that stuff.”

Enzan chuckled. “Shouldn't you know where everything is by now?”

“We didn't drink a lot of tea during the summer,” Saki replied. “Also, we spent most of the summer at my house.”

“Okay, so we have a plan for restoring Crashman,” Taka said. “But the program on the chip is still a mystery. What about the chip itself?”

“That's where things start to get odd,” Enzan said. “When I checked Otomizu-san's PET, the only chip that was in it was this one.” He set a shield chip down on the counter.

“That's not the chip I saw,” Taka said.

Enzan nodded. “Otomizu-san also said that he never removed the chip from his PET. And from what you told me, Otomizu-san's account, and what I'd already gathered from my previous investigations, the only thing I can conclude is that the Sigma chip is nothing more than a normal chip with some kind of augmentation that makes it _appear_ like another chip.”

Saki tried to imagine how someone would pull that off. “Is that even possible?” he asked.

“It shouldn't be,” Enzan said. “I've examined this chip from every angle, but it really isn't anything other than a normal shield chip. None of the code on it is strange either. It's the same as a chip you would buy at the store.”

Netto squeezed his eyes shut, and made his thinking face. “So, then...maybe we're thinking about this all wrong...maybe the code isn't _inside_ the chip like we first thought. Maybe the code is _outside_ the chip.”

The room grew silent, except for the sound of the water boiling inside the tea kettle.

“But...how would that even be possible...?” Saki asked, feeling very confused.

“Uhh...” Netto tapped the counter. “Maybe it's like...when data takes on a solid form inside dimensional areas.”

“But there would need to be a way to make a dimensional area in the first place,” Enzan argued. “And for it only to affect the chip itself, the generator would have to be...” He shook his head. “It simply isn't possible.”

“Well, if I had my way, there would be a device to let people have their own individual fields,” Netto said. “It's too bad my prototype isn't anywhere near ready yet.”

“Even then, the smallest field you managed to make was still about sixty meters across,” Enzan said. “I have a hard time believing that someone else managed to create a field small enough to only affect a battle chip.”

Netto sighed. “Okay, so if it's not the result of a dimensional area, then what is it?”

Enzan shook his head. “Let's set that thought aside for now. Learning that the person responsible for making and distributing the chips is a Navi changes things entirely. Up until this point, the Net Police have been operating under the assumption that the criminals were human. But now that we know that it's a Navi, the lack of evidence makes sense.”

“When you say 'lack of evidence', do you mean physical evidence?” Saki asked.

“Yes,” said Enzan. “We were aware that the criminals were using various manufacturing facilities to produce the chips, but whenever we searched them, we never found evidence of humans being there, or any of the goods that were created.”

“So if a Navi was making the chips, it could all be done remotely,” Netto said. “But how would he have moved the chips?”

“More than likely through automation,” Enzan said. “Most factories have robots that do the majority of production and assembly. It's within reason that Vava would have used those robots to move the chips into containers, and had them loaded onto vehicles, which he could then drive to another location.”

Taka looked troubled. “It never occurred to me how having fully automated manufacturing might be a bad thing.”

“It would also explain why we always seemed to be two steps behind him, no matter how careful we were,” Enzan continued. “If he had been monitoring our movements all this time, it would be easy for him to know when to move to a new location. We've been able to trace his activity back to numerous factories in several different countries, including Japan, Amerope, Northlandia, Kingland, and even Sharo. As a Navi, he would be able to move to a new country fairly quickly and easily if he was discovered, ensuring that he was always one step ahead of us at all times.”

“What about a connection between which factories he used?” Netto asked.

“There really isn't one,” Enzan said. “He used the factories of multiple companies, but a few did come up more than once.” He looked at Taka. “Including Vega.”

The tea kettle whistled sharply, and Saki hurried to take it off the heat.

“There are times when some of Vega's factories aren't in use,” Taka said. “It's not a secret or anything.”

“True,” Enzan said, “But when I sat down and looked at which factories were being used, I noticed that the majority of them belonged to Vega.”

“It could just be a coincidence,” Taka said.

“I still want to look into it,” Enzan said. “Just in case.”

Taka slumped in his seat. “Do you really think that someone at Mamma's company could be working with Vava?”

“It's highly possible,” Enzan said. “But again, I need proof.”

Saki poured the hot water over the tea leaves and wracked his brain about who would want to work with a Navi like Vava to create something as destructive as the Sigma chips.

“I can't think of Vava ever wanting to work with a human in the first place,” he said. “Vava himself even admitted that he despised humans.”

“But even he would see the merit of a partnership, if only so that he could use the other person for his own means,” Enzan said.

“I'm not sure I want to think about this anymore,” Taka groaned.

“Maybe we should drop the subject,” Netto said. “At least until after dinner.”

Saki narrowed his eyes at Netto. “What makes you think that you're staying for dinner?”

“Are you telling us we have to leave?!” Netto asked. “We only just got here!”

“It's fine if they stay,” Taka said. “I'm still trying to process the fact that someone in Vega might be a traitor, and I could use the moral support.”

“I understand,” Saki said. “I was just giving Netto a hard time, that's all.”

“So rude!” Netto said, pouting.

Saki set cups of tea down in front of everyone before taking a seat at the kitchen island. He took a sip before asking Enzan, “So if you're telling us all of this information, does that mean you want our help?”

Enzan nodded. “I thought that if I kept the details of the case to myself, none of you would ever get involved. However, that was naive of me to assume, and I should have been upfront from the start.” He looked at Netto. “I know better than anyone that you can all handle yourselves in a fight. I'm sorry.”

“It's okay to be worried,” Saki said. “I mean, we're not members of the police, so we're not really trained to handle stuff like illegal chip rings.”

“I think it's really mature of you to admit that you were wrong, Enzan” Netto said.

“Oh?” Enzan arched his eyebrow. “Then are you saying that in the future you're going to make more of an effort to admit when you're wrong too?”

“What are you talking about?” Netto asked. “I'm _never_ wrong.”

“You were wrong about the toaster,” Enzan said.

“I thought we promised not to talk about the toaster,” Netto said through his teeth.

Enzan rolled his eyes. “Well, whatever.” He looked at Saki with a serious expression. There is one more thing I'd like to discuss. It's about Zer0's erratic behavior.”

Saki swallowed the lump in his throat. “Yeah about that...even Zer0's not sure what happened.”

“Be that as it may, his potential to become violent and ignore commands is too much of a threat to ignore,” Enzan said. He sighed. “I have never seen a Navi with such terrifying battle potential before. His ability to adapt to situations, his constantly evolving battle style, and his vicious tenacity are all troubling, to say the least.” He rubbed his arm. “I would be lying if I said I wasn't scared of Zer0 while watching that fight.”

Saki looked at the counter top. “Me too.”

Zer0 materialized beside Saki's teacup. “I as well.”

Enzan knit his fingers together. “And you're certain you don't know what caused you to become so violent?” Enzan asked.

Zer0 shook his head. “I apologize, but I do not know.”

Enzan sighed. “I see.”

Zer0 lowered his head. “If I am a danger, then it would be wise to isolate me until a solution is discovered.”

Saki felt his gut knot up. _Isolate?! You mean like lock him away?!_

“That won't be necessary,” Enzan said. “We don't know the cause of your violent outbursts yet, and you've proven that you have the mental fortitude to be able to prevent yourself from deleting other Navis. On top of that, if Vava comes back, we'll need your help in subduing him.”

Zer0 nodded. “Understood. I shall make every effort to suppress any further violent outbursts.”

Saki sighed with relief. He was glad that Zer0 wouldn't need to be taken away from him, or locked away in some lonely cage.

 _Even if Zer0 is kind of scary sometimes, he's not an evil Navi_ , Saki thought. _I just wish we knew what was making him so violent so that we could stop it from happening anymore..._

Taka clapped his hands loudly. “Okay, I'm done thinking about depressing stuff,” he said. “Let's focus on the important things. We made a breakthrough in this case! I say that's worth celebrating.”

“Agreed,” Enzan said.

“Now that we know who's behind things, it won't be long until we track him down and make him spill his guts!” Netto said gleefully.

Enzan raised his teacup. “Here's to making a breakthrough in this case.”

Four teacups clinked together, and everyone said, “Cheers!”


	32. Go! Go! ★ Fight For Justice!

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Taka has a rather disturbing dream, and everyone suggests that he take some time off and do something fun! He goes to a live show, and gets a little more than he bargained for...

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> CW: strangulation, CW: death

Taka ran, panting heavily, his lungs feeling like they were on fire. He didn't know where he was running to, or what he was running from, but he knew that he had to run as fast as he could. The footfalls of his teammates ahead of him and behind him were equally frantic. They were all in danger. Dread and panic pushed down on Taka like a weight, and he wanted to cry. But he couldn't cry, not now. 

The group slowed to a stop. Everyone was exhausted. Enzan looked back, searching for something. Saki looked over at Taka, concerned. Taka tried to smile back reassuringly.

“I think we lost it,” Enzan said.

“Cool,” Netto said, his panting a little lighter than the others. He regarded Taka with kindness. “Everyone doing okay?”

“I'll manage,” Saki said.

Taka opened his mouth to speak, but nothing came out. A sharp ringing filled his ears, like the shrill shriek of a fire alarm. His vision blurred and fizzed slightly, like a television with a bad cable connection.

“Good,” Netto replied, as if Taka had said something. “I think we can rest for a moment.”

“I wish we knew how to stop it,” Saki said. “It's really frustrating that all we can do is run.”

“Staying alive is far more important than anything else right now,” Enzan warned. “We'll figure out how to destroy it once we're in a safe location.”

Taka tried to speak again, but still, nothing would come out. His vision became even more blurred and fuzzy, and for a split second, he almost thought that he could make out the shape of something else in the darkness between the static. His heart began to race, and panic set in once more.

Everyone gave Taka a concerned look. “Are you okay? You've been acting a little strange since we escaped,” Saki asked. He reached out towards Taka, and Taka swatted his hand away.

 _No, no no no, no please don't touch!_ Taka screamed inside his own mind.

He stumbled back, and into someone's grasp. Looking back, Taka saw Enzan peering down at him with worry. Taka turned to face him.

“Hey...” Enzan's voice was soft. “It's okay, we're all friends here.”

Taka's arms began to move on their own, and he felt a terrifying disassociation, as if his arms were no longer his. Slowly, Taka reached up, and put his hands on Enzan's cheeks, and Enzan smiled. Taka felt himself smile back as he moved his hands to Enzan's throat, and began to squeeze.

Instantly, there was panic. Taka was aware of the others yelling at him, but he couldn't make out the words. Enzan tried to pry Taka's fingers free, but Taka couldn't feel it. His whole body was so disconnected from him that he couldn't feel anything at all. He was simply a prisoner of his own body, forced to watch as he slowly choked the life out of his friend. Netto and Saki yanked at Taka's arms, trying to stop him, but the effort was futile. Taka's arms didn't budge. The light in Enzan's eyes slowly faded, and he slumped to the ground, still trying to pry Taka's hands off of his neck, until finally his arms limply dropped to his sides, and Enzan didn't move anymore.

 _NO NO NO NO_ _NO!_ Taka screamed internally, unable to make a sound.

Taka let go, and turned to the others, who were looking at him with terrified expressions. Netto put himself in front of Saki, and there was some yelling, but Taka couldn't make it out. All he heard was the same shrill ringing...and a low chuckle from someone very close to his ear. Even though Taka wanted to turn and see who it was, he couldn't control his body. Helplessly, he watched as his hands found their way around Netto's throat, and slowly squeezed the life out of him too.

Unlike Enzan, Netto refused to go down without a fight. He kicked and squirmed, trying his best to break free. Saki tried to yank Taka off of Netto as well, but once again, Taka's body wouldn't budge. Taka wanted to scream and cry, wanted to take control of his body back and stop killing his friends, but he couldn't manage it. Netto looked up at Taka, but rather than fear or anger, his eyes were full of pity. It was as if he knew that Taka couldn't stop what was happening. Even as the light left his eyes, Netto's smile was soft and genuine.

“It's...okay...” he gasped. “I...under...stand...”

And then he went limp.

Taka screamed, but it never left his mouth. It echoed inside of his head, and the dark chuckle from before grew a little louder. Slowly, Taka turned to face Saki, who stared back at Taka with a helpless expression, tears streaming down his face. He reached out to Taka, and Taka smiled as he pushed Saki to the ground before straddling him and wrapping his hands around Saki's throat.

Saki struggled at first, hitting Taka's arms and clawing at his hands, bucking wildly to try and knock Taka off of him, but once again Taka's body refused to budge. Slowly, Saki stopped fighting, and let his hands fall limply to his sides as he stared up at Taka, pleading tearfully for him to stop.

 _This is your destiny_ , the dark voice at Taka's ear said. _Embrace it_.

Fresh tears spilled down Saki's cheeks, and he whispered hoarsely, “It's not...your...fault...” before the light faded from his eyes too, and he ceased moving.

A flood of emotions hit Taka all at once: anger, despair, grief. He wailed, the sounds amplified by his own mind into something even more painful, stabbing him over and over again.

 _You cannot fight it_ , the dark voice told him. _Accept it_.

Taka shot up in bed, gasping sharply the way a person does when they've come up for air after diving. He quickly reached up and touched his face, reassuring himself that this was real and that he was in full control of his body.

 _Not again_ , he thought, as tears spilled down his cheeks. _Not again!_

Taka ripped off the covers off his bed, and ran to his desk. He rifled through one of his drawers before pulling out a small leather-bound notebook. He opened it, and reached around for a pencil, before scribbling down everything that he could remember from his dream.

 _It's the same dream as before_ , he thought miserably as he read over what he'd written. He flipped to an earlier page, also filled with frantic scribbles. _I just keep having the exact same dream. What does it mean? What is it trying to tell me?_

For weeks, Taka had been having the same nightmare almost every night. He was used to having vivid dreams, but this nightmare was on an entirely different level than any of his previous ones.

 _I stopped talking to Saki for a while because I was scared that I might end up hurting him_ , Taka thought. _But when he emailed me, I couldn't help myself. I don't want to not talk to Saki. I don't want to isolate myself from my friends!_

He stuffed the notebook back into his desk drawer, and buried his face in his hands. _I wish I knew what was happening to me...I'm so scared, and I don't know who to turn to..._

Faintly, Taka heard the dark chuckle, and he scrambled to grab his headphones before slamming them down over his ears. He cranked the volume on some music in an attempt to block out the voice.

 _I don't want to live like this anymore_ , Taka silently lamented. _I have to ask the others for help_.

***

Taka walked into the office, and Saki could tell right away that something about him was off. The boy's face was pale, and he seemed listless. When Saki tapped him on the shoulder, Taka jumped and yelped loudly.

“Wh-what?!” Taka asked in a panicked voice.

“Uhh, I just wanted to ask if you were okay,” Saki said. “You don't look good.”

Taka seemed to relax a little bit. “O-oh, right. Yeah, I'm...” He paused, and then shook his head. “Actually, I'm _not_ okay. At all.”

Saki frowned. “Do you...want to talk about it?”

Taka shifted on his feet. “Yeah, actually. Can we all talk? I really feel like everyone needs to hear this.”

Saki felt a little confused, but agreed to ask the others to meet Taka in the break room. Taka dashed off, and Saki thought that he seemed more anxious than usual.

 _I hope that it's nothing bad_ , Saki thought. _But he did say that he wanted to talk to everyone, so who knows..._

After looking around the office a little, Saki found Netto underneath his desk, fiddling with some kind of device. When Saki knocked on the top of the desk, Netto stuck his head out, and looked up at Saki with surprise.

“What's up?” he asked.

Saki motioned to Netto. “First of all, what are you doing under your desk?”

“Trying to be inconspicuous,” Netto explained.

“Well, honestly, being under your desk like that is only making you _more_ conspicuous,” Saki said.

Netto snapped his fingers. “Darn. Guess I'll just go back to hiding my work whenever someone comes by.”

Saki sighed. “Also, I came to get you because Taka has something he wants to talk to us about.”

Netto looked down at the half-finished device in his lap, and shrugged. “Guess I could use a break right about now.” He scooped up the pieces of his project, and deposited them gently onto the top of his desk before brushing his hands off and giving Saki a wide grin. “Shall we?”

“Before that, do you know where Enzan and Laika are?” Saki asked.

Netto thought about it for a moment. “Hmm, Enzan could be in a lot of places right now. I'll send him an email, and see where he's at. As for Laika...” Netto scratched his head. “You could try the practice room. He's usually in there when he's not training.”

“Thanks,” Saki said.

“Be careful,” Netto warned. “He just got back from a trip home to Sharo, and he's been in a bad mood ever since.”

“I'll keep that in mind,” Saki said. He waved to Netto and left the office, turning down the hallway towards the practice room. As he passed the vending machines, he spotted Laika leaning against the wall, drinking a can of coffee, and greeted him with a wave and a smile.

“I heard you just got back,” Saki said.

Laika nodded. “Yesterday.” He tossed his empty can in the recycling bin. “Did you need something?”

“Taka wanted to talk to everyone about something,” Saki said. “He seems more anxious than usual, so I think it might be important.”

Sighing deeply, Laika put his hands in his pockets. “Everything's so damn important these days,” he muttered before walking past Saki and heading for the office.

 _Netto wasn't kidding_ , Saki thought as he followed after Laika. _I wonder what happened in Sharo?_

As Saki entered the break room, he spotted Enzan and Netto talking to each other at the counter. Enzan had a cup of coffee in his hand, so Saki guessed that he'd been in the break room the whole time. Taka was perched tensely on the couch, staring at the floor. Everything about his body language told Saki that he was incredibly nervous, so Saki sat down next to him, and gave his hand a small squeeze.

“Looks like we're all here,” Netto commented.

What did you want to talk about?” Enzan asked.

Taka bit his lip. After a moment, he lifted his gaze, and took a deep breath.

“Ahh—umm, first of all, I'm sorry for calling you guys here,” he said, his voice shaky. “I'm sure you're all very busy.”

Saki squeezed his hand again.

“I-I wanted to talk to you guys about a dream I had...” Taka said, his voice trailing off, and his face turning red with embarrassment.

Laika sighed under his breath, and crossed his arms. Taka looked at him with a scared expression.

“A dream, huh?” Netto asked. “It must have been one heck of a dream if you wanted to tell us about it.”

Taka swallowed. “Y-yeah...something like that.”

Saki smiled. “So, what was it about?”

Taka didn't answer right away. He shifted in his seat, and avoided everyone's gazes.

“It...it was about...” He hesitated, and started again. “In this dream, I killed you guys.”

The atmosphere in the room immediately changed. Saki felt his stomach twist painfully. “You... _killed us_?” he asked, his throat constricting painfully around his words.

Taka nodded. “I've had the exact same dream almost every night ever since the incident with Crashman and Yuya-san. Every detail of it is exactly the same. It never changes.”

Netto and Enzan exchanged puzzled glances, and Laika uncrossed his arms as he leaned forward.

“When you say you 'killed' us, what do you mean?” he asked.

Taka swallowed again. “I, uhh...strangled everyone. With my bare hands.” He looked down at his hands, which were trembling. Saki closed his hand around one of Taka's, and Taka smiled weakly at him.

“That's...rather violent,” Enzan said.

“The worst part is that I'm not in control of myself,” Taka said. “I can't speak or move, and someone else is controlling my body. I can even hear them speaking into my ear.”

“So it isn't that _you're_ killing us, it's more that someone is using you to kill us,” Laika said.

“R-right,” Taka said.

“That's oddly specific,” Netto said, scratching his head. “Why would you have a dream about someone forcing you to kill us?”

“It might be stress,” Enzan said.

“That's what it sounds like to me,” Laika said.

Taka shook his head. “No, it's not like that—”

“I bet you're really scared and stressed out over everything that's been happening,” Netto said. “I usually have nightmares just before my tests. One time, I dreamed that my homework ate me.”

“It's fine that you're worried right now,” Enzan said. “But I don't think this dream is anything to be concerned about.”

Taka shook his head angrily. “No, listen to me! I think it's an omen.”

Saki frowned. “An omen?”

“Right,” Taka said. “I get them sometimes...really strong dreams, just before something big happens. And they're always right.” He balled up his fists. “I had a really strong one the night before Shin died. And one right before Saki lost control during Cross Fusion.”

“Coincidence,” Laika said.

Taka's face flushed, and he glared at Laika. “It's not!”

Netto put a hand on Taka's shoulder. “Okay, that's enough.” He smiled at Taka reassuringly. “Maybe it means something, or maybe it doesn't. But it's just a dream, and dreams can't hurt you.”

“I still think that you're under too much stress,” Enzan said. “This was part of why I didn't want you to get too involved with this case.”

“But it's not the case, really!” Taka said. “I didn't have dreams like this when I was reading about the chips before. Why did it only start recently?”

“I think you need to take your mind off of things,” Enzan said. “Why not go and do something fun?”

“Like take a vacation!” Netto said. 

Taka let out an exasperated sigh, and Saki could tell that he was frustrated that no one was listening to him. Saki spoke up quickly. “M-maybe we should take this as a sign to be more careful in the future.”

One by one, the others nodded. Taka looked at Saki with an expression of gratitude.

“Still, I think you need to take your mind off of things and relax,” Enzan told Taka. 

“Enzan's one to talk,” Netto said. “He never takes breaks.”

“Take a few days off,” Laika said. “Go someplace remote.”

“I'd die without the Internet,” Taka muttered.

“Then do something in town,” Saki suggested. “You could go to the arcade, or go see a show.”

Taka seemed to consider this for a long moment. “Go see a show, huh...” He looked up at Netto. “Would you consider going to a live show with me?”

“Huh?” Netto asked, visibly confused.

“There's a live show for Twinkle!: Starlight Magical Maidens this weekend in Bukuro,” Taka explained. “You always seemed interested when I talked about the series, so I thought maybe you might want to go with me.”

Netto sighed. “Sorry, but I'm really busy. Me and Dad are still trying to make sense of the data on Otomizu-san's PET.”

“And tests are coming up soon,” Rockman said.

A shadow passed across Netto's face. “Don't remind me...”

“Oh, I see.” Taka sounded disappointed. “Maybe some other time.”

“We're all rather busy, I'm afraid,” Enzan said. “I have the investigation on top of my usual workload.”

“I don't have any interest in whatever you're talking about,” Laika said flatly.

“Maybe I'll ask Meijin-san,” Taka said.

“I wouldn't,” Netto warned. “I asked him something earlier today, and he nearly bit my head off. He said he's really stressed out, since he has to try and rebuild an entire Navi from scratch.”

Taka sighed. “I see.”

 _I wonder why he isn't asking me_ , Saki thought. _Normally, I'm the first person he comes to_.

Laika stood up. “Are we finished here? I have actual work to get back to.”

“Oh, umm...” Taka looked at the floor. “Y-yeah. Sorry for taking up your time.”

One by one, the others left the break room. Before he left, Netto patted Taka on the shoulder, and said, “I know things are scary right now, but I promise they'll get better. Don't be afraid to talk to us, okay?”

“Okay,” Taka said, and smiled at Netto.

Netto waved, and left the room, leaving Saki and Taka alone. Taka turned to Saki and said, “Would it be okay if I took you and Michi to the performance?”

“Are you sure you want to ask me?” Saki asked, feeling slightly annoyed.

“Don't get the wrong idea,” Taka said. “I was always going to ask you. I just wanted to see if anyone else wanted to go too.”

“But you usually ask me first,” Saki said. “Are you sure you're okay?”

Taka tugged on his bangs. “It's...complicated. I'll talk to you about it later.”

Saki sighed. “I'll ask Michi if she wants to go.”

“Great!” Taka said, grinning at Saki. “Tell her that she should wear that costume that she got over the summer!”

“Are you going to dress up too?” Saki asked.

Taka clicked his tongue. “As proud as I am of my cosplay, if I wore it to a performance I'd only distract everyone from the actors. I'll just have to be satisfied with wearing merch instead.”

“I was joking,” Saki said. “I can't believe you actually have a costume.”

“Of course I do,” Taka said. “Cosplaying is one of my many hobbies, don't you know? In fact, I've worn my Magical Maiden Twinkle costume to quite a few different cons!”

Saki felt confused. “Wait...isn't the show called Twinkle!: Magical Maidens? How can you cosplay as the whole show?”

Taka sighed with exasperation. “Twinkle!: Magical Maidens is a season of the show. Magical Maiden Twinkle is a character from a different season.”

“I'm confused,” Saki said. “Why is this so confusing?”

“I wouldn't expect a casual fan to be able to understand,” Taka said. “Look, at the live show, just pick a character who looks cute, and cheer them on.”

Saki rubbed his temple. “What have I gotten myself into?”

***

Sunday was clear and a little bit chilly, so Saki made sure that Michi wore a scarf when they went out to meet Taka in Bukuro. Taka explained that the venue for the show was on top of the Doei Building, the studio who produced Magical Maidens, as well as a few other series, including Masqueraider and The Steel Samurai.

“Here,” Taka said, and handed Michi and Saki a small penlight with a star on it.

“What's this for?” Saki asked.

“It's your Miracle Light,” Taka explained. “When the Maidens are charging up their special attack, you hold it up to give them your power!”

 _What a dumb concept_ , Saki thought. _It's just another excuse to sell toys_.

Michi's eyes sparkled. “Wow! A real Miracle Light!”

Taka leaned in close to Saki and whispered, “You can only get these when you go to see the movie, so I watched it a bunch of times in order to have enough for all of us.”

“That's...certainly dedication,” Saki whispered back.

“I've never been to a Magical Maidens show before,” Michi told Taka. “What's it like?”

“It's really exciting!” Taka said. “The Maidens show up in person to ask for the audience's help with their fight against darkness!”

“Will I get to see Magical Maiden Starlight?” Michi asked with sparkling eyes. “She's my favorite! She's so mysterious and beautiful! I love her Nova Bomb attack!”

“She's my favorite too!” Taka said, squeezing Michi's hand excitedly. “I love the way she transforms! Watching the night sky become her outfit makes me so jealous! I wish I could wear the night sky too!”

Saki listened to the conversation with a smile. _I don't really know what they're talking about, but they sound like they're having fun. And Taka doesn't seem nearly as depressed as he was the other day. Maybe Enzan was right, and he just needed to get away from all the stress of worrying about Sigma chips..._

“What about you, Saki?” Taka asked, breaking Saki out of his thoughts.

“Hmm?” Saki asked. “Sorry, I wasn't paying attention.”

“I asked you who you were the most excited to see,” Taka repeated patiently.

“Oh, umm...” Saki scratched his head nervously. “I'm more of a Masqueraider kind of guy.”

“They do Masqueraider shows too,” Taka said. “Just not today.”

“Oh,” said Saki. “I didn't know that.”

“The guy they have playing Masqueraider Ouga right now is really great!” Taka said. “I hear that he used to play an extra until recently.”

“Guess he got his big break,” said Saki.

“I'll take you to see a performance some time,” Taka said. “I promise that it's worth it.”

The roof of the Doei building was spacious, and housed an outdoor cafe as well as the stage the performance would take place on. Even though it was still early, there was already a crowd of eager children and their guardians waiting by the stage. Michi tugged on Saki's hand, and pointed to the crowd.

“Hurry!” she said, “We need to find a good seat!”

“Why don't you find a spot near the front?” Saki said. “We'll be along in a minute.”

Michi nodded, and ran off to secure a spot near the stage. Saki watched her go with a smile, and then turned to Taka.

“Can we talk about what happened in the break room the other day?”

Taka stiffened, and looked away.

Saki tugged on a piece of hair near his ear. “It felt like you were avoiding asking me out for some reason.”

Taka hesitated. “Can we...not talk about this right now?”

“Sure.” Saki was a little annoyed, but he understood that Taka wasn't comfortable at that moment, and let the subject drop.

 _I don't understand why I'm so bothered by it_ , Saki thought. _It's not like Taka was trying to snub me or anything...right?_

“I've never been to one of these shows either,” Saki said. “Is it like a stage play?”

“Kind of,” Taka said. “It's more interactive though. Sometimes, the monsters run into the audience, and take 'hostages', and the Maidens have to get them back. Or sometimes the Maidens ask one of the kids in the audience to come up on stage and help them with their final attack.”

“I see,” said Saki. “Kids would probably love being a part of the story, after all.”

“Then they use the holographic projection screens to add in the effects of their attacks, and to animate the mascot characters,” Taka continued. “When you see it all together, the effect is really cool.”

Saki looked at the stage, and squinted. The thin glass screens used to create the holographic projections were almost invisible to the naked eye, but he could just make them out once he knew what to look for.

“I got to see a really big screen once, at an Aki-chan concert,” Taka said with a happy sigh. “It was amazing! It was like she was a flesh and blood person up on stage...”

“That good, huh?” Saki looked at the glass panels suspiciously. “Makes you wonder what else they can do with them.”

While Saki was staring at the stage, he felt a tug on his arm. Looking over, he saw Taka pointing frantically at a nearby clock, whose display was flickering and glitching.

“A virus?” Saki asked.

“It's possible,” Taka said. “I think we should look into it.”

“The show's about to start,” Saki said. “You might miss it.”

“This won't take long,” Taka said. “We should do something about it.”

With a great sigh, Saki pulled out his PET. “Okay, I guess we can look into it. It's just a virus, after all.”

Taka smiled at Saki, bemused. “You sound like you're more excited to see the show than I am.”

Saki felt his face heat up. “Idiot! I was just trying to be considerate.”

The boys plugged their Navis into the clock, and Axl and Zer0 looked around the clock's Network for the source of the problem.

“I cannot see any disturbance at a glance,” Zer0 said.

Axl turned to look at the back of the Network, and froze. “Uh oh...”

“What's up?” Taka asked.

Instead of replying, Axl pointed towards a dark shape in the distance. At first, Saki couldn't tell what it was, but then the figure lifted its head, and Saki could see that it was once a Navi, now glitched and bugged out from a Sigma chip. In its jaws were the remnants of a Mr. Prog.

“That explains the clock glitching out,” Taka said. “But now what? Should we try to delete it?”

“If we don't contain it now, it might cause a scene,” Saki said. “But so would calling the police.”

“We'd shatter the hopes and dreams of all these children!” Taka said. “We can't let that happen!”

“Then there's only one solution,” Saki said. “We have to delete him, quickly.”

Zer0 drew his sword. “Understood.”

Axl pulled out his guns, and licked his lips. “Time to go all out.”

The Navi, sensing that something was wrong, turned to face Zer0 and Axl with a roar that hurt Saki's ears to listen to. Zer0 darted in while Axl covered him, and raised his saber to attack.

“Please do not hate us,” Zer0 said, “We are simply doing what we must to protect the children.”

However, as Zer0's sword swung down, the Navi squirmed out of the way, and started sprinting in the opposite direction. As Zer0 and Axl gave chase, the Navi jumped into a nearby Network, and Axl gave a yell of frustration.

“What's with this one?! All it wants to do is run away!”

“The other corrupted Navis became violent,” Saki said, “But this one only seems to want to run away from us.”

The light near a nearby 'employees only' door flickered, and Taka looked up at it. “Uh oh, I think he's headed for the Networks inside the backstage area.”

Saki gave an irritated sigh. “Why does this stuff always happen to us? Why can't we just enjoy a day out without some weird Navi ruining it for us?”

“Taka, I think you guys have to warn the staff,” Axl said. “If he gets into the main system, then he could do some real damage to the whole building.”

“I would, but we'd need to get inside first,” Taka said. “And the backstage area door has an electronic lock.”

Zer0 teleported into the light's Network, and chased down the corrupted Navi. However, it refused to sit still, and Zer0 found himself playing a game of tag with the Navi, who was doing its best to jump into a new Network. Axl tried to block its escape, but the Navi simply dug a hole, and escaped into it.

“Damn!” Taka hissed. “Now where did it go?!”

“There's no time to panic,” Axl said. “Get into the hole, buddy.”

“Indeed,” Zer0 said. He jumped into the hole after the Navi, and Axl followed close behind him.

Taka watched his screen, trying to see where the Navis would come out of, and bit down on his thumbnail anxiously. Saki looked up, checking to see if anything nearby was experiencing issues, but he didn't see anything noteworthy.

“Where did they go...?” Taka muttered.

As if to answer his question, the lock on the door suddenly made a frantic beeping sound, and then exploded in a puff of smoke. Both boys yelped in surprise.

“Looks like he made it into the lock's Network,” Saki said.

“We're still on his tail,” Axl said, “But he sure is a slippery bastard!”

Taka looked at the door, and Saki could almost see the gears turning in his head. “Whatever you're planning, just do it,” Saki said. “We'll deal with the fallout later.”

“You got it,” Taka said, and yanked open the 'employees only' door. The two boys slipped inside, and shut the door behind them to prevent anyone from becoming suspicious.

“Let's see if we can find an employee,” Saki whispered.

The muffled sound of someone on a microphone alerted Taka to the fact that the show had started, and he looked at Saki with a panicked expression.

“It's already started! We have to hurry up and stop this Navi!”

“Maybe there's an employee further inside,” Saki suggested. “Let's see if we can find someone.”

Zer0 unleashed a few Kougenjin, hoping that one of them would hit the Navi and slow it down, but the Navi smoothly weaved his way around the attacks and continued running. Axl fired a few shots, and one managed to hit the Navi directly in the back, but the Navi only seemed to freak out more, and ran faster.

“Give me a break!” Axl yelled angrily.

Saki opened a nearby door, hoping to run into an employee, but was disappointed to see that it was simply a costume storage room.

“I guess this is where they store the extra costumes that they aren't using,” Taka said. “There's stuff from all kinds of other shows, and even a few from Masqueraider.”

“Not really useful,” Saki said. “Let's try another door.”

“He keeps moving!” Axl yelled to Zer0. “Maybe we can use your Rakuretsuzan to hold it in place!”

“It is worth trying,” Zer0 said. “Can you slow it down a little?”

“I'll try!” Axl called, and put on a burst of speed to get in front of the corrupted Navi. He fired a few shots at its feet, and the Navi sharply changed direction, which gave Zer0 just enough time to set up Rakuretsuzan. The icy blade of his saber slammed into the ground next to the Navi, and the ice quickly formed around its legs and stopped it from moving.

“Now, while it is incapacitated!” Zer0 yelled.

Axl charged up his pistols, and fired off a blast of energy, which hit the Navi dead on. It let out a scream of terror, and writhed frantically, his injury seeping the same thick, dark substance as the other infected Navis had.

“Good!” Zer0 said. “Now, let us finish it off!”

As he raised his sword to deliver the finishing blow however, the Navi managed to break free from the ice, and scrambled away from Zer0 in the direction of another Network entrance.

“He's running again!” Axl said. “But I think the next Network is a dead end. We can probably corner him there.”

Saki opened a few more doors, but didn't manage to find anyone. He gave an irritated sigh, and turned to look at Taka. “Now what?”

Taka tilted his head and listened to the dull roar of the crowd outside, along with the muffled sound of someone speaking into a microphone. He made a face.

“We're almost at the part where the monster shows up. Everyone is probably backstage already. If we want to find someone, we'll need to head there.”

“That'll mess up the show,” Saki said. “Maybe we'll get lucky, and stop the Navi while it's in that dead end Network.”

“It's worth a shot,” Taka said. “Now if we can just—”

Just then, the sound of the Navi's painful howl echoed loudly, as if being played on a loudspeaker, and there was a chorus of terrified screams. Taka's face drained of color.

“Oh no,” he said. “I think the 'dead end' Network was actually the Network for the holographic projection screens.”

Saki felt the blood drain out of his face as well. “What do we do?”

Taka grabbed Saki by the wrist, and dragged him towards the costume storage room. He rifled through the racks and pulled out a red scarf and a belt with a gaudy buckle, which he shoved into Saki's arms.

“Put those on!” he commanded. “And hurry!”

“Huh?!” Saki asked, confused.

Taka shed his coat, and Saki realized that he was wearing a colorful dress underneath. It didn't look like any of the dresses in the room, but it certainly seemed inspired by it. Taka grabbed a nearby flower hairpiece, and slipped it on before shoving Saki out of the room.

“We're going up on stage,” he said.

“We're doing what?!” Saki asked, his anxiety going into high gear.

“We need to make the kids think that this is all just part of the show!” Taka said. “So we're going to play the parts of a pair of warriors of justice, and tell the kids that the corrupted Navi is actually a monster, and that we're here to destroy it with the help of the Magical Maidens. Understand?”

Saki threw the scarf around his neck, and fumbled with the belt. “G-got it. But is this really gonna work?”

“We don't really have an alternative,” Taka said. “Just follow my lead, okay?”

Zer0 looked over at Axl. “What now?”

Axl took a deep breath. “I was saving this one for something special. But I guess this is as good a time as ever.” Activating his Chameleon Circuit, he transformed into a cute maid Navi with huge kitty paws. He winked at Zer0, and blew him a kiss.

“How will this help?” Zer0 asked.

“This is a much cuter look,” Axl explained, his voice pitched up to the point of saccharine. “And we have to put on a good show!”

Zer0 looked at the corrupted Navi, then at Axl, and then back at the Navi. He shook his head, and raised his sword. “Very well. I shall follow your lead then.”

Taka pushed past a few of the stagehands with a whispered “Pardon me,” and Saki gave them an apologetic look. He could hear them frantically talking to each other as he followed Taka out onto the stage.

 _Sorry guys!_ he thought. _I'll explain later_.

Things were in chaos. A lot of the kids looked really scared, and the parents seemed to be very confused. Even the performers were struggling to bring things back under control. So when Taka jumped out onto center stage, everyone turned to look at him. Saki quickly stood next to him, and tried not to look at the dozens of eyes staring at him. Taka took a pose that Saki recognized as something he'd seen on Magical Maidens, and quickly did the first pose that came to mind, which ended up being a pose by a Masqueraider from an older season that he'd seen.

“Everyone, I'm so glad that you're here!” Taka said, doing his best to project his voice without a microphone. “We have an emergency!”

“Who are you?” the narrator asked.

Taka struck another pose. “I am Galactic Guardian Rose! I have come from another world to ask for the help of the Magical Maidens in defeating a terrible monster that has escaped into your universe!” He flailed his arms in a cute manner. “It's a scary monster that eats the dreams of children! We have to stop it!”

Murmurs rose up from the crowd. Saki caught a glimpse of Michi staring up at them with wide, excited eyes. Saki knew that he had to play along too, so he took a deep breath and said the first thing that came to mind.

“And I am Masqueraider Zero! When I heard that there was trouble, I knew that I had to rush over as fast as I could to lend a hand!”

A few cheers rose up from the audience, and Saki felt a wave of relief. The kids seemed to be buying their act.

“The monster you mentioned...” one of the Magical Maidens said, pointing up at the holographic projection screens. “Was it that thing?”

Taka and Saki looked up, and saw a holographic version of the corrupted Navi. Taka nodded firmly.

“That's it all right!” He turned back to the audience. “I know you all came here today to help the Maidens, but do you think you guys can give us a hand too?”

The children gave a loud cheer, and again Taka nodded firmly. The Magical Maidens all turned to the audience as well.

“Okay everyone! Let's give Rose a hand, okay? Take out your Miracle Lights, and raise them up as high as you can!”

The kids pulled out their penlights, and held them up.

Saki felt a tug on his sleeve, and looked over to see one of the stage hands, dressed head to toe in dark clothes, offering him a mask.

“Here,” he said. “You can't be a Masqueraider without a mask!”

Saki's mind blanked for a moment, but he took the mask with a small nod, and slipped it on. It obscured his vision a little, but he could still see enough to not run into anything.

Taka raised his hand to the sky. “Okay then, come on out, my fairy friend! Cinnamon Nyanyan~!”

Axl leaped into frame, and struck a cute pose. “Nyanya~an~!”

The kids laughed and cheered, and a few of the parents turned to each other and chuckled behind their hands. Michi waved her Miracle Light frantically, and Saki couldn't help but smile a little bit.

 _She's such a trooper_ , he thought. _She's playing along, even though she knows it's us_.

“Okay monster!” Axl yelled, leaping at the corrupted Navi. “Take this! My Paws of Fury attack!” He raked his claws repeatedly across the corrupted Navi's face, mewing angrily. The children let out a loud cheer.

“That's it!” Taka cheered. “Okay, Masqueraider Zer0! It's your turn!”

Saki raised his hand to the sky. “Here it comes! Phoenix Blade!”

Zer0 raced towards the Navi, and did a showy spin in the air before executing a whirling Shoenzan, which caught the Navi up in a vortex of flame, and held him in place. It let out a horrific shriek, and Saki winced. The children slapped their hands over their ears.

“Okay kids!” The Pink Magical Maiden raised her hand into the air. “Raise your Miracle Lights into the air, and wish as hard as you can! Give all of your wishes to the lights, and send that power to us!”

The kids all raised their Miracle Lights a little higher, and a loud cacophony of voices rose up. Axl and Zer0 set up for their last attack.

“Here we go!” the Maiden dressed in pink shouted. “Maidens, combine your might!”

“Milky Way Spray!” the Maiden in blue shouted.

“Venus Flash!” shouted the Maiden in yellow.

“Nova Bomb!” called the Maiden in purple.

“Daybreak...BLAST!” yelled the Maiden in pink.

All around the corrupted Navi, colorful blasts went off, and it writhed fearfully, unable to decide which way it wanted to try to run. Axl quickly shifted back to his regular form, and charged up his pistols.

“Rose...STORM!” Taka yelled.

Axl unleashed the charged-up attack on the corrupted Navi, and it took a hard hit. Zer0 charged in, planting his sword on the ground and pulling back his fist.

“Phoenix...CRUSHER!” Saki yelled.

At the same instant, Zer0 slammed his fist into the ground at the corrupted Navi's feet and unleashed Rakuhouha. The blast instantly obliterated the Navi, and the resulting cloud of smoke hid its disintegrating form from view. A raucous cheer rose up from the audience.

“We did it,” Taka whispered.

“Now to beat a hasty retreat,” Saki said.

Taka smiled brightly, and hopped up and down. “We did it! Everyone, we did it!” He held out his hands to the audience. “And it's all thanks to you! All of your wishes gave the Magical Maidens enough power to destroy this awful monster before it could eat anyone's dreams!”

“You're all the heroes of the day!” Saki added. “Give yourselves a pat on the back!”

The children applauded loudly, and the Maidens turned to Taka.

“But, does this mean you have to go now?” the pink Maiden asked.

Taka put his hands on his hips. “Unfortunately, it does. We have to hurry back to our own worlds, and stop the darkness there. But this world can rest easy, knowing that the Magical Maidens are here to protect it!”

The children let out a chorus of sad cries, but Taka simply smiled.

“Don't worry, everyone!” he said. “I'm sure that we'll all meet each other again one day!”

“Goodbye, Galactic Guardian Rose!” the pink Maiden said, waving. “Goodbye Masqueraider Zero! I hope we get to see you again one day!”

A stage effect let out a puff of smoke at Taka's feet, and him and Saki beat a hasty retreat backstage. Behind them, they could hear the kids all saying goodbye, and Saki felt a little sad.

“That was kind of fun!” he whispered to Taka as they ran back to the costume storage room.

“It was!” Taka said, throwing open the door and tearing off the headpiece. “But we can't stick around, or someone's gonna call the police on us.”

Saki threw the scarf and the belt back onto the rack they came from, and dropped the mask on a nearby table. Taka picked up his jacket, throwing it on as they dashed for the exit. Once they were back outside, they breathed a sigh of relief, but it was short lived. A few people in Doei employee shirts quickly surrounded them, and Saki swallowed the lump in his throat.

“What were you doing?” one of the employees asked. “Do you have any idea what you just did?!”

“We stopped a crazy Navi from tearing up your Networks and potentially hurting people while also breaking into your backstage area, stealing your costumes, and interrupting your stage performance?” Taka replied.

“We should call the police!” another employee said.

“You have every right to do that,” Saki said. “But it was an emergency, and we just did the first thing we could think of. We didn't mean to cause a scene.”

“If we hadn't broken into the performance, those children would have been terrified,” Taka said. “They might have even panicked, and someone might have gotten hurt. Maybe it wasn't the best thing to do, but we were only trying to keep people calm.”

The employees talked amongst themselves for a moment, and Saki's gut tied itself into a knot. When they turned back to Taka and Saki, the employees looked less upset.

“We're very grateful for stopping that crazy Navi,” he first employee said. “And it's true that you prevented the crowd from panicking. For that, we thank you.”

The boys sighed with relief.

“However, you _did_ trespass on private property, and you _did_ disturb the performance,” the second employee said. “So we still have to call the police.”

“There's no need for that,” someone said, and everyone looked over to a man standing nearby. He wore a white business suit, and smiled at Taka and Saki kindly.

“P-P-President Katagi-san!” one of the employees stuttered. “Wh-what are you doing here?!”

“I came to see the show with my nephew,” the President said. He motioned to Taka and Saki. “These boys were very brave, and managed to keep everyone calm while they handled the situation. I think they deserve a little more respect.”

“B-but President Katagi-san,” one of the employees said. “They broke into the backstage, and—”

“I was quite impressed by their performances today,” the president went on, ignoring the employee. “I might even have to offer them a position here as actors!”

“Thank you, sir, but I must decline,” Saki said, bowing respectfully. “I'm far too busy to act, and it isn't the direction in life that I want to follow.”

“I'll have to decline as well,” Taka said. “Although I'm honored that the president of Doei would offer me such a wonderful position, I'm worried that a busy acting schedule would be too much for me to handle at this time.”

“Ahh, I see.” The president seemed crestfallen. “Well, regardless, I'm extremely grateful for your help. I can even overlook the trespassing.” He looked at the employees sternly. “There's no need to call the police, understood?”

“Yes, sir!” all the employees replied.

The president approached the boys, and held out some tickets. “Here, some passes to one of our other shows. A thank you for what you've done today.”

“Thank you very much, sir,” Taka said, taking one of the tickets.

Saki took one of the tickets. “I'll pass this along to my sister. I'm sure that she'd love to come again.”

“Oh please, take one for yourself as well,” the president said, pushing another ticket into Saki's hand. “I insist!”

“Oh, well then...thank you, sir.” Saki smiled, and put the tickets into his pocket.

“I'll be sure to inform the Net Police about what happened, and to tell them about what a fine job you did,” the president continued. “Please, enjoy the rest of your visit.” He bowed to Taka and Saki, and walked back to the crowd of children. One of the boys ran over to him, and the president patted him on the head before they walked off to the cafe.

“That went better than I expected,” Taka said.

“Yeah,” Saki said. “He seemed really nice.”

“I was pretty tempted to take the position,” Taka said. He looked at Saki and grinned. “But then if I did, I wouldn't be able to hang out with you all the time!”

Saki laughed. Even if the line was cheesy, it was nice to hear.

Michi ran over to the boys, and threw her arms around Saki's waist. “Big brother! I saw you and Taka-kun on stage!”

“Sorry to crash the performance,” Saki said.

Michi shook her head. “No way! You two were amazing up there!” She lifted her hands above her head. “The way everyone took out the monster was soooooo cool! And big brother looked like a real hero!”

Saki felt heat creeping up his neck and into his ears. “Aww, stop!”

“And Taka-kun was cool too!” Michi's eyes sparkled as she spoke. “He was just like the Magical Maidens, a real hero of justice!”

“I did my best to live up to their reputation!” Taka said. “I couldn't let any of those kids down. Especially not Michi-chan!”

“I saw Zer0 too!” Michi said. “He looked really cool fighting that monster!”

Axl materialized on Taka's shoulder. “What about me? I was cool too, right Michi-chan?”

Michi giggled. “You were super cute!”

“Aww yeah!” Axl cheered. “Michi-chan said I was super cute!”

“I really have to question why you have a maid outfit, Axl...” Saki said.

“For special occasions,” Axl replied. “Duh.”

“I'm sorry that you didn't get to see the show this time,” Taka said to Saki. “Let's use these tickets and come again, okay?”

“We can watch Masqueraider next time!” Michi said.

“Sounds good,” Saki said with a small laugh.

***

“In the end, I still couldn't escape from the Sigma chips,” Taka said with a sigh. He and Saki were standing on the porch, looking up at the stars, and reflecting on their busy day.

“You looked like you were having a lot of fun,” Saki told Taka with a smile. “I was worried, since you seemed really depressed and anxious a few days ago.”

“I'm sorry that I worried you,” Taka said. “That dream has me jumping at shadows.”

Saki reached over, and put his hand protectively over Taka's. “It's okay. I know that you would never hurt us. I'm sure that everyone's right, and it's just because you're stressed out.”

Taka sighed. “I want to believe that, I really do. But it's just...it's so _unsettling_.” He bit his lip. “I could never explain it properly. There are things about that dream that you guys could never understand. The way it felt when I was...choking...” Taka's voice wavered. “When I was hurting everyone. Or the feeling of being trapped inside your own body.”

Saki listened quietly. He let Taka take his time explaining, giving Taka's hand a gentle squeeze. Taka took a shaky breath.

“I can't explain it very well with words, but I definitely feel like this is some kind of omen. I'm really scared that something really bad is going to happen, and that I'll be the cause of it.”

Saki gave Taka's hand another gentle squeeze. “If that ever happens,” he said softly, “Then we'll deal with it then. Worrying about it before it becomes a thing won't solve anything.”

Taka sighed tiredly. “You're right.” He glanced over at Saki. “Umm, about what happened in the break room...”

“It's okay if you don't want to talk about it,” said Saki. “I thought about it, and I realized that I was getting worked up over nothing.”

“No, you have a right to know,” Taka said. He reached down, and grabbed the hem of his jacket with his free hand, and rubbed it between his fingers. “Remember how I said I was having that dream almost every single night?”

“Yeah,” Saki said, his insides twisting into knots. Even without being able to imagine what it would be like to have a nightmare every night for weeks, he knew that it would be unimaginably awful.

Taka hesitated. “Well, umm...the last person...I would...hurt...every time...was you.” He twisted the hem of his coat tightly. “It was always the part I remembered the clearest. Even after I woke up, it lingered in my mind...More than anyone else...hurting you hurt me the most.”

Saki swallowed.

“I remember that you gave up part way through, and just...let it happen,” Taka said in a tiny voice. He gripped the hem of his coat tightly and pulled downward. “And you told me...that it wasn't my fault...”

Confused, Saki asked, “What does that mean, 'it wasn't your fault'?”

Taka shook his head. “I'm not sure...maybe it means that hurting you wasn't my fault. Maybe you knew that I was being controlled.” He looked down. “I don't know. The more I think about it, the more it hurts.”

Instinctively, Saki pulled Taka into a tight hug, smoothing down his hair the way his own mother did when he was upset. Taka threw his arms around Saki, and hugged him back.

“When I was in that room, and you were all there...your deaths replayed in my mind, and it hurt...so much...” Tears spilled down Taka's cheeks and his shoulders began to shake. “I couldn't...look at any of you...it was just so painful...”

“It's okay,” Saki said quietly. “You don't have to say anymore. I understand now.”

Taka began to bawl, and buried his face in Saki's chest. Saki let him cry, holding him tightly and stroking his hair all the while.

“It's okay,” Saki said. “You're safe. Let it all out.”

Taka cried and cried for a long time, until he was too exhausted to cry anymore. He looked up at Saki with red-rimmed eyes, and Saki smiled at him. Taka tried to smile back, but it was weak and faded quickly.

“Can...I ask you something?” he asked in a trembling voice.

“You can ask me anything,” Saki said kindly.

“Okay.” Taka gently pulled away from Saki, and wiped his eyes with his hands. When he was ready, he gazed at Saki with a determined expression. “Can I...sleep here tonight? I don't...I don't want to go home to an empty house.” His voice wavered. “I don't want to be alone right now.”

Saki tried not to laugh. “Of course you can. You're always welcome here.”

Taka looked relieved. “I just wanted to make sure, that's all.”

Patting Taka's head, Saki opened the patio door, slipped off his outside shoes, and walked back inside. When Taka didn't immediately follow him, Saki waved for him to follow. “Come on,” he said, “Let's go find you some sleeping clothes. I think I have an old shirt or something that you can use.”

Obediently, Taka followed Saki inside the apartment, and closed the door after him. Saki slipped into the bedroom where Michi was sleeping peacefully, and as quietly as he could opened the chest of drawers and rummaged through his clothes for something Taka could borrow. Finally, he came up with an old shirt that had been stretched out in the wash, and handed it to Taka.

“It's not much,” he whispered, “But it should work.”

Taka held the shirt in his hands, and then hugged it to his chest. He smiled at Saki, and whispered back, “Thank you.”

Saki tried to find a pair of soft pants that Taka could wear, but the boy was so slender and small for his age that nothing fit properly, so they gave up. Taka insisted that he would just make do with the shirt, and the two got dressed for bed. At one point, Saki turned and spotted Taka sniffing the neck of his shirt, and Saki stared at him in amazement until Taka blushed and looked away.

“It smells like you,” he explained. “It's...comforting.”

Saki turned away from Taka, his face and ears heating up. _Oh no_ , he thought, _I think my heart might burst. He's too adorable!_

Saki crawled into his futon, and Taka crawled in after him, hugging Saki tightly.

“I want to cuddle,” he explained shyly. “I think it would help me sleep better.”

Taka's body heat was comforting, and he put his arm around Taka, who snuggled even closer and buried his face in Saki's chest. Saki could barely handle Taka being so incredibly close to him, and did his best to remain calm. After a few minutes, Saki got used to Taka's presence, and settled in to sleep.

“Pleasant dreams, Taka,” Saki whispered.

Taka didn't reply. His breathing was even and soft, and Saki realized that the boy was already fast asleep.

 _That was fast_ , Saki thought. _But I can't blame him. I bet he's exhausted_. He yawned. _So am I, actually_.

Slowly, Saki surrendered himself to the futon, and fell into a dreamless sleep.


	33. Dawn of the Idol

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Taka gets tickets to go see the taping of an idol concert, and begs Saki and the others to come with him.

Meijin sighed, and rubbed his stiff neck. He'd been working for days on rebuilding Crashman from the stored data in Axl's Chameleon Circuit, but he'd been having no luck trying to rebuild any of the Navi's behavior subroutines. 

“I know I said that I could do it,” Meijin muttered, “But when you actually get down to it, trying to recode the entire personality of a Navi you've never met before is next to impossible.” He reached for his coffee cup, and went to take a drink, but found it empty.

“Darn.” He got up from his chair, and stretched, trying to work the stiffness out of his limbs from sitting hunched over for so long. “I guess I should get another cup...I could use the exercise.” He rubbed his back. “Either I've been at this for quite a while, or I'm getting old.”

Cup in hand, Meijin left his office, and walked towards the break room. Thankfully, there was still some hot coffee in the coffee pot, so he refilled his cup and turned to leave. At that moment, Yuuichiro entered, and as soon as his gaze fell upon Meijin, his expression changed to something serious and perhaps even a little angry.

“Ahh, hello,” Meijin greeted Yuuichiro brightly. “Just getting a refill on my coffee.” He walked past Yuuichiro towards the door, but Yuuichiro slammed the door shut, and pushed Meijin up against it. Planting his arms on either side of Meijin's head, Yuuichiro glared at him and said, “We need to talk.”

“No need to be so aggressive,” Meijin said calmly, and took a sip from his cup of coffee.

“Meijin, this is _serious_ ,” Yuuichiro said, his voice strained. “It's about Zer0.”

Meijin froze. He stared back at Yuuichiro. “What about Zer0?” he asked in a dead serious tone.

Yuuichiro sighed. “Zer0's increasing aggression concerned me, since there's a chance it might lead to another accident.” He paused awkwardly, the memory of Netto being injured clearly a sensitive subject. “So I took it upon myself to see if I could find anything in Zer0's code that might explain it.”

Meijin's expression twisted into anger. “You did _what now_?”

“I know I should have asked you first,” Yuuichiro said, “But I didn't think it would be an issue, since I was using archived data.” He took a deep breath. “What I want to know is, _why are Wily's fingerprints all over that code_?”

Meijin didn't respond.

“I've seen Wily's code enough to recognize his style,” Yuuichiro went on. “And this was clearly something that he made. I can see where you altered it, of course, but the fact remains that Zer0 was something that Wily created.”

Meijin clenched his jaw. “And you want to know why I have something that Wily made in my possession?”

“That, and why you thought it would be safe to hand over to a child who didn't know any better,” Yuuichiro said, his voice still full of anger.

Meijin's shoulders slumped, and he sighed loudly. “I thought I'd never have to explain myself, but here we are.” He looked at Yuuichiro with a defeated expression. “I'll explain everything.”

“You'd better,” Yuuichiro said, pulling away from Meijin and crossing his arms.

Meijin nodded. “This goes all the way back to the events of Alpha. After Wily was arrested, I decided to poke around his lab and see what I could find.”

“Are you serious?” Yuuichiro asked in an exasperated tone. “What were you hoping to discover?”

“Anything that might give me a clue as to what he was planning,” Meijin said. “I knew it was only a matter of time before Wily escaped and tried something else, so if I could find even a small clue about what he was doing, then it would have been worth the effort.”

“I'm assuming you did find something,” Yuuichiro said.

“Yeah,” said Meijin. “I found Zer0.”

Yuuichiro took off his glasses, and pinched the bridge of his nose.

“At that time, Zer0 was unfinished,” Meijin explained. “Reading through Wily's notes, I learned that he was an attempt at having a way of eliminating Forte if he ever decided to turn against Wily for any reason. Wily had used the data that he had copied from Forte to create Zer0, but added in a few extra abilities, such as the learning program that adapted to battle. My guess was that it was designed to copy Forte's abilities and make them his own, in order to eventually overpower him.”

“I should have guessed that Wily would make something like that,” Yuuichiro muttered. 

Meijin shrugged. “He seemed pretty proud of himself too. In his notes, he referred to Zer0 as 'his greatest creation'. I don't have any clue what he was planning on doing with Zer0 once he'd defeated Forte, but there's a high likelihood that Zer0 wouldn't have followed Wily's commands anyway.”

“If he was built on Forte's framework, and if Zer0 had actually managed to absorb Forte, then it's possible that he simply would have become a stronger version of Forte,” Yuuichiro theorized. “Maybe Wily came to the same conclusion, and abandoned the project.”

“I'm willing to bet that was the case,” Meijin said. “Either way, I felt kind of sorry for Zer0. There he was, built for the singular purpose of destroying Forte, the Navi he was copied from, abandoned like a broken toy. He didn't even have any personality subroutines.” Meijin shook his head. “I knew it was a gamble, but if there was even a chance that I could give him a new purpose, then I had to take it. I stole his data, and wiped the hard drive so that no one else could use it.”

“Then you completed him, and gave him to Saki-kun,” Yuuichiro finished.

“I tweaked him a little bit first,” Meijin said. “I used his learning program as a means of helping his personality fill itself in. I also tried to lock down any of his more... _aggressive_...routines.” He sighed. “Looks like I failed.”

“It's possible that they simply found their way to the surface again,” Yuuichiro said. “Since Zer0's AI can learn and grow, it's possible that it adapted to your locks and circumvented them.”

“That's probably what happened,” Meijin said. “I suppose this was inevitable.”

Yuuichiro frowned. “All the more reason why he's dangerous.”

Meijin held up his free hand. “Now, hold on a second. I'm going to have to disagree.” He let his hand drop. “I've been keeping track of Zer0's progress, and I'm kind of astounded at how far he's come in such a short period of time. When they last came in for maintenance, after Vava's attack, Zer0 himself expressed to me his concerns over his aggressive behavior. In his own words, he felt as though 'someone else had taken control' and that he feared that he might become consumed by it. But he also stated that he had no intention to ever harm another Navi, and did everything in his power to retake control before he could.”

“He expressed concern over his behavior?” Yuuichiro asked. He seemed thoughtful. “I suppose that would indicate that he has a sense of self.”

“More than just a sense of self,” Meijin argued. “Zer0 thinks and worries. He wants to continue being the kind Navi that he is right now. He isn't the type of Navi who would want to run wild. Even in the latest case of him showing aggression, it was only because he was upset over his friends being hurt, not because he simply wanted to fight.”

“But still—” Yuuichiro said.

“I don't want to define him by his original purpose,” Meijin broke in angrily. “It would dishonor who he is now. Zer0 has become a Navi with his own ambitions and desires, and the bond he shares with Saki-kun is real. The two of them will support each other through the worst of times. And even if Zer0's programming tries to revert to its original state, I have no doubt in my mind that everything will turn out fine.”

Yuuichiro remained quiet for awhile. Finally, he lifted his head, and gave Meijin a look of concern.

“And what if it doesn't end well?” he asked. “What if Zer0 becomes violent and attacks another Navi? Or worse, forces Saki-kun to hurt another human again?”

Meijin shook his head. “I certainly hope it never comes to that.”

“So do I,” said Yuuichiro. He stayed quiet for a long time before saying, “I'll trust your judgment. But if you turn out to be wrong, I'll be certain to intervene.”

“If it ever came to it, I know you'd do the right thing,” Meijin said, opening the break room door. “But I'm fairly certain that you'll never have to step in.” He left the room, and headed back to his office.

“Ahh, I suppose the cat's out of the bag,” Meijin muttered to himself. “I wonder if I should tell Saki-kun...?”

***

“In the future, I'd appreciate it if you called for backup whenever a corrupted Navi attacks,” Enzan told Saki and Taka. “What if things had gone wrong?”

Taka shuffled his feet. “My bad. I guess I just got caught up in the heat of the moment.”

Enzan sighed. “I'm thankful that the President of Doei was so forgiving, but I doubt every instance will be like this one. More importantly, neither of you have Net Savor licenses, so if it happens like that again, there's a good chance that you two might be charged with reckless endangerment.”

Saki swallowed. “We'll try to be more careful in the future.”

“I expect better from both of you,” Enzan said. “You both represent the Ministry of Science, you know. You shouldn't do anything to give it a bad name.”

Taka tugged on his bangs. “I get it, we made a bad call. We'll be more careful in the future.”

“Good.” Enzan let out a tired sigh. “That being said, I'm sorry that your day off was interrupted. I know how much stress you've been under lately, and this probably didn't help matters.”

“It wasn't all bad,” Taka said. “Getting up on stage and pretending to be a Warrior of Justice was kind of fun! Even the President of Doei offered me a job!”

“We declined, of course,” Saki said. “I don't really want to be an actor anyway.”

Enzan shook his head. “Here I am, off tracking down Vava, and you're both off having fun on stage.” He seemed miserable. “What am I doing with my life...?”

“You know, if you're that disappointed about it, why not come with me to see another live show?” Taka said, his eyes bright. Out of his pocket, he pulled four tickets, and waved them at Enzan. “I managed to win some tickets to a taping of Aki-chan x NyaKB, and—”

“I'm not into idols,” Enzan said quickly.

“Aww!” Taka whined loudly. “But it's the only time that they'll be performing together! It's a once-in-a-lifetime experience!”

Saki narrowed his eyes. “How did you know that it was an idol show anyway?”

Enzan refused to look at Saki. “I guessed.”

Saki stared at Enzan harder. “I'm not sure about that. Even _I_ didn't know it was an idol performance until you said something.”

Enzan seemed uncomfortable. “I...seem to recall that Aki-chan was a rather big deal a few years ago. That's all.”

Saki remembered the commercial he'd seen several years before, and how Enzan had quoted the lyrics to Aki-chan's biggest hit at the time with a winning smile, and started to laugh. He slapped his hand over his mouth to try to hold it in, but he couldn't stop his shoulders from shaking.

Enzan glared at Saki, his cheeks flushed. “What are you laughing about?!”

“P-plug in your h-heart~!” Saki said through his giggles.

Enzan's face turned bright crimson, and Taka started to giggle as well. Enzan, becoming visibly upset, cleared his throat loudly.

“In any case, even if I wanted to go—which I don't—I'm far too busy to spare the time.” He waved them away. “Go ask Netto. He's usually trying to get out of doing his work, and I'm sure he'd be more than happy to go with you.”

“If you went with us, it'd be a double date,” Taka said slyly.

Saki felt his face heat up. “I-it's not a date! Besides, who said I was going anyway?!”

Taka looked up at Saki with big, watery eyes. “Are you saying that you don't want to go with me? Would you really make me go by myself?”

“Yes,” Saki said.

“Meanie!” Taka beat Saki's arm with his fists. “You're so heartless!”

“I don't know anything about idols!” Saki said. “Shouldn't you take someone who actually likes them, instead of me who won't get it, and just be bored the whole time?”

Taka huffed irritably. “You might develop an appreciation for them if you go.” he looked away. “Besides, don't you want to take part in my hobbies and interests?”

“You don't really try to take part in any of mine,” Saki replied curtly.

“Reading books sounds like something you do in the winter,” Taka said. “You know, curled up under a kotatsu with some cocoa? It has that whole sleepy atmosphere that I associate with winter, anyway.”

Saki sighed. “That just proves that you don't understand books at all.” He shook his head sadly. “Books are an escape, readily available at any time. Each book is filled with its own little world, carefully crafted by its author; a unique experience each time. The feel of the cover, the soft scent of the pages...” He sighed. “How can you contain that experience to just one season?”

Taka shrugged helplessly. “I like reading manga, I guess. Oh, and art books!”

Saki rubbed his temple. “Never mind.”

“I think you need to expand your musical library anyway,” Taka said. “All you ever sing when we go to karaoke are enka songs!”

“But I _like_ enka!” Saki snapped.

“But it's _old people music_!” Taka whined. “And you have such a nice voice too! I bet if you sang something more modern, you'd sound _amazing_!”

“I can sing whatever I want!” Saki retorted.

“Argh!” Taka ran his hands roughly through his bangs. “But listening to you try and use kobushi when you sing is just too painful! It takes years of training to use kobushi right, did you know that?!”

“I thought karaoke was supposed to be _fun_ ,” Saki griped loudly. “But if we're going to critique each other on our taste in music, then you should know that I'm _sick_ of all those saccharine pop songs about love. They're so shallow and gross, and the lyrics are usually so rudimentary! Plus, you always pick songs just out of your range, so you end up hitting the high notes sour!”

Taka put a hand to his chest, his mouth falling open in shock. “I-is that how you really feel?!”

Enzan cleared his throat loudly. “You can have your lover's quarrel, but please do it somewhere else.” He glared at them. “Some of us have work to do.”

Saki ran a hand through his hair, feeling embarrassed. “Sorry...”

“I guess we got carried away,” Taka added sheepishly.

Enzan pushed both boys away from his desk and down the aisle. “Yes, well, if you both understand, then please be on your way.”

Saki and Taka beat a hasty retreat, and went to hide in the break room. Saki looked at Taka, and Taka turned his head away with a 'hmph!'

“I wasn't trying to insult you,” Saki said.

“Well, you did it anyway,” Taka grumbled.

“To be fair, you started it,” Saki pointed out. “I won't forgive you for calling enka 'old people music'.”

“It _is_ though!” Taka insisted.

“Clearly, you've never heard anything made after the eighties!” said Saki. “There's even a style of enka that's more like modern pop music!”

Taka opened his mouth, but then snapped it shut. He seemed to become lost in thought, and Saki wondered what he was thinking about.

“You know,” Taka said slowly. “This is the first time we've ever had an argument like this.”

“Yeah,” Saki said. “It is, isn't it?”

“And it's over something stupid,” Taka said. He seemed to deflate. “I'm sorry I made fun of your choice in music.”

“Me too,” Saki said. “Even if I don't like pop music much, that doesn't mean that you can't like it.”

Taka looked at the tickets in his hand. “What now? It'll be a waste if I can't find someone to go with me...”

Saki sighed, and took one of the tickets from Taka. “I suppose I'll just have to go then.”

Taka looked confused. “Even though you hate idols?”

“They're not that bad,” Saki said. “Besides, hanging out with you is more important.”

Taka's cheeks flushed. “O-oh, I guess that's true.”

An awkward silence hung between the boys for a while, and Saki fidgeted nervously.

“Should we ask Netto?” Taka asked. “I don't know if he's into this kind of thing though...”

“It wouldn't hurt to try,” Saki said. “The worst that happens is that he says 'no'.”

“True.” Taka pumped his fists with determination. “Okay, let's go ask him!”

The boys made their way back into the office, and walked over to Netto's desk, making sure to give Enzan a wide berth. They found Netto hunched over his desk, his arms blocking whatever he was doing. Saki peeked over his shoulder, and spotted the same device that Netto had been working on a few days prior.

“What're you working on?” Saki asked.

Netto jumped, and nearly hit Saki with his arm. “Ahh!” he yelled. “Don't scare me like that!”

“S-sorry!” Saki said, taking a step back. “I didn't mean to scare you!”

“You seemed really focused on what you were doing,” Taka said. “Whatcha making?”

Netto grinned. “It's a surprise!” he said. “When it's finished, I'll show you guys.”

Saki put his hands behind his head. “Given how secretive about it you seem to be, I'm going to assume this is a personal project that you're using company time to make.”

Netto winced. “Haha, bullseye.” He put a finger to his lips. “Don't tell anyone, okay?”

“Your secret's safe with me,” Taka said, pantomiming the act of zipping his lips shut.

“Did you guys need something?” Netto asked.

“Actually,” Taka said, pulling out his tickets. “I got tickets to the taping of Aki-chan x NyaKB, and thought you might want to go.”

Netto looked at the tickets with wide eyes. “Really? Oh wow!” He grinned. “I'd love to go!”

“I didn't know you were a fan of idols,” Saki said.

“I like Aki-chan,” Netto said. “Her music is really infectious. I always get it stuck in my head.” He scratched his head. “Not familiar with NyaKB though.”

“I'm surprised!” Taka said. “They started in Akihara, after all!”

“Ehh?” Netto seemed shocked. “They're from my area?!”

“Yeah!” Taka said. “They're 'the idols you can meet'! They do live shows in Akihara all the time! In fact, they're so popular that they've expanded into several other countries.”

“I can't believe I've never heard of them!” Netto said. “You know, I've probably heard them before and just didn't know who they were.”

“One of their songs, 'Excuses, Baby!', got put into a video game,” Taka said.

“I'll probably recognize it if I heard it,” Netto admitted.

“Okay, so Netto wants to go,” Saki said. “But what about the last ticket?”

“Wanna give it to Michi-chan?” Taka asked.

Saki frowned. “Isn't this taping on a weekday? She'll have school.”

Taka snapped his fingers. “Darn.”

Netto shrugged. “I think it's fine if you don't get a fourth person. You could even sell the ticket online if you really want to get rid of it.”

“I guess...” Taka said. “I don't really know who else to ask anyway.”

“So when you say it's a 'taping', that means it's just a live performance that they're going to show on television, right?” Saki asked.

“Yeah,” Taka said. “They have to film it in advance, since everyone's schedules are really busy. The equipment needed to have Aki-chan perform on stage is also really hard to set up and take down, so recording the performance and playing it later means less chance of something going wrong.”

“It's a shame they can't perform live in a stadium,” Netto said. “I bet it'd be a great show.”

“The other issue is that the screens needed to project Aki-chan on stage are really big,” Taka added. “Remember the ones we saw at the live show at the Doei building, Saki?”

“Yeah,” Saki replied, nodding. “They did seem to take up a lot of room. Those ones were suspended above the stage, I think.”

Taka nodded. “The ones that Aki-chan needs are on the stage itself. It's not a problem if she's the only one performing, since her band doesn't move around much. But NyaKB have whole choreographed routines, and a big set of screens might get in the way.”

“So if they do it on an indoor stage, they can make adjustments?” Saki said.

“Yeah, like making the screen smaller, or having it farther back,” Taka said. “They can even take it out, and record some of the scenes separately, and edit them together later.”

“Seems a little dishonest,” Saki remarked.

Taka shrugged. “Most filmed shows are edited pretty heavily anyway.”

Netto looked thoughtful. “I wonder if I can sneak a peek at those screens...I'm interested to know exactly how they work.”

“Oho,” Taka said, his lips curving into a sly smile. “Interested in the technical side of Aki-chan, are we?”

“Only because it might help me figure out some stuff related to substantiating Navis,” Netto said. “But then again, Aki-chan is different from Navis, so I might not learn anything useful...”

Saki looked at the ticket in his hand. _Idols, huh? I guess it might be useful to at least know about them, in case Michi ever brings them up..._

“So we'll meet at the studio in Akihara at nine in the morning on Tuesday,” Taka said. “Try not to be late. Oh, and make sure you bring water with you! Cheering can be rough on your throat!”

“I'll bring some lozenges,” Saki said.

***

The day of the show came. Saki got off the Metroline, still feeling sluggish and sleepy. He yawned loudly into his hand, and rubbed at his eyes as he walked towards the studio that the taping was to take place at.

 _Even though I'm used to getting up early for work, I'm feeling a little off today_ , thought Saki. _I just hope I'm more awake for the actual performance..._

“Are you alright?” Zer0 asked, sitting on Saki's shoulder, and looking up at him with concern.

“Huh?” Saki asked. It took him a moment to realize that Zer0 had asked him a question. “Oh yeah, I'm just a little sleepy.”

“I see,” Zer0 said. “You did seem very restless last night.”

“I guess I was nervous,” Saki said. “I don't usually get nervous, though.”

“There has been a lot on your mind as of late,” Zer0 said comfortingly. “This business with the Sigma chips and Vava has even me on edge.”

Saki was quiet for a moment. “You mean what happened between you and Vava? When you went crazy and started attacking him?”

“Yes.” Zer0 looked at his hands, which were folded in his lap. “As I said then, it felt as if I was not fully in control of myself.” He hesitated. “Saki...if...if it turned out that I was...something else entirely...something more monstrous...”

“Don't finish that thought,” Saki warned. “No matter what happens, you're still Zer0.”

“Perhaps,” Zer0 said. He kicked his feet idly. “The truth is...if you had not begged me to stop, I suspect that I would not have.”

Saki took a deep, slow breath. “Well...we're a team. I'll always be there to pull you back, if things get bad. I expect that you'd do the same for me.”

“Of course,” Zer0 said, nodding. “I would never let anything happen to you. You are my dear friend, after all.”

Saki smiled, and held out his fists towards Zer0. “You're my best friend too. And my trusted partner. No matter what.”

Zer0 planted his fist against Saki's, and the two nodded.

“Okay then,” Saki said. “Let's stop worrying about that for now. Today, we're going to learn about idols.”

“Yosh!” Zer0 said, lifting his fist above his head.

Taka and Netto were already waiting for Saki when he arrived at the studio. Netto seemed like he was ready to fall asleep on his feet, so Saki gave him a gentle shake to bring him to his senses.

“Snrk! Huh?” Netto bolted awake, and looked around frantically.

“You fell asleep, Netto-kun,” Rockman said.

“Again?” Netto asked, and then yawned.

 _Augh, don't yawn!_ Saki thought. _Now I'm going...to..._ He let out a loud yawn.

“You both look pretty tired,” Taka said. “Too excited to sleep?”

Saki shook his head. “Not really. I guess I was more nervous than tired...”

“I was up all night finishing off my project,” Netto said. “But I'm really happy with it, so it was worth losing sleep over.”

“If you nap during the intermission, I won't tell anyone,” Taka said.

Saki looked at Taka, who was wearing a pair of headphones with built-in cat ears, and a shirt with a loud pop print on it of Aki-chan. Taka caught his disapproving glance, and frowned.

“What, you don't like my look?” he asked.

“I guess I'll just never understand fashion,” Saki said with a sigh. “Those headphones are ridiculous.”

“I'll have you know that these are official NyaKB merch!” Taka said, pointing to his headphones. “And the shirt's from a collaboration with a famous artist.”

“I like the headphones!” Netto said cheerfully. “The lights in them are really cool!”

“Thank you!” Taka said happily. “I'm very proud of myself for being able to snag a pair.”

“Are the headphones necessary for the enjoyment of these idols?” Zer0 asked.

“Not at all,” Saki said. “They're just another way for fans to support them.”

Taka grinned. “That's right, Zer0's never seen either Aki-chan or NyaKB before.”

“Personally, I'm a big Aki-chan fan myself,” Axl said proudly. “Her cheerful personality and upbeat songs seem to sweep away all my sadness.”

“I don't know much about NyaKB, but I also really like Aki-chan's songs,” Rockman said. “I've even been lucky enough to meet her before.”

“I'm so jealous!” Axl said. “Quick, which hand did she shake?! I want to shake it too!!”

Zer0 watched the others with a puzzled expression. “I fear that I still do not understand.”

“Don't worry,” Saki said. “There's nothing to understand.”

Zer0 seemed even more puzzled, and so Saki turned his attention to the line of people who were already waiting to file into the studio. Most of them were wearing merchandise of one of the two idols, and some people were even wearing headbands and hanten with phrases like, 'We ❤ NyaKB!' and 'Aki-chan is the best!' written on them in fabric marker.

 _I can almost smell how desperate these people are_ , Saki thought. _I just can't understand being so obsessed with something like an idol. How much money do all of these people throw away on buying merch? I just can't fathom this kind of stupidity..._

“Is this some form of competition?” Zer0 asked. “There seem to be two factions, each fervently supporting one of the combatants.”

“No, Zer0, it's a concert!” Taka explained to the befuddled Navi. “NyaKB and Aki-chan are idols! There are fans of one or the other, and sometimes fans of both! Everyone is here to enjoy the music, and cheer on their favorites.”

“I see,” Zer0 said. “Hmm, combining their talents in order to create something even more powerful.” He nodded. “I suppose I cannot underestimate them!”

“You won't be battling them, Zer0,” Saki said.

“Maybe music is too complicated for Zer0 to understand without experiencing for himself,” Rockman said.

Eventually, the doors opened, and the line was slowly ushered inside the building. Taka found their assigned seats, and they all plopped into them with a relieved sigh. Netto leaned over, and studied the stage setup carefully.

“So that's the screens, huh?” He put a hand to his chin. “I see...I wonder where the projector is...?”

Saki spotted the faint outline of the glass screens that Aki-chan would be projected onto, and his gaze traveled upwards. He noted that the lights had been carefully angled so as not to reflect off of the glass and break the illusion. Following the overhead beams, he turned in his seat to see the broadcast room at the back of the studio, where there were people already scurrying around and setting up.

“No visible projector,” Netto was muttering, “So they might act like some kind of terminal...”

Saki smiled with amusement. Netto seemed to be absorbed in trying to learn how the projection screens worked, and Saki couldn't help but think it was cute.

 _He sure does love working with electronics and gadgets_ , Saki thought. _He's probably too focused at the moment to pay attention to anything else_.

Taka reached into his shoulder bag, and pulled out a battery-powered glow stick. With a sigh, he dropped it into his lap.

“I can't turn it on, since it might affect the lighting,” he said, “But I can at least wave it during the show.”

“I don't think the lighting of one glow stick is going to affect much,” Saki said. He pointed to several fans closer to the front who each had four glow sticks, all lit in different colors.

“How inconsiderate,” Taka said with a small huff. “Well, I'm sure that they'll have to turn them off before we start.”

“And what are the lights for?” Zer0 asked. “Are they for sending messages between camps?”

“No, Zer0,” Taka said with a chuckle. “Fans light up their sticks in the image color of the girl they want to cheer for.”

Zer0 frowned. “So it is more like a warlord's banner?”

“Not really,” Taka said. “No one's going to war or anything.”

“Oh!” Zer0 said. “Then it is a transformation item?”

Saki put a hand to his mouth to stifle his laughter. Since most of what Zer0 knew was things that he had seen on television, he could only make comparisons to old period dramas and shows about heroes.

 _I should probably try letting him watch different types of programs_ , Saki thought. 

“It's more like when people wear shirts with their favorite characters on them,” Taka explained to Zer0. “You remember me explaining about that in Shibuya, right?”

Zer0 nodded. “Yes, I recall. You had said that it was to show support.”

“Right!” Taka said. “These people are showing support!”

It was as if a light bulb had turned on in Zer0's mind. He nodded with understanding. “Then, you will also show support?”

“Not today,” Taka said. “It would cause too many problems.” He pointed to the group of fans near the front. An usher had come over and informed them that they couldn't have their glow sticks on, because it might cause reflections on the glass screens, and the group looked crestfallen. 

“Such an overwhelming enemy,” Zer0 muttered. “Able to subdue them in one move...”

“We need to get you a hobby that doesn't involve Net Battling,” Saki told Zer0.

“So I think I've narrowed down how these screens work,” Netto said suddenly, and everyone turned to look at him. “My best guess is that there's a projector hidden in the ceiling somewhere. It uses the screens to create depth, and make it seem like Aki-chan is more three dimensional.”

“Only Netto would ruin the magic,” Taka said with a laugh.

“I'm impressed that you figured it out so fast,” Saki said.

Netto looked proud of himself. “Well, not to brag or anything, but I am going to school to learn about things like this.”

“Your grades are saying otherwise,” Rockman muttered.

The last of the guests filed into the studio and found their seats. After a few minutes, a man in a flashy suit took the stage, and the fans all cheered excitedly.

“Good morning!” the man said into a microphone that he was holding. “I'm very glad that all of you could come. Today, we'll be recording a concert by the lovely and talented ladies, NyaKB and everyone's favorite digital idol, Aki-chan! We'll need your participation for the concert, as well as for the interview at the end.”

“An interview, huh,” Taka murmured. “I see why it's in a studio now.”

“We'll sit down with each guest in turn,” the man explained, “Starting with NyaKB, and ending with Aki-chan. We would really love it if you all laughed at the funny stuff, and clapped at all the heart-warming moments.”

“It's probably a publicity stunt,” Saki said. “Not only do they gain the cross promotion of performing together, but they also have a chance of winning people over during the interviews.”

“And since it'll be on television, lots of people will tune in,” Taka added. “Which means good ratings for the studio.”

“It's still odd that it's being filmed so early in the morning,” Netto said. “Maybe they're anticipating a lot of delays?”

“Anyway, without further ado, we're going to get this concert underway!” the man in the flashy suit said, and the whole crowd burst out in loud cheers and whistles. “In a moment, we'll be starting the cameras, so please take this time to silence your PETs and turn off all your glow sticks.”

A camera was wheeled into place in the aisle between the seats, and two more were moved into position on either side of the stage. Taka bounced excitedly in his seat as the lights over the audience dimmed. The tension in the room made the hair on Saki's neck stand straight up. The chant of, 'Nya~K~B! A~ki~chan!' rose up from the crowd, and after what felt like forever, the man in the flashy suit walked back onto the stage.

“Ladies and gentlemen!” he said. “Welcome to the most exciting concert of the year, featuring the meow-velously talented NyaKB and the Digital Diva herself, Aki-chan! Here, on this stage, you'll get to see them perform, and at some point, you'll be in for a very special treat! So don't go anywhere, dear viewers! Put off all of your other obligations! For the next few hours, you belong to us!”

“I wonder if he writes his own jokes,” Saki muttered.

“I can't tell if he's bad or just pathetic,” Taka said.

“Netto chuckled. “It's almost like a threat!”

The audience cheered, despite the announcer's terrible intro, and thankfully the announcer left the stage before things could get worse. A moment later, a group of girls in plaid skirts and cat-ear headbands walked onto the stage to raucous applause.

“Hello, everyone!” the girl in the front said. “We're all so nya-ppy that you chose to join us this evening! We're NyaKB, and we're here to sing our hearts out to mew!”

“I love you!” yelled one of the fans near Saki.

“Please, marry me!” another one screamed.

Saki cringed. He tried as hard as he could to ignore the fanaticism, but it was still embarrassing to be around. Even Taka seemed a little off-put by the remarks. 

“This is going on television,” he muttered angrily under his breath. “Try to control yourselves a little!”

“We're going to start our show by singing one of your favorites,” the girl on stage continued. “So here we go! 'Excuses, Baby!'”

The crowd let out a loud cheer, and the girls took their positions. As the music started, the group moved in unison, each girl matching their rhythm to the one next to her. As the lyrics started, Saki found himself tapping his fingers, and smiled.

 _I guess I see why they're so popular_ , he thought. _They're kind of cute, actually_.

As he listened to the lyrics, however, he suddenly felt a flash of discomfort. He realized it was a song about a girl who falls in love with her classmate, and who is just making excuses about why she won't confess.

“ _I thought that you were just a friend.  
I want to see you now._”

The words made Saki glance over at Taka, who was staring up at the girls with rapt enthusiasm, and he felt his face heat up.

 _Wait...why am I...?_ Saki felt like he couldn't think straight. The lyrics of the song kept stirring up the muddy feelings inside of Saki more and more.

“ _Baby,  
Baby,  
I might like you  
I know this is love  
I'm just making excuses, baby!_”

Saki put a hand to his mouth. _Do I...like Taka as more than just a friend? No, that can't be possible! He's younger than me, and we don't have any of the same interests. Plus, he dresses like a girl, and has way too many hobbies, and he's kind of embarrassing to be around!_ Taka glanced over at Saki, and flashed him a smile, which caused Saki's heart to stutter. _And...and he's a really good listener, and he's really supportive, and..._ Saki slumped back in his seat, and ran a hand through his hair. _Oh no...this is bad..._

“You okay?” Netto asked, leaning in close and yelling into Saki's ear.

“Yeah,” Saki yelled back. “I just...realized something, that's all.”

“If you need to leave and get some air, you'll have to wait until the break,” Netto told Saki. “But you can lean on my shoulder if you feel tired, okay?”

“Okay, thanks,” Saki said. He sank lower in his seat, and put his face in his hands. _Do I actually like Taka, and I'm just making excuses...?_

As the song ended, everyone let out a loud cheer, and Taka waved his unlit glow stick excitedly. The girls in NyaKB waved back to the audience, all smiles.

“Thank you! Thank you very much!” The girl in the center of the group spoke to the audience in a warm tone. “We're so grateful to be able to perform here for you all to-nya-ght. Without the support of our fans, we mew-dn't be where we are today.”

The group sang a few more songs, but Saki wasn't really listening anymore. He stared off in a daze, trying to put together in his mind all the clues that led to him developing a crush on Taka. The more he thought about it, the more he realized that the nature of their relationship has shifted slightly over time, until Saki thought of Taka less as a little brother, and more like someone he could share his heart with.

 _This is crazy!_ Saki screamed internally. _Taka doesn't feel that way about me at all! Nothing he did was romantic in the slightest! All he did was try to be a good friend. Why can't I just think of him as a friend?! Why does it have to be romantic?!_ He bit down on his thumbnail. _Oh no, this is the situation with my class rep all over again...I can't let it end the same way! I have to take these feelings for Taka, and crush them!!_

Finally, the girls sang their final song, and the crowd cheered and begged for an encore. NyaKB waved to the audience, and filed off the stage one by one. Eventually, the man in the flashy suit came back onto the stage, and spoke into his microphone.

“A meow-velous purrformance by NyaKB! We're going to take a very short break, and when we come back, Aki-chan is going to be performing! Don't change those dials, folks!”

A moment later, one of the camera operators yelled 'cut!', and everyone moved to adjust the sets and set up for the next performance. The man with the flashy suit told the audience, “You may now take a short break if you'd like. We'll be starting again in fifteen minutes.”

“C-can we meet NyaKB?” one of the fans in the front asked.

“Sorry, the girls don't have time for meet-and-greets today,” the host said with a dangerous smile. “But we might take fan questions during the post-concert interviews.”

A few small groans rose up from the audience. Taka rolled his eyes.

“Amateurs,” he muttered.

Netto put his hand on Saki's shoulder. “Are you okay? You look kind of overwhelmed.”

“It's a lot to take in,” Saki said.

“Isn't it fun?” Taka asked, giving Saki a dazzling smile. Saki did his best not to scream.

“Y-yeah,” he said, managing to keep his cool, if only just barely.

“So, Zer0,” Axl asked. “Figures out how concerts work yet?”

Zer0 looked thoughtful for a moment. “I have learned that these 'idols' are masters of persuasion. They perform hypnotic movements and mind-altering sounds to ensnare their targets, thus bringing in new followers to do their bidding.”

Axl slapped his hand to his face. “Oh boy, I don't think he gets it yet.”

“You're getting closer,” Rockman said. “Although it's nothing so devious. They're just making music that people will enjoy, that's all.”

“Their followers seem almost fanatical in their devotion,” said Zer0. “Is this also common?”

“Sadly, yeah,” Taka said. “There's been some... _incidents_ at their meet-and-greets before.”

“That would explain why those fans got shot down so fast,” Netto said. “It's probably for the best.”

“Well, anyway, Aki-chan is next!” Taka said. He gave Saki a shake. “Aren't you excited, Saki?”

“Huh?” Saki asked, startled. He came back to his senses, and stared at Taka, confused.

“Are you excited to see Aki-chan perform?” Taka asked.

Saki glanced away. “Oh, yeah, sure.”

Taka made a concerned noise. “Hmm...maybe Saki's more tired than I thought.”

“He _has_ been pretty out of it,” Netto admitted.

“You can take a little nap if you want!” Taka said. “I'll even keep my voice down so that I don't disturb you.”

“Oh, no, I'm fine!” Saki said, shaking his head. “Don't worry about me, okay?”

Taka gave Saki a suspicious look. “Well okay then. But let us know if you need anything.”

The break ended shortly afterwards, and the host came back up on stage to announce Aki-chan, who was performing next.

“And now, the synthetic sensation, the one, the only...Aki-chan!”

The whole crowd immediately broke out in loud applause. Axl grabbed Zer0 by the arm and shook him vigorously, yelling, “It's her, Zer0! She's here! It's Aki-chan!”

In a flash of light, Aki-chan materialized on stage, and waved to the crowd. The screams and cheers reached deafening levels, and Saki winced. Next to him, Taka let out a shrill squeal of excitement.

Netto also let out an excited yell, but his excitement seemed less about Aki-chan herself, and more about the technology being used to make her appear.

“Wow! They really polished her model! She looks so real! It's like she's really up on stage!” He turned to Saki with a huge grin. “This kind of image technology is really impressive!”

“It sure is,” Saki said, giving Netto a weak smile. He was glad that Netto was enjoying himself, even if Saki couldn't be quite as enthusiastic.

“Hello, everyone!” Aki-chan said. In response, a few more people screamed excitedly. “I'm so glad that you're here with me tonight!”

Rockman shook Zer0 vigorously. “Ahh, it's her! Can you believe it?!”

Zer0, now quite dizzy, could only moan in distress.

“I'm honored to be able to share the stage with NyaKB tonight,” Aki-chan said. “What I'm even more excited about is the song that we'll both be performing at the end of the night.”

A chorus of confused but excited cheers rose up from the audience, and Taka became more animated. He grabbed Saki by the arm, and excitedly whispered, “What?! I didn't know about a collab!”

“I hope that you look forward to it!” Aki-chan said, and gave a small bow. As she straightened back up, music started to play. “This next song is an old fan-favorite. I hope you'll sing along, everyone!”

The opening lyrics to 'Install Your Heart' brought forth a surge of nostalgia for Saki, and he couldn't help but smile. On either side of him, Netto and Taka were singing along as loud as they could, and it was only in that moment that Saki realized that Netto was slightly tone-deaf.

Like their Operators, Rockman and Axl were also singing along to the song. Zer0, however, stared at Aki-chan with a rapt expression. Saki leaned over, and tried to get a better look at Zer0, who seemed to have temporarily left his body.

“Do you like her music?” Saki asked.

Zer0 looked at Saki with bright, confident eyes. “I have become a devoted follower,” he said.

“Yeah! He's a fan!” Axl cried excitedly, hugging Zer0 tightly. “I always knew that you had excellent taste!”

As Aki-chan prepared to launch into her second verse, there was a slight tremor that shook the building. Everyone looked around, confused. Several of the camera crew motioned frantically to each other, and one person ran to check outside the studio. However, the music wasn't cut, and Aki-chan continued to sing as if nothing was wrong. Saki glanced around nervously, expecting something to happen, but nothing did.

“Maybe I imagined that,” Saki muttered.

A moment later, a howl rang out that reverberated through the speakers and produced painful and intense feedback. Everyone screamed, and Saki slapped his hands over his ears. Aki-chan stopped singing, and looked up just as a corrupted Navi materialized beside her.

Netto leaped to his feet. “Oh no!”

“Not here!” Taka wailed. “Not right now!”

The crowd descended into chaos. Everyone was confused and scared, and the crew was trying desperately to keep everyone calm. Aki-chan tried to back away from the corrupted Navi, but it was clear that she didn't have anywhere to go.

“Aki-chan!!” Axl screamed in terror.

“We have to help her!” Saki said. “She's in danger!”

Taka looked around, trying to see where he could plug Axl in. “Maybe if we plugged into the camera, we—”

Just then, a second tremor shook the building, and this time Saki was positive that he didn't imagine it. A moment later, the room rocked violently, and several strange tubes pushed themselves through the walls, floor, and ceiling. Several people shrieked in terror, and a few tried to run for the exit.

Netto's face was pale. “Dimensional Converters?! But how?!”

“Is that bad?” Taka asked. “That's bad, isn't it?”

“Dimensional Converters are what we used to use to make Dimensional Areas,” Netto hurriedly explained. “These ones look exactly like the kind the Darkloids used, so either the Darkloids are back, or someone else figured out how to use them.”

The air around them shimmered slightly, like the skin of a bubble. Saki looked back at the corrupted Navi, who was now flickering strangely, almost like an image on a television that had a bad signal. After a few seconds, it seemed to become more solid, and Saki suddenly realized that it had taken on a physical form.

“Crap,” Netto said, and pulled out his PET. “This is not good. Let me call for backup.”

Taka looked at the corrupted Navi, and then at Netto. “There's no time! We have to do something _right now_!”

“I know!” Netto said. “But I still have to follow protocol!”

The corrupted Navi turned away from Aki-chan, and moved towards the audience. It flickered slightly as it moved, and every now and then it would seem to disappear for a split second.

“You said that these Dimensional Converters make Dimensional Areas, right?” Taka asked. “Does that mean we could theoretically use Cross Fusion?”

Netto ran a hand through his hair. “Yeah, I mean maybe. The field seems kind of unstable though.”

“Even if we could, it isn't like we have Synchro chips on us,” Saki pointed out.

Netto pursed his lips, and then yanked off his backpack before rummaging through it. “Well, actually...” He pulled out two Synchro chips from his backpack.

“Why do you have those?!” Taka asked.

“I snuck them out of the office because I needed them to test my new prototype,” Netto said. He reached back into his backpack, and pulled out two devices, roughly the same size as a PET.

“What are those?” Saki asked.

Netto grinned. “These are the new and improved version of my Portable Dimensional Generator.”

Taka stared at the devices in shock. “You...managed to make it _that small_?”

“Why do you have those?!” Saki asked.

“I finished them last night,” Netto admitted. “I was going to show them to you guys after the show, but...” He gestured to the corrupted Navi. “Guess this would be a good time to give them a field test.”

“They aren't _tested_?!” Taka said, aghast.

“Well, no, I just said I finished them—”

Saki grit his teeth, and snatched one of the devices out of Netto's hands. “Tell me how this thing works.”

Netto stared at Saki in disbelief. “Are you sure?”

“There's no time to talk about this,” Saki said. He held out his hand. “The chip. Now.”

Netto handed Saki one of the Synchro chips, and Saki took it before looking at the device, trying to figure out how it worked. Netto quietly strapped the device to Saki's upper arm, and made sure it was secure before turning it on.

“This is crazy,” Taka muttered as he reached for the other device, and strapped it to his own arm before turning it on as well. Netto handed Taka the other chip, and Saki pulled out his PET before trying to swallow the lump in his throat.

“Zer0, are you ready?” Saki asked.

“Yes,” Zer0 said. “We must protect the people in this building.”

“And Aki-chan!” Axl added. “C'mon, Taka, let's give this guy a good thrashing!”

Taka pointed angrily at the corrupted Navi. “How dare you interrupt this concert! It's a once-in-a-lifetime event!”

“I didn't even get to hear Aki-chan sing her whole song!” Axl added, equally upset.

Saki glanced back at Netto. “Are you going to be okay?”

Netto gave Saki a thumbs up. “Don't worry, I can back you guys up with my Chip Gate. You just worry about getting rid of that Navi as fast as possible.”

“I'll do whatever I can, but I'm not sure that I can materialize properly when the field is this weak,” Rockman said. “Good luck! And don't do anything reckless.” 

Saki nodded, and turned back to the corrupted Navi. It looked in their direction, and stepped off the stage, as if to charge at them. Saki muttered a prayer under his breath, squeezed his eyes shut, and slotted in his Synchro chip.

It felt just like it had back at the Ministry of Science. The barrier between Saki and Zer0 dropped away, and Zer0's presence settled into Saki's chest, warm and reassuring. As he slowly pried one eye open, Saki realized that he was still in one piece, and that nothing had gone wrong with the Cross Fusion. He looked down at his arms and legs, and saw the familiar red armor, and sighed with relief. Beside him, Taka also looked at his body, and seemed relieved to see that he was still in one piece.

“I forgot to mention,” Netto said. “You guys have ten minutes.”

“What?” Saki asked. “Ten minutes? That's it?!”

“They use a solar-powered battery,” Netto explained, “And I'm still trying to work out how to maximize the energy conversion. For now, they can only hold a maximum of ten minutes of charge.”

“Nothing like a timer to put the fear in you,” Taka grumbled. “Whatever. Let's go, Saki.”

“Yeah,” Saki replied. He summoned the Z Saber to his hand, and dashed towards the corrupted Navi, using the backs of the seats like stepping stones to close the gap as fast as possible. By now, most of the audience had run for the doors, only to find that they wouldn't open. A chorus of scared voices spurred Saki on to finish the fight quickly.

“Eat this!” he yelled, and swung his saber down towards the Navi. However, the saber was slightly lighter than his practice sword, and as such, Saki put a little too much power into his swing. The blade smashed down onto the Navi's head, and it let out a pained shriek.

“Augh!” Taka slapped his hands over his ears. “I hate the noise they make!” He pulled out his pistols, and fired a blast of shots at the Navi. “Why do you all have to be so damn loud?!”

The Navi swung its hand at Saki, but he parried the hit fairly easily. Taka delivered another shower of shots, and when the Navi swung at him, he used his thrusters to leap over the Navi's arm.

 _What should I do?_ Saki thought as he attacked. _I can't risk using a big attack like Shoenzan, just in case it starts a fire, and I won't be able to take it down quickly with basic attacks. Should I just use a technique anyway?_

Zer0's reassuring presence soothed Saki's anxiety, and he spoke calmly into Saki's ear. “There are options available to us if we simply think carefully.”

“Oh!” Saki's eyes widened. “Like Kuuenzan! Why didn't I think of that one sooner?!”

The Navi lashed out again, and Saki's gaze was caught by Aki-chan, who was still on the stage. She cupped her hands around her mouth, and called out to them in an urgent voice, “Please be careful! It has a tail!”

“Tail...?” Saki realized at the last possible second that the Navi had swung its tail at him, and his body immediately reacted on its own, blocking the hit with the saber. Saki was flung across the room, but he thankfully landed in some of the chairs. He winced in pain, but he got back to his feet, and charged back in.

“Aki-chan's still up on stage!” Taka said. “Can't she leave the Network...?”

“Aki-chan's not like a Navi!” Netto explained. “She's not able to freely enter or leave Networks. More than likely, she needs to be manually moved by an Operator.”

“Then if the Network is destroyed, so is she!” Saki said, the realization filling him with dread. “We have to make sure this Navi doesn't wreck the projection screens!”

The corrupted Navi, now interested in Aki-chan, moved back onto the stage. Axl put himself between the Navi and Aki-chan, and charged up his pistols.

“Oh no you don't!” he yelled, and unleashed the Charge Shot on the Navi, who retreated back several feet.

For a moment, Rockman was able to materialize, and fired off a Charge Shot of his own, which drove the corrupted Navi back even further. However, just as quickly as he had materialized, Rockman disappeared.

“The field's still not stable enough!” Rockman said. “I'll keep trying though!”

“Thanks for the assist!” Axl said. “Come on, Taka, let's keep pushing!”

The Navi, now angry, tried to swing at Taka, but Netto quickly slotted a chip into his Chip Gate, and a Mettaur appeared, slamming its pickaxe down on the Navi's head.

“Not on my watch!” Netto said.

“Taka,” Saki said. “I'm going to try to use Kuuenzan. Can you keep it still for me?”

Taka flashed Saki a thumbs up. “You got it!” He used his thrusters to get airborne, and then rained shots down on the Navi. It thrashed and roared, but it didn't advance any closer to Aki-chan.

Saki took a running start, and launched himself off the back of one of the chairs, gripping his sword with both hands. He could gently feel Zer0 guiding him, and right at the top of the jump, Saki threw himself into a forward spin.

 _It's all up to you now, Zer0!_ Saki thought.

Almost as if he'd practiced the move, Saki delivered a powerful Kuuenzan to the Navi's body, and it let out a terrible roar of pain as thick, dark data oozed out of it. Saki landed, and turned to plunge his saber into the Navi's head.

“Say goodnight!” Saki said, and the saber sank deep into the Navi's skull.

As the Navi disintegrated under him, Saki felt a wave of relief wash over him. The Navi had been dealt with. Landing on the floor, Saki looked up, and saw that the Dimensional Converters were still firmly in place.

“I guess we'll have to get rid of those next,” Taka said, and lifted his pistol.

A sharp laugh rang out, and Saki felt a chill run up his spine. He recognized the laugh, and sure enough, Vava stepped out of the shadows near the stage, slowly clapping his hands.

“Well done,” he said. “What a good show. Had me on the edge of my seat the whole time.”

“Vava,” Netto spat angrily. “What are you doing here?”

Vava tilted his head. “Conducting a little experiment. I'd say it was quite the success, even if my guinea pig ended up getting destroyed in the end.”

“So you're the one who set up these Dimensional Converters,” Taka said. “Where did you get them?”

Vava chuckled. “The fun thing about poking around the Undernet is all the hidden treasures you can find down there.” He gestured to the Dimensional Converters. “I found these babies buried in some old, forgotten corner. Probably left over from when the Darkloids were running things.” He shrugged. “No one was there to stop me, so I took them for myself.”

“We won't let you use these Converters to hurt people!” Saki said, feeling rage build up inside of his chest. “We're going to end this, right here and now!”

Vava sighed. “I don't have time for you losers. Besides, you guys don't have the time either.”

At that moment, Saki felt the Cross Fusion undo itself, and his PET clattered to the floor, along with his Synchro chip. Taka looked down at his own PET, bewildered.

“See you next time,” Vava said, and disappeared back into the darkness with a wave of his hand. The Dimensional Converters also disappeared, and the field quickly dissipated. The doors opened, and a crowd of people who had been leaning against them spilled out into the hallway.

“What a mess,” Netto muttered as he ran over to Saki's side. He gave Saki a quick once-over, and once he was satisfied, he turned to Taka, and did the same thing as before, nodding when he saw that Taka was also alright. 

“What the heck was that all about?” Taka asked as he removed the Portable Dimensional Generator from his arm, and handed it and the Synchro chip back to Netto.

“No idea,” Netto said. He shook his head in disgust. “I should have known that Vava would dig up something like those generators. Now we have even more things to worry about.”

“Why was the field so unstable?” Saki asked, handing his PDG and chip back to Netto. “Didn't you used to use those before the Ministry made the Dimensional Generator?”

“Yeah,” Netto said. “But those converters were pretty old, and probably haven't been repaired in quite some time. Plus, Vava might not have known exactly how to use them. In any case, it was strong enough to do what he needed it to do.”

“He'll probably end up using them again,” Taka said. “I guess this means that the Net Savors that can Cross Fuse will have to be ready at a moment's notice.”

Netto winced at Taka's words. “The truth is, Enzan and Laika might be the only ones we can rely on for now.” He crossed his arms and tapped his foot. “But I think that we might be able to get licenses for the two of you as well.”

“Isn't there a lot of paperwork involved?” Saki asked. “That's usually how things like this are.”

Netto shook his head. “Nah. I'll just ask the Commissioner of the Net Police for a favor.”

“You can do that?” Saki asked.

“Sure,” Netto said. “Manabe-san kind of owes me.” He grinned. “I bet if I ask, she'll be willing to make a couple of special exceptions, just for the two of you.”

Taka's eyes lit up. “I get to be a Net Savor?!”

Saki sighed. He wasn't thrilled at the idea of Netto pulling strings, but he was grateful for the chance to finally be able to assist in the investigation legally.

One of the crew members ran over to Netto, and bowed deeply. “Thank you so much!” he said. “I'm so grateful that you were here! If anything had happened to Aki-chan, then...”

“I'm glad we were here to help,” Netto said. “I'm sorry about what happened though. It might be best if you stopped filming, and—”

“We can't do that,” the crew member said. “Our schedule is so tight that we can't afford to postpone. All we can do now is clean up the best we can, and keep going.”

“You can't be serious!” Saki said. “There was just a violent Navi in here, tearing the place up! Are you sure you want to keep recording after that?”

The crew member sighed. “This industry is brutal. If we try to postpone the shoot, then the execs will come down hard on all of us. I might even get canned.”

“That's right,” Taka said. “NyaKB are so busy that this was the only day that they could do it.”

The crew member nodded. “If we don't finish today, then we'll never get another chance.”

Saki let out a huge sigh. He could understand the pressure being put on the poor crew member, but it still seemed ridiculous that they were forced to continue under such conditions. He rubbed his neck, and gave the crew member a sympathetic look.

“Alright then, tell me what you need me to do.”

The crew member looked at Saki in shock. “R-really? You'll help?”

“You probably need every bit of help you can get,” Saki said. “So just tell me what to do, and I'll do it.”

“Me too!” Netto said. “I'm really good with electronics!”

“I don't know if I'll be much help, but I'll certainly try!” Taka said.

The crew member teared up. “I'm so thankful...ugh, thank you all so much!” He wiped his eyes with the back of his hand. “Stay here, I'm going to go get the others.” And with that, he ran out of the room.

From the stage, Aki-chan waved Netto and the others over. Rockman and Axl exchanged looks.

“I wonder what she wants?” Axl said.

“Maybe she wants to thank us!” Rockman said.

Aki-chan gave the boys a warm smile, and turned to look at Netto with appreciation. “It seems that I am once again in your debt, Netto Hikari. This makes the second time, doesn't it?”

Netto scratched his head sheepishly. “Me and Rockman didn't do much this time. It was all these kids right here.” He threw his arms around Saki and Taka's shoulders.

Taka blushed. “I'm a big fan, Aki-chan!”

“Me too!” Axl said.

“I have also been won over by your charms,” said Zer0.

Aki-chan laughed. “I'm ever so grateful to have fans like you!”

“I'm sorry that your concert got ruined,” said Saki.

Aki-chan shook her head. “It's quite alright. I'm just glad that no one was hurt.”

“They still want you to perform,” Netto said.

“And perform I shall,” Aki-chan said. “After all, there's nothing like a song to sooth the hearts of those who have been gripped by fear.”

Taka let out a happy squeal. “I can't believe I'm _this close_ to Aki-chan! No one's ever going to believe me!”

“Can I touch your hand, Aki-chan?” Axl asked.

“It won't do you any good!” she told Axl kindly. “I'm afraid I'm simply a projection on glass. But, if I were able to, I would be more than happy to give you a little kiss on the cheek as thanks for saving me.”

Axl's face flushed crimson, and he made a sound like a tea kettle.

Aki-chan looked at Zer0. “And how about you? Would you want a kiss as well?”

Zer0 shook his head. “Your thanks are more than enough for me.”

Aki-chan giggled. “My! What a gentleman!”

Saki laughed weakly. “More like Zer0 wouldn't know a good thing if it hit him in the face.”

Zer0 looked at Saki, confused, and everyone else laughed.

The crew member from before ran back into the room. “Can I get your help putting all the chairs back?”

“Sure!” Netto said. “We'll be right there!” He turned back to Aki-chan, and smiled. “Sorry, Aki-chan, but we have to get to work. But I hope the rest of your performance goes great!”

“I'm sure that it will!” Aki-chan replied happily.

“I'll never forget this,” Axl said, sobbing. “I'll remember it for the rest of my life!”

“Come on, you big, dramatic turkey,” Taka said, dragging Axl away.

“Aki-chan, I love you!” Axl yelled.

Saki smiled and waved as he hopped off the stage. “See you!”

Aki-chan waved back. “I hope that I continue to make you happy through my music,” she said, and then disappeared from sight.

***

It took a few hours, but everyone managed to clean up the mess left by the Dimensional Converters and the corrupted Navi. Some of the other fans had pitched in, and with everyone working together it wasn't long before everything looked almost exactly as it had when the concert had started. The crowd cheered as they took their sets, and settled in for the rest of the performance.

Once more, Aki-chan took the stage, and sang with all her heart. By the end of her set, even Saki felt moved, and swayed gently back and forth in his seat to the rhythm of her songs. As the last song ended, the crowd erupted in uproarious applause.

“Thank you!” Aki-chan said. “I'm so happy that I was able to share my songs with all of you tonight.”

Some of the fans in the front started to bawl, and she gave them a soft smile.

“However, all good things must come to an end. But before it does, I would like to welcome NyaKB back to the stage, for one last song.”

NyaKB filed back out onto the stage, and everyone cheered and clapped as loudly as they could. The lead girl in NyaKB stepped forward, and addressed the crowd excitedly.

“It's been quite the nya-ght! I've had so much fun, I don't want to stop!” She grinned. “But like Aki-chan said, this is our last song.” She motioned to Aki-chan, who was standing beside her. “We all wrote this song together! We hope that our felines reach you!”

The crowd fell silent, and the girls of NyaKB took their places on the stage. Slowly, a delicate instrumental piece swelled up, and bit by bit, the song became a lot grander, until it launched into a joyous explosion of sound. The girls in NyaKB launched into a choreographed dance, and Aki-chan opened her mouth and started to sing. The girls in NyaKB joined in, and through their lyrics they wove the story of a pair of friends who were sad at their sudden separation, but who find joy in the few moments they have left together.

“ _The distance doesn't seem so far  
when all I have to do is think of you._”

Taka grabbed Saki's hand and gave it a squeeze. Saki looked at Taka, and Taka smiled happily.

“I'm so glad you came,” he said. “I wouldn't want to share this experience with anyone else.”

Saki felt his heart skip several beats, and his face heated up. He slapped a hand over his mouth, hoping that Taka wouldn't notice his flushed face in the darkened room.

 _Dummy_ , Saki thought. _That's what I was going to say...!_

***

Groggily, Saki opened his eyes. Netto and Taka were staring down at him, and Saki suddenly realized that he was laying down with his head on something soft and warm. Turning his head slightly, Saki realized that the thing that his head was on was Taka's lap. His face heated up, and he shot to his feet as if he'd been yanked up by invisible wires. 

“Have a good nap?” Netto asked.

“Wh-when did I fall asleep?” Saki asked.

“Right after we got to the station,” Taka said. “You were sitting on the bench next to me, and then suddenly, you were fast asleep. So I thought I'd let you lay down for a bit before we went home.”

“Th-th-that wasn't necessary!” Saki yelped.

Netto laughed. “Are you embarrassed? You shouldn't be! We had a long day, and you used Cross Fusion, so of course you'd be exhausted.”

“B-but did you have to let Taka be my lap pillow?” Saki asked, his ears burning with shame.

“You should be thankful that I was so generous!” Taka teased. “Who else has a lap that is so soft and cushy?”

“That's not—! Argh!” Saki ran his hands angrily through his hair. “Whatever! I'm going home!”

“Okay then!” Netto said. “Try not to fall asleep before you reach your station!”

Taka waved. “Have a good night, Saki! Talk to you tomorrow!”

Saki ran for the station, and didn't look back. He could feel how hot his face was, and his heart was beating irregularly. If he looked back, Saki was certain that he would have a heart attack.

_My head was in his lap!! I had my head in his lap!!_

As soon as Saki got home, he tore off his shoes, and ran for the bedroom. Keiko looked up in surprise as he passed.

“Oh hey, Saki! How was the concert?”

Saki tore open the closet, and threw himself onto his futon before burying his face in his pillow and screaming.

“That good, huh?” Keiko asked.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> _Hey everyone! Just a few quick notes!_
> 
> _If you watch anime, you might be familiar with a hanten! It's a less formal version of a haori—a type of jacket worn with kimonos—and are sometimes padded for warmth in the winter months. I've seen characters in anime wear them while studying, or just lazing around the house in the winter. The best example I can think of of a hanten decorated with uplifting messages is from Lovely Complex, where Risa decorates one for Otani to wear while he's studying for his entrance exams._
> 
> _Aki-chan's depiction in the anime is a little confusing, so I edited her slightly to resemble a Vocaloid! The technology used to project Aki-chan onto the stage is almost the same as what is used to project Miku onto a stage during one of her concerts! I thought that this would make more sense than...whatever the anime was trying to do. (Aki-chan Miku Miku Move model when??!?)_
> 
> _Anyway, thanks for sticking with me so far! This chapter was way longer than usual (I blame Saki), but I had a blast writing it!_


	34. Therefore I Am

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Netto is very excited to show off his and Enzan's pet project.

“So, let me see if I have this right,” said the head of the Board of Directors. “You smuggled two Synchro chips out of the Ministry of Science, and used them, along with an untested prototype device, all without informing the authorities?”

Netto swallowed. “Uhh, I mean, it's a little more nuanced than that, but...yeah.”

Beside Netto, Yuuichiro crossed his arms. “Netto signed them out.”

Netto glanced at his father, surprised.

Yuuichiro adjusted his glasses. “He followed protocol. I can show you the sheet, if you'd like—”

“The chips were never allowed to leave the premises, Professor Hikari,” the head of the Board said coldly. “I thought I had made that fact _very_ clear.”

“Please be reasonable,” Commissioner Manabe said. “Had he not taken those chips with him, then this incident might have been much, much worse.”

“That's why we carried them around with us in the first place!” Netto said. “You never know when something will happen!”

“That may have been the case seven years ago,” the head of the Board said, “But there hasn't been any need for Cross Fusion since the Super Cybeast incident. I saw no need to have them be carried around so casually.”

Manabe frowned. “By restricting access to the chips, you're also impeding the Net Police. Or were you not aware that Enzan Ijuuin, one of the few people able to use Cross Fusion successfully, is an active member of our investigation into the Sigma chips? What would happen to him if he ended up trapped in a Dimensional Area without a chip? Or what if there was a situation that required him to Cross Fuse, but he wasn't able to?”

The head of the Board sighed. He rubbed his temple, and leaned back in his chair.

“That's why I think you should lift the restrictions on the chips,” Manabe continued, “And allow the Ministry of Science to refine Netto-kun's prototype.”

Netto looked at Manabe, then at his father, in shock. The head of the Board looked at Yuuichiro, and Yuuichiro smiled back.

“We have every intention of refining my son's prototype,” he said. “Its usefulness is too great to ignore.”

“But you have the Dimensional Generators,” the head of the Board said. “Why would you need this device?”

“There are places that the Dimensional Generators can't reach,” Yuuichiro explained. “Underground, for instance, or in areas with intense interference. In those kinds of places, the PDG is more reliable. Not to mention, the enemy has access to Dimensional Converters. Inside an unstable field, the PDGs can run successfully, as was proven at the last incident at the television studio.”

And what if the satellites go down?” Manabe said. “We need to be prepared for a worst case scenario.”

The head of the Board seemed to think this over. Finally, he folded his hands on the desk and looked at Manabe and Yuuichiro with a tired expression.

“Very well. You've made an excellent argument. I'll allow the Ministry of Science to begin work on refining Netto Hikari's prototype. I'll also lift the restrictions on the Synchro chips.” He gave Netto a hard glare. “But! The restrictions in place for Netto Hikari regarding his need to be supervised will remain in place.”

Netto let out a sigh of relief, and smiled. “Yes, sir!” he said.

“Is that all?” the head of the Board asked.

“Yes, sir,” Yuuichiro said. “We'll be going now.”

Netto, Manabe and Yuuichiro left the office, and breathed a collective sigh of relief once they were a safe distance away.

“I'm glad that we were able to convince him,” Manabe said.

“Yeah,” Netto said. “I honestly didn't think he was going to let us have the chips back.”

“All's well that ends well,” Yuuichiro said. “Now you won't have to pretend you aren't working on the PDGs during company hours.”

Netto looked embarrassed. “I guess I wasn't doing a very good job of keeping it a secret, huh?”

Yuuichiro chuckled. “I had always planned on adapting your prototypes, but I suppose it's much sooner than I had expected.”

“At least now I don't have to worry about failing my final project,” Netto said. “Even if that is a few years away...”

“It'll be even longer if you don't start putting some real effort into your homework,” Rockman grumbled.

Netto looked at Manabe and grinned. “Say, Manabe-san, I have a favor to ask...”

Manabe smirked. “Oh?”

“See, there's these two kids,” Netto explained, “And they're really talented at Cross Fusing. They'd be a big help to your investigation, but the problem is that they don't have licenses.”

“You want me to make them Net Savors?” Manabe asked.

Netto clasped his hands together in a pleading motion. “Could you? Pretty please?”

Manabe crossed her arms. “What you're asking for isn't an easy thing, you know. There's a lot of paperwork involved. Plus, I still have to contact my superiors, and—”

“I know it's a lot to ask!” Netto said. “But these kids are in a lot of danger. It's very obvious that Vava is targeting them, and I don't know how much longer we can continue to get lucky.” He looked at Manabe with a pleading expression. “Please...I promise you won't regret it!”

Manabe seemed to think about this, her expression troubled. Finally, she sighed. “Alright, I'll push the paperwork through,” she said. “I should be able to get their licenses by Monday.”

Netto pumped his arms triumphantly. “Yes!” He threw his arms around Manabe, and gave her a tight hug. “Thank you, thank you, _thank you_!”

Manabe laughed. “You don't have to thank me quite so enthusiastically.”

***

The next day, Enzan was returning to his desk from refilling his coffee mug when he heard a familiar voice.

“Enzan!” Netto called, running over to Enzan and grabbing his arm excitedly. “It's done! I finally finished it!”

Enzan looked at Netto curiously. “You finished what now?”

Netto gave Enzan's arm a shake. “You know, _our pet project_! I finally finished my half of it!”

Enzan's eyes widened. “You did?” His face lit up. “That's great! Have you tested it yet?”

“Not yet,” Netto said. “I was planning on doing it when you were free.”

Enzan made a thoughtful expression. “Hmm...I suppose I could clear my schedule...”

“How about this weekend?” Netto asked. “Like, Sunday?”

Enzan frowned. “It's short notice...”

Netto looked at Enzan with pleading eyes.

“But I might be able to make it work,” Enzan finished.

Netto let out a soft cheer, and hopped up and down a few times. “I'm so excited! I'm going to invite Saki and Taka too. I want them to see what we made.”

“Are you going to tell them ahead of time?” Enzan asked, “Or are you going to keep it a surprise?”

“Oh, _obviously_ it's going to be a surprise,” Netto said with a devilish grin. “We wouldn't want it any other way.”

Enzan shook his head, and let out a bemused sigh. “I suppose that's fine. Either way, I'm eager to see their reactions.”

Netto let out a cackle. “This is going to be the best afternoon _ever_.”

***

“I wonder what Netto was so excited about?” Taka said as he and Saki walked to Netto's house on Sunday afternoon. “He looked like he was holding in a huge secret.”

“I thought he was going to grin so wide that he'd split his face in half,” Saki said. “He's absolutely terrible at hiding things.”

“But if he's excited, then it's bound to be good,” Taka said. “I can't wait to see what it is!”

Saki knocked on the door, and after a moment Netto answered, smiling. “I'm so glad that you could make it!” he said. Moving aside, he said, “Why don't you come in?”

“Don't mind if I do!” Taka said, entering the house. Saki followed, and gave Netto a polite nod.

“Enzan's in the living room,” Netto explained. “Follow me!”

Saki frowned. He couldn't put his finger on it, but something seemed... _off_ about Netto. For one thing, he was speaking more politely than he normally did. But there was something about his smile that was especially strange.

 _I can't put my finger on it_ , Saki thought as he followed Netto to the living room. _I just know that something's kind of different about Netto..._

Enzan was seated on the couch in the living room when they entered. He set down his cup, and turned to look at them.

“Hi Enzan!” Taka said. 

Saki suddenly realized that there was someone else on the couch with Enzan, someone that Saki wasn't familiar with.

“Who's your friend?” Taka asked.

The man next to Enzan wore a black suit and had long pale hair. He seemed familiar, but Saki couldn't quite place where he'd seen him before. The man's dark sunglasses gave him an intimidating aura, but a moment later he nodded politely and Saki felt a little more at ease.

“Oh, this is...” Enzan began, but trailed off. The man in the suit tugged at a yellow scarf around his neck and looked at the floor in a way that made Saki think that he was nervous.

“You can call me...Aoki...” he said quietly.

Saki frowned. The feeling of familiarity was only growing stronger, but he still couldn't figure out why.

“Nice to meet you!” Taka said. “I'm Taka, by the way.”

“Yes,” Aoki said. “I...I've heard much about both of you.”

“So how do you know Enzan?” Saki asked.

“I'm his...bodyguard,” Aoki explained. Saki thought the hesitation was strange, but chalked it up to the man being nervous.

“Aoki has been with me since I was a child,” Enzan explained. “I trust him more than anyone else in the world.”

Aoki's face flushed at the praise, and Saki couldn't help but smile. It was apparent that the two were very close.

Taka turned to Netto with a puzzled expression. “Is this what you called us over for?”

“Well, not exactly,” Netto said. “But before we talk about that, why don't I get you something to drink.”

Saki narrowed his eyes at Netto. The suspicious feeling he'd had when he'd entered the house was only growing stronger.

“Why don't I give you a hand?” Saki suggested.

“Oh no, it's quite alright!” Netto said. “You're guests! Let me handle it.”

Now Saki _knew_ something was off. Netto never passed up an offer to help, since it meant less work for him. If Netto wasn't accepting Saki's offer, then something _had_ to be wrong.

“You seem...different, Netto,” Saki said. “Are you feeling okay?”

Netto seemed to panic slightly. “H-huh? Oh no, I'm fine!” He grinned. “I'm sure that you're just imagining things!”

Taka gave Netto a suspicious look. “I don't know, you seem a little weird.”

Enzan gave Netto a look. “I'm sure you're just tired.”

“That's it,” Netto said. “I must be tired.”

Saki highly doubted that Netto was tired. Enzan's interjection had only convinced Saki that something was most definitely off about Netto, and that Enzan was in on it.

“You can't fool me,” Saki said. “I highly doubt you're tired. If anything, you're not even acting like yourself.”

“Huh? What do you mean?” Netto asked. “I'm the same as always!”

“But you're being super polite,” Saki pointed out.

“And when Saki asked if he could help, you turned him down,” Taka added.

“A-ahh...” Netto looked nervous. “Umm, I guess I thought that I could handle it...for once...”

Saki sighed. “Look, I don't know what's going on, Netto, but you can talk to us about it.”

“Talk to you about what?” Netto asked from behind Saki.

Saki and Taka jumped, and whipped their heads about to see Netto standing behind them, grinning from ear to ear.

“N-Netto?!” Taka stuttered. “B-but if you're here...”

“...Then who's that?” Saki finished, pointing at the other Netto.

With a laugh, the other Netto smoothed his hair down, and smiled. “Sorry, but I couldn't resist a small prank.” He gave a bow. “My name is Saito Hikari. I'm pleased to meet you.”

Netto ran to stand at Saito's side, and threw an arm around his shoulders. “We thought we'd pull a prank on you guys, and see how long it took to figure out that Saito was just pretending to be me.”

“It wasn't easy to tell at first,” Saki said. “You two look almost identical.”

“That's because Saito's my twin brother,” Netto explained.

Taka and Saki both stared at Netto with open mouths.

“What do you mean, 'twin brother'?!” Taka asked. “You've never even _mentioned_ him before!”

“Yeah!” Saki added. “That's not just something you can _casually_ drop in our laps, you know!”

Netto bonked his head playfully with his fist. “Sorry, sorry! I guess it just slipped my mind!”

“Ahh, it's okay,” Saito said. “I've been away for a while, and just got back recently. It probably never occurred to him to mention me.”

Saki gave both Hikari boys a suspicious glance, but dropped the subject. He stared at Saito, once again feeling a strange sense of familiarity wash over him. The tone and cadence of the boy's voice was so familiar to him, but again he could not place it.

“Were you visiting someone?” Taka asked Saito.

Saito smiled. “I was in Amerope. We have family over there you see, and I was staying with them for a while, attending school. But I've taken some time off to come home for a visit.”

“Ohh!” Taka's face lit up. “Where in Amerope? My brother went to a school there, so I might know where you're staying!”

“Ahh, that's...” Saito began, but Netto interrupted.

“Saito, I'm hungry!” he whined. “Can't you make me something?”

Saito sighed. “Dinner won't be for a long while yet.” He put his hands on his hips. “It's so hard to keep up with your appetite.”

“I don't want to wait for dinner,” Netto moaned. “I'm hungry _now_.”

Taka and Saki plopped down on the other couch, and made themselves comfortable. 

“I don't mind waiting,” Enzan said. “But another cup of coffee would be lovely.”

“Of course!” Saito said happily, and took Enzan's empty cup from him. He looked at Aoki, who seemed to flush nervously, and asked, “Would you like some as well?”

“No, thank you,” Aoki said stiffly. “I'm fine.”

Taka leaned over, and whispered to Saki, “I think there's something going on between those two.”

“What, you mean Saito-kun and Aoki-san?” Saki asked.

Taka nodded. “There's so much romantic tension between them!”

Saki gave Taka a flat look. “Stop reading into things. They're probably just getting used to each other.” He tugged at a piece of hair near his ear. “Aoki-san seems really uncomfortable in general, actually. I wonder if he's okay?”

“Maybe he's the strong, silent type,” Taka said.

Saito quietly cleared his throat, and both boys looked over at him. Once he had their attention, Saito smiled, and asked, “Can I get you anything?”

“Oh, we don't want to impose,” Saki said. “I'll have coffee too.”

“I don't want coffee,” Taka said. “So I guess water's fine.”

“I could always make the coffee really sweet,” Saito said. “That's how Netto likes his coffee, after all.”

“I drink it black!” Netto insisted.

Saito gave Netto a look. “You mean you take a sip, and then add cream and sugar,” he said.

Netto grumbled. “I'm not a little kid, you know.”

With a sigh, Saito picked up Enzan's coffee cup, and walked to the kitchen. As soon as Saito had left the room, Saki leaned over and whispered to Taka, “Okay, is it just me, or is there something _really_ familiar about Saito-kun and Aoki-san?”

“It's not just you,” Taka whispered back. “I can't help but feel that I know them from somewhere...”

Axl and Zer0 appeared on their Operator's shoulders, and exchanged glances.

“You think so too, right Axl?” Taka asked.

“Yeah,” Axl said, nodding. “I'm almost positive I've heard their voices before.” He scratched his nose. “And I _never_ forget a voice.”

Zer0 was oddly silent, and Saki gave him a concerned look. In response, Zer0 simply shook his head.

“Do you know something, Zer0?” Axl asked eagerly.

“I...dare not say,” Zer0 said.

“So you _do_ know!” Axl said. “C'mon, tell us!”

Zer0 shook his head. “There must be some reason for their actions. I will simply trust in them for now.”

Saki felt puzzled. “What do you mean...?”

In the meantime, Netto had flopped down next to Enzan, and leaned against his shoulder.

“Enzan,” he whined, “Saito's picking on me!”

“Is that so?” Enzan said.

Netto looked up at Aoki. “You think Saito's picking on me, right Aoki?”

The man shifted. “I don't think that he's picking on you.”

Netto pouted. “You're just saying that because you like Saito more than me!”

Taka perked up at the conversation, and leaned forward. “Is that true, Aoki-san?” he asked. “Do you like Saito-kun?”

Aoki's face flushed, and he looked away. “I refuse to answer that.”

“Saito is the well-behaved brother,” Enzan said calmly. “It's only natural that Aoki would like him more.”

“Enzan-sama,” Aoki murmured. “ _Please_.”

“What does that say about you?” Netto asked Enzan. “I mean, I'm your favorite twin, right?”

Enzan looked away, and didn't reply.

“No!” Netto howled. “How could you?! I thought what we had was special!!”

“Ice cold,” Saki muttered.

Saito returned, carrying a tray of cups. He set it on the coffee table, and passed out the cups of coffee to everyone. Immediately, Netto reached for his cup and took a sip, only to yelp in pain.

“Ow, ow, ow!” he said, nearly dropping his coffee cup.

“It's still hot, you know! At least let it cool down before you drink it!” Saito chided. “Honestly, you're always so impatient, Netto-k—”

Saki wasn't certain, but he almost thought he heard Saito bite down on his words, as if he was about to say something that he shouldn't. Enzan sipped his coffee calmly. If he'd noticed Saito's slip-up, he didn't show it.

“I'm thorry,” Netto mumbled unhappily. “Ugh, I think I burned my thongue...”

Taka carefully sipped his coffee, and made a face. “Ugh, still bitter...”

Saito looked upset. “Oh dear...I thought I'd added enough cream and sugar...”

“It's not your fault,” Taka said. “No matter how much sugar I add, coffee is always bitter to me.”

“Bitterness is a mature flavor,” Saki said almost smugly. “It just proves how immature you really are.”

“I'll fight you,” Taka growled.

Saki rolled his eyes. He glanced over at Aoki, who was quietly sitting with his hands folded in his lap, and wondered what kind of person he really was. If his silence was because of nervous energy, then it could mean that he might actually be a very talkative person normally.

 _Does he not like coffee?_ Saki thought. _He didn't have a cup earlier..._

“Netto,” Taka said, breaking through Saki's thoughts, “Did you really call us over to see your brother?”

Netto laughed. “Yeah, pretty much.”

Saito gave Netto a look. “Why don't you just tell them?” he said.

Netto had a look of panic for a second, and Saki frowned.

“Tell us about what?” he asked.

“Uhh.” Netto fumbled for an answer. “That...that you guys are staying for dinner! Saito's cooking!”

Saito let out an exasperated sigh, and clapped a hand to his face.

“One of you can _cook_?!” Taka asked excitedly.

“Mama's teaching me,” Saito said quietly.

Saki gave Netto a look. “Why do I get the feeling that you just sprang that on him?”

“What do you mean?” Netto asked innocently. “We had this planned the whole time.”

Saito stood up. “In that case, I should go shopping for food.”

Netto and Enzan exchanged glances. Enzan looked over at Aoki and said, “Why don't you go with him?”

Aoki seemed surprised. “M-me?”

Enzan nodded. “He could probably use the extra hands.”

“A-ahh...” Aoki nodded slowly. “I...see.” He stood up, and straightened his clothes. “Very well.”

“Thank you,” Saito said gratefully. “Shall we go?”

With a nod, Aoki followed Saito out of the living room, and a minute later, Saki heard the front door close. As soon as it did, Saki went on the attack.

“Do you really expect me to believe that he's your brother?” he asked Netto angrily. “I mean, you've never mentioned him before! Not even in passing! If he really _was_ your brother, wouldn't you have talked about him more?”

“Well...” Netto said.

“Yeah!” Taka said. “And Aoki-san is suspicious too. If he's been with you as long as you say he has, how come I've never seen him before?!”

“That is...” Enzan said.

“I _know_ I've heard their voices before!” Axl said. “I'm getting the sneaking suspicion that there's a whole lot more to this than you've been telling us! So spill it! Who are Saito-kun and Aoki-san really?”

Enzan sighed. “I knew this wouldn't work.”

“What are you talking about?” Netto asked. “Me and Saito pulled off that prank flawlessly.”

Enzan said, shook his head. “I should have just put my foot down, and said no to the whole thing...”

“But it was such a good prank,” Netto said sadly. “The looks on their faces when I popped up were _so good_!”

“They have a right to know,” Enzan said firmly.

With an exaggerated sigh, Netto flopped back against the couch. “Fine, I'll tell them.”

“Tell us what?” Taka asked, clearly agitated.

“That Saito and Aoki are actually Rockman and Blues,” Enzan said.

“Hey!” Netto yelled angrily. “I thought _I_ was gonna tell them?”

“Wait...” Saki tried to stop his careening thoughts. “They're...Rockman and Blues...?”

“Yes,” said Zer0.

“You _knew_?” Axl asked, looking betrayed. “And you didn't _tell me_?!”

“I had assumed that they had their own reasons,” Zer0 said. “And I trusted them to speak the truth when they felt the time was right.”

“But they look just like real people!” Saki said. “How...?”

“Seven years ago, a scientist created a doll capable of allowing a Navi to exist in a non-digital space,” Enzan said. “They were named Copyroids.”

“While they aren't available for commercial use, we were allowed to borrow a couple so we could help improve them,” Netto said. “Enzan's been working on how to extend the amount of charge the battery can hold, and I've been playing around with the programs that change how the Navi looks.” He grinned. “We managed to finish our prototypes a few days ago, so we picked today to test them.”

“Wait,” Axl said. “You mean to tell me there's been something I could have used to walk around in the real world?!” He trembled. “I could have been able to eat real food and try on clothes and _hug Taka_ this whole time?!”

“Like Netto said, they aren't commercially available,” Enzan said. “But yes, there was something that could have let you do all of that this whole time.”

Axl let out an anguished wail. “No fair! I'm super jelly!”

“He means that he's jealous of Rockman,” Taka translated.

Netto laughed. “Sorry, Axl. Maybe some other time.”

“There are limitations, however,” Enzan explained. “The clothing program interferes with a few of the other subroutines, and therefore weapons can't be used.”

“Plus, only me or Enzan can turn the program on and off,” Netto added. “And having the program active means that the Navi can't plug out either.”

“That actually sounds pretty bad,” said Saki. “I mean, what if something were to happen?”

Netto shrugged. “We'd just turn the clothing program off.”

“But what if you aren't there?” Saki asked.

Netto laughed. “It's fine, really! I doubt anything's going to happen while we aren't around.”

Taka sighed. “I guess it's probably still years away from commercial use, huh?”

“It might never be released to the public,” Enzan admitted. “There's a lot of speculation about what might happen if they were, say, used by the military, or by someone with less-than-pure intentions.”

“Sending Navis into war...?” Taka shivered. “That sounds awful!”

Netto crossed his arms. “While it's a shame that most Navis won't ever be able to walk around in the real world, the risks were considered too great.” He sighed. “Maybe someday in the future, it'll become a common thing for Navis to walk around with humans.”

Axl sighed loudly. “All that tasty food I'll never get to eat...”

“It wouldn't matter anyway,” Netto said. “For some reason, I can't seem to get the taste receptors to work!”

“Huh?” Saki felt confused. “You mean that Rockman and Blues can't taste anything?”

“Exactly,” Enzan said. “Touch and smell both work perfectly fine, but taste refuses to work.”

“Not that it'd do any good if it did!” Netto said. “Without a way to break down the food, they couldn't eat it anyway.”

Axl groaned. “No way!”

“But if he can't taste, are you really going to make Sai—err, _Rockman_ , cook?” Saki asked.

Netto smiled. “No, you were right. His name is Saito.”

“But he's Rockman, right?” Saki asked, feeling confused.

“Yes,” Netto said. “But he's also Saito. That's his real name.”

Taka and Saki looked at each other, puzzled.

“I wasn't lying when I said that Saito is my twin brother,” Netto said.

“Huh?” Taka looked at Netto as if he was crazy. “But he's not a human, he's your _Navi_!”

Netto sighed. “Boy, do I have a lot of explaining to do.”

***

Rockman walked beside Blues, glancing shyly at him every so often. Neither of them had spoken since they'd left the Hikari residence, but Rockman didn't seem to mind. Blues tugged at his scarf every so often, and Rockman would smile when he did.

“Do you...like this?” Blues asked.

“'This'?” Rockman asked. “Oh, you mean...” He gestured to himself.

“Yes,” Blues said.

Rockman looked thoughtful. “I do, actually.” He giggled. “It's nice to be able to touch Netto and wear clothes. Plus,” he added, blushing, “I get to see what you would look like...if you were human.”

Blues' face flushed, but he didn't reply.

“Blues,” Rockman said softly. “Do you...Do you think, if we were both born as humans...that we would end up together?”

“That's hard to say,” Blues said. “Anything is possible.”

“I like to think that we would,” Rockman said. He smiled warmly at Blues. “I can't explain why, though. I just think that we would find each other.”

“Hmph.” Blues crossed his arms. “I can't say that I share your confidence on the matter.”

“It's fate, Blues!” Rockman said with a laugh. “We would be bound by fate, the same way that we are now!”

“As rivals?” Blues asked.

Rockman sighed under his breath and gave Blues a weak smile. “Sure. As rivals.”

Blues looked at the ground. “Or...perhaps as something else...”

Rockman's cheeks flushed.

Blues cleared his throat. “I-in any case, it's only a what-if scenario.”

“It's nice to pretend, though,” Rockman said. His smile faltered. “Like...how I'm pretending to be Saito...”

Blues looked at Rockman. “But I was under the impression that you _are_ Saito.”

Rockman shook his head. “Saito is gone...he died a long time ago...I'm just a pale imitation of him.”

“Netto-kun doesn't think so,” Blues said.

Rockman was silent for a moment. “Netto-kun is very sweet...I don't want to disappoint him.” He shook his head. “And when I was able to touch him, hug him...something I've wanted for so, so long...I got a little bit greedy. I wanted to take Saito's place, and never leave Netto-kun's side.” He clenched his fists. “Even if it meant lying. Even if it meant pretending to be Saito.” He sighed. “But I'm not fooling anyone. Taka-kun and Saki-kun saw right through me.”

“They don't know,” Blues said. “To them, you are simply Rockman.”

“But that's all I am,” Rockman said. “Just Rockman.”

Blues stopped walking, and took Rockman by the hands. Giving them a gentle squeeze, Blues looked into Rockman's eyes, and said, “But that's enough, isn't it?”

Rockman's cheeks flushed. He looked away.

“Whether you're Rockman or Saito, you are still the same to me,” Blues said. “That will never change.”

Rockman looked at Blues, eyes wide with surprise. “Blues...” he whispered.

Blues let go of Rockman's hands, and they started walking once more. Rockman reached out, and took Blues' hand, and they both blushed.

“Why did you pick the name 'Aoki'?” Rockman asked.

Blues hesitated. “I...have thought about what it would be like to be human before,” he admitted. “What kind of person I would be, what kind of name I would have...So when Enzan-sama asked me what name I should like to be called, without thinking, I said 'Aoki'.” He smiled softly. “Aoki Shirogane...that was the name I had picked for myself, long ago, while daydreaming of a life that I would never have. But when I told Enzan-sama, his face lit up. He was so happy. 'If that's the name that you picked for yourself,' he said, 'then that is the name that I'll call you by'.” 

Rockman smiled sweetly. “I'm going to keep calling you Aoki, then.”

Blues blushed. “There's no need to pretend anymore. The prank is over.”

Rockman pressed himself against Blues' arm. “But I want to call you Aoki!”

Blues was silent for a long time. Finally, he looked at Rockman, and said, “Only if I can call you Saito.”

Rockman was surprised, but he smiled softly. “It's a deal then,” he said.

***

“So...let me see if I have this right,” Saki said slowly. “Saito was your twin brother who died from HBD as an infant. And Rockman is...the digital recreation of your brother, using digitized versions of his DNA and memories?”

“Yes,” Netto said.

“And you two can Synchronize perfectly because...you're twins...?” Taka asked.

“Yes,” Netto said.

Saki and Taka sat in silence for a long time.

“It was a lot to take in the first time I heard it as well,” Enzan said. “Of course, I didn't have the luxury of mulling it over at the time, since we had to go defeat the Dream Virus before it destroyed the entire Cyberworld.”

“Man, that was a crazy fight,” Netto said.

Saki shook his head. “Sorry, I don't mean to sound rude, but...your Dad is kind of insane.”

“Yeah,” Netto said calmly. “Dad's got a bit of a mad streak in him. He's like my grandfather, in that respect.”

“Who does that?!” Taka asked angrily. “Who makes a digital version of his dead son, and then gives it to his living son, without telling him the truth?”

Netto shrugged. “That was how Dad chose to handle his grief, I guess.”

“I can't believe you just accept all of that,” Saki said. “If it had been me, I would have freaked out and gotten angry.”

“There wasn't any time,” Netto said. “Besides, the more I thought about it, the more I realized that Rockman and I already thought of each other as brothers anyway. Once I realized that, it was way easier to accept.”

Taka was quiet for a while. Saki looked over at him, and saw that Taka seemed to be deep in thought.

“I can't imagine how Rockman feels about the whole thing,” Taka said finally. “I mean, how do you react to being told that you're the digital version of someone who died? I don't think I'd be able to accept it, honestly. It would make me feel like my own existence was invalid.”

Netto sighed. “Yeah, Rockman has a lot of trouble with that. I keep telling him that he's fine the way he is, but he still can't seem to accept that he can be both Saito and Rockman without having to sacrifice one or the other.”

Everyone in the room was silent for a long while. Axl and Zer0 looked at each other helplessly, as if they were unsure of what to say or do.

“Well, whatever,” Netto muttered. “There's no sense in dwelling on it.”

“At the very least, we can conclude that the prototypes are a success,” Enzan said. “But they're far from finished.”

“Yeah,” Netto said. “We'll have to tweak them more so that they don't conflict with the other subroutines.”

Taka became excited. “Just think of all the things you can program them to wear! You could change their looks to whatever is fashionable that season! Just thinking about all the possibilities gets my blood pumping!”

“I'm so jealous!” Axl whined. “If I could use a Copyroid, then me and Taka could match!”

Zer0 didn't choose to speak on the matter, so Saki asked him, “What about you, Zer0? What would you do if you could use a Copyroid?”

Zer0 looked up at him. “Oh, I do not think I would want to use one. I am perfectly fine as I am now.”

“But if you use a Copyroid, you could hug Michi-chan!” Taka said. “Or spar with Saki!”

Zer0 shook his head. “I have no desire to experience those things. I am perfectly fine spending my time with everyone as I am now.”

Axl narrowed his eyes. “I dunno. I think you're lying, Zer0.”

Zer0 tilted his head. “What makes you say that?”

“I just don't see why you wouldn't want to experience what humans do,” Axl said. “Haven't you ever wanted to hug Saki?”

“There is always Cross Fusion,” Zer0 said. “The experience is already quite intimate.”

Saki's ears burned, and he cleared his throat. “Uhh, anyway...was it a good idea to let Blues and Rockman go shopping all by themselves?”

“They'll be fine,” Netto said. “Rockman's walked with me to the store hundreds of times! He won't get lost!”

“That's not what I'm worried about,” Saki said.

Netto grinned. “What, are you worried about them being by themselves? Think they'll get up to no good?”

Saki felt his cheeks heat up. “N-no, that's not it at all!”

With a laugh, Netto said, “They'll be fine. It's a good experience for them!”

“If you say so...” Saki muttered.

***

Rockman looked over the kitchen items on display, and picked up a small cast iron frying pan. He tested the weight in his hand, and nodded with approval.

“Why do you need one of these?” Blues asked.

“Well,” Rockman explained, “Mama has a very nice pan already, and it's her absolute favorite. And since I'm still very new to cooking...I don't want to accidentally ruin it...” He shivered, and stared off into the mid distance with a terrified expression. “Mama's fury is way scarier than any Darkloid.”

“I see,” Blues said.

“I'm still having a little trouble with my grip strength,” Rockman said, flexing his hand. “How about you?”

“I've adjusted,” Blues said.

“You've had a little more practice than I have,” Rockman said. “I guess I'll get used to it eventually.” He set the pan in his shopping basket, and looked over the other items he'd put inside. “Let's see...I think I have everything. Should we go check out now?”

“That would be wise,” Blues said. “It's already been quite a while since we left.”

“Yeah, I wouldn't want to worry Netto-kun,” Rockman said.

After paying for their items, the two Navis left the store, and began their trip back to the Hikari residence. Blues reached out to Rockman, and said, “Let me carry something.”

“I'm fine,” Rockman said. 

But Blues remained stubborn. “I was asked to assist in carrying your things, so that is what I'm going to do. Now give me something.”

“Fine,” Rockman said with a smile. “You win.” He handed Blues the bag that didn't contain the frying pan.

Blues grumbled. “Why didn't you hand me the heavier one?”

“I already told you, I'm fine,” Rockman said with a laugh. “Besides, what's to say that the bag I gave you isn't the heavier one?”

Blues shook his head, but didn't say anything.

As they walked down the street, Rockman glanced over at people sitting at tables outside of a cafe, and sighed quietly to himself.

“What's wrong?” Blues asked.

“Oh...” Rockman looked up at Blues. “It's nothing.”

Blues frowned.

“Well...” Rockman bit his lip. “I was just thinking about how it would be nice to have a cup of coffee with everyone. We could watch the people go by while we talked about nothing. It would be really peaceful, I think.”

“There are cafes in the Cyberworld as well,” Blues said.

“Yes, but it's not the same,” Rockman said. “There's a sort of... _mood_ that comes with sitting at a cafe in the real world.”

“I don't think I understand,” Blues said, sighing.

“That's why I said it was nothing,” Rockman said. “It's just a passing thought. Nothing to get worked up over.”

Blues opened his mouth, but suddenly tensed and stopped walking. Rockman stopped as well, staring at Blues with a puzzled expression.

“What's wrong?” he asked.

“Didn't you feel that?” Blues asked. “Just now, I mean...there was a tremor...”

Rockman shrugged. “This is Japan. Small earthquakes happen all the time.”

“No,” Blues said, frustrated. “This is different...”

A slightly larger shake occurred, and this time Rockman seemed to notice. He looked over at the people seated at the tables outside the cafe they had passed, and the cups rattled against their saucers.

“Now I feel it...” Rockman said, frowning.

Without a word, Blues suddenly reached out, and yanked Rockman close to his chest. Rockman let out a loud gasp of surprise, and a split second later a Digital Converter shot out of the wall where Rockman had been standing. 

“Thank you!” Rockman said breathlessly.

“Don't thank me just yet,” Blues said grimly.

Rockman looked around, and a few more Digital Converters pushed themselves into view. A second later, the field went up, and Rockman knew that they were trapped.

“Vava,” Blues muttered.

“We have to do something,” Rockman said. “If there's an attack, these people are going to get hurt!”

Blues lifted his hand as if to use a screen, and paused. He looked at Rockman, whispering, “I can't seem to deactivate the program.”

“Huh?” Rockman raised his own hand, and paused, frowning. “That's strange...I guess it can only be deactivated remotely.” He shook his head. “What about weapons?”

“I can't activate my sword,” Blues said. “Any luck?”

“No, my Buster isn't working either,” Rockman said. He looked at Blues fearfully. “How are we going to defend ourselves?”

A moment later, several groups of viruses materialized on the sidewalk and the road inside the Dimensional Area. Several people screamed, and Rockman clenched his fists.

“We're just going to have to improvise,” he said, and reached for the frying pan in his bag.

Blues looked around, and spotted a narrow pipe attached to the wall of a nearby alley. He grabbed it, and yanked it free.

“It's not a sword, but it'll do for now,” Blues said.

Rockman raised his frying pan. “Here they come.”

The viruses rushed towards the Navis, as if they sensed who they really were. Rockman gritted his teeth, and swung his pan, slamming it into the side of one of the viruses, and sending it flying. Blues brought his pipe down on top of another virus, and it split in two before exploding into data fragments and disappearing.

“It's not ideal, but it seems to be working,” Blues said.

“Behind you!” Rockman said, and brought his heavy pan down on the head of another virus. It let out a pathetic cry as it, too, exploded into data fragments.

“Thank you,” Blues said gratefully.

The two Navis pressed their backs to each other, and sized up the crowd of viruses.

“Do you think we can take them?” Rockman asked.

“We have little choice,” Blues said.

Rockman tightened his grip on his frying pan. “Then let's do it!”

Blues swung his pipe, trying to catch as many of the viruses as he could in its arc. A few of them were deleted instantly, but a lot more of them were simply injured, and let out angry cries before charging Blues again. Rockman swatted away as many as he could, deleting a few as he did so, but there seemed to be just as many as before.

“They just keep coming!” Rockman said.

“Indeed,” Blues said. “If we only knew where they were coming from...”

A scream alerted the Navis, and they looked over towards the cafe to see that a few of the viruses were terrorizing the patrons. A man with a chair and an employee with a broom seemed to be holding them at bay for the moment, and Rockman dashed towards them.

“Wait!” Blues said.

“I can handle them!” Rockman said. “See if you can find the source of the viruses!”

Blues looked around, and eventually spotted a small crystal that seemed to be acting as a gateway of sorts. He growled at the viruses around him, and kicked the closest one.

“Out of my way!” he roared, and swung his pipe to try and clear a path to the crystal.

Rockman, meanwhile, made his way to the viruses attacking the cafe patrons, and swung his frying pan. One of the viruses went flying, and the others backed up, shrieking in fear.

“Are you okay?” Rockman asked the patrons.

“Y-yeah,” the man with the chair said. “Thank you for saving us!”

“Get everyone inside, and lock the doors!” Rockman ordered. “We'll handle the rest of the viruses!”

The patrons complied, and everyone rushed to get inside the cafe. The employee locked the door after them, and Rockman breathed a small sigh of relief.

“At least they're safe for now,” he said. He turned to the viruses and scowled. “Now, time to deal with the rest of you!”

The viruses rushed Rockman, and he let out an angry yell as he swung his frying pan, smashing it into the viruses hard enough to delete at least one of them and send the others flying.

“Any luck?” Rockman yelled at Blues.

Blues, having reached the crystal, swung his pipe down onto it and it shattered. The viruses panicked, and scattered away from Blues.

“Looks like this crystal was some kind of gateway into the field,” Blues said. “Their numbers should stop multiplying now.”

One by one, the viruses were crushed or sliced by the Navis, until none of them remained. Rockman looked around, panting lightly, and Blues nodded at him.

“I think that was the last of them,” he said.

“Good,” Rockman said, his arms dropping back down to his sides. “Phew, that was scary!”

Blues looked at the Dimensional Area, and frowned. “Now, we just have to shut down the Digital Converters.”

Almost as if they had heard him, the Digital Converters retracted back into the ground and walls they had come from, and the Dimensional Area dispersed. Blues let out an irritated 'tch!'

“I suppose Vava can't risk them getting damaged,” Rockman said. “It makes sense that he'd retreat.”

“But why did he choose to attack this area anyway?” Blues asked. “Did he somehow know that we'd be here? And for that matter, why didn't he show up in person? Why send viruses?”

Rockman put a hand to his chin thoughtfully. “It's possible that he knew that we wouldn't be able to fight at full strength. Maybe he was hoping that the viruses would be enough to finish us off.”

Blues shook his head. “How does he know our every move? Where is he getting his information?”

“Let's not worry about that for now,” Rockman said. “Let's just focus on getting home.”

The Navis retrieved the bags of groceries they had dropped, and as Rockman went to put the frying pan back into his bag he let out a cry of dismay.

“Oh no!” he wailed. “I already dented it!”

Blues looked at the pan, and sure enough, there was a large dent right in the middle, most likely from an impact with a virus.

“It was brand new too!” Rockman whined. “I didn't even get a chance to use it!”

“Well, actually, you did use it,” Blues said. “To beat up viruses.”

Rockman pouted. “Not funny, Blues.”

***

Rockman threw open the front door, and called out, “We're home!”

“Welcome back!” Netto said. Rockman and Blues dropped their bags on the kitchen counter, and Saki couldn't help but think that they looked a little tired.

“How did it go?” he asked.

Rockman smiled. “Oh, it was fine.”

“Nothing exciting happened?” Saki asked.

“Nope.” Rockman shook his head. “Just your average trip to the store.”

Saki sighed. “Okay, then. Do you want a hand with dinner?”

Rockman opened his mouth to speak, then shut it again. He gave Saki a weak smile, and then said, “Sure.”

“Can I taste-test everything?” Netto asked.

“As long as you don't eat it all,” Rockman said.

Blues cleared his throat. “Umm, may I assist somehow?”

Rockman smiled. “Sure! How about you start by washing the vegetables?”

Enzan pulled out his PET, and gave Blues a smirk. “You know, if you're going to help out in the kitchen, I have _just_ the outfit.”

Blues looked at Enzan fearfully. “Enzan-sama, _please don't_.”

“Are you sure?” Enzan asked. “It'll be hard to do anything in a suit, you know.”

Blues sighed. “Does it have to be that one, though?”

“It's the only one with an apron,” Enzan said.

“Now I really want to see it,” Netto said.

“Same,” Taka said.

“Me too,” said Saki.

Blues let out a heavy sigh. “Fine. Let's just get this over with.”

Enzan pressed a few buttons on his PET, and Blues's outfit changed into a new one, this one complete with a pink apron.

Taka gasped. “Is that a Piyo apron?! How cute!”

Netto giggled. “It's a good look.”

Saki put a hand to his mouth. He couldn't help but feel a little bit sorry for Blues, who looked absolutely miserable.

“Yes, yes, very funny,” he said. “Can we please just get this over with?”

Netto smirked at Enzan. “I see you came up with a few of your own designs.”

“I couldn't help myself,” Enzan replied. “I was inspired.”

Rockman clapped his hands together. “Well, now that everyone's ready, we can start making food.”

“Do you have another apron?” Saki asked. “I don't want Blues to feel left out.”

Rockman smiled. “I'm sure I can find something in the kitchen that you can use.”

***

“Let's eat!” Netto said.

“Let's eat!” Saki, Taka, and Enzan echoed.

Rockman nervously watched everyone dig into their food, wringing his hands as he waited for a verdict. Netto gave Rockman a thumbs up.

“It's pretty good!” he said.

Rockman let out his breath, relieved. “Thank goodness...”

“It's probably a good thing that Netto and I were there to taste everything,” Saki said. “Otherwise, things might have come out rather bland.”

“Either that, or over-seasoned,” Netto said.

Rockman laughed. “That's true. I can't taste anything, after all.”

“Judging from smell alone, it seems fine,” Blues said.

“It definitely feels like something you would make, Saito,” Enzan said kindly. “There's a lot of love in this dish.”

Rockman squirmed. “Oh, umm, thank you very much, but you don't have to call me—”

“Hey, this means that Saito can cook for me more often!” Netto said, nudging Rockman with his elbow.

“H-huh?” Rockman looked confused.

“Maybe Saito-kun can try baking next!” Saki suggested. “Then you won't have to worry so much about tasting things.”

“Maybe he can bake me a bunch of sweets!” Taka said happily. “What do I want first? Cake? Cookies? Maybe a tart!”

“Huh? Huh?!” Rockman seemed to grow more and more confused.

“Hey, hey, Saito-kun, make me some sweets please!” Taka said.

Rockman looked at Blues with a helpless expression. Blues met his gaze shyly, and said, “If you need a hand...I could help.”

Rockman's face flushed crimson, and he stared down at his lap with nervous intensity. After a moment, he said, in a squeaky voice, “O-okay then! I-I'll do it!”

Taka and Netto cheered loudly.

“B-but...you really don't have to call me 'Saito',” Rockman said, rubbing his index fingers together nervously.

“We're calling you Saito because that's your name,” Netto said.

“Right,” Saki said, giving Rockman a kind smile. “Netto explained everything to us.”

“O-oh...” Rockman looked flustered at this. “Did he?”

Netto grinned. “I know you feel like you don't deserve to be called Saito, but that's who you are! You're Saito, my brother, but you're also Rockman, my Navi! And either way, you're my best friend.”

Rockman looked at Netto with a tearful expression. “Netto-kun...”

“We'll call you whatever you find the most comfortable,” Enzan said reassuringly.

Rockman bit his lip. “I guess...when I'm in a Copyroid like this...I don't mind being called Saito.” He blushed. “It's kind of nice, actually.”

“Great!” Taka said. “Now that that's settled, let's be friends, okay Saito-kun?”

“Yes!” Rockman looked delighted. “Let's all be friends!”

Axl sobbed loudly. “I'm so jealous!”

“Why? You don't need a Copyroid to be friends with all of us, Axl,” Taka said with a laugh.

“That's not what I meant, and you know it!” Axl yelled angrily.

Rockman giggled. “Maybe I'll let you borrow the Copyroid sometime, Axl.”

The Navi gasped loudly. “You really mean it?! You'd really let me borrow it?!”

“Of course!” Rockman said. “I wouldn't want you to feel left out!”

Axl let out a loud sob. “I love you so much, Rockman.”

“No one loves Saito more than I do!” Netto yelled.

“You wanna fight?” Axl asked, putting up his fists threateningly. 

Rockman began to laugh, loud and bubbly. Everyone stopped talking and simply stared at him.

“Oh, I'm sorry!” Rockman said after he'd calmed down. “It's just that...I'm so happy to have so many wonderful people as my friends.” He broke out in a dazzling smile.

“Ahh~” Taka whispered, “Saito's smile could thaw even the coldest heart.”

“Saito's smile could cure cancer,” Saki whispered back.

“Every time Saito smiles, I feel reborn,” Netto added.

“It would seem that no one can resist Saito's charms,” Enzan said with a tiny sigh.

Blues sat in silence, a hand clamped over his mouth and his cheeks flushed scarlet. Saki did his best not to laugh.

 _I guess Taka was right all along_ , Saki thought. _There really is something going on between those two_.

“Oh, before I forget!” Netto said, pointing at Taka and Saki. “I was going to tell you two sooner, but it slipped my mind.”

“What did?” Saki asked.

“I talked to Commissioner Manabe,” Netto explained, “And she said that she can probably get you two your licenses by tomorrow.”

Saki stared at Netto in shock. “What? Really?”

“That soon?” Enzan asked.

“She said that she was going to put a rush on them,” Netto said. “Either way, that's great news, isn't it?”

“Yes!” Taka said excitedly. “I'm going to be a Net Savor!”

“It's hard to believe...” Saki said, dazed. “I'm not even sure this is real...”

“I wish it had been under better circumstances,” Enzan said, “But I'm glad to have the two of you on the team officially.”

Netto raised his water glass. “Here's to everyone's success! Cheers!”

Everyone else raised their glasses and yelled, “Cheers!”


	35. The Way to the Heart

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Saki feels that he isn't contributing anything useful to the investigation, so he comes up with how to help the others in a way that only he can.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> _Sorry this chapter took so long! I was having a particularly hard time finishing it, and chipped away at it for weeks. Anyway, it's done now, so I hope you enjoy it!_

“Thank you all for coming,” Agent North said as she shut the door behind her. “I know that this meeting was called on short notice.”

Saki looked over at Taka, who looked back at him. They were both clearly nervous.

“And thank you, Agent North, for taking the time to share what you know about this case,” Commissioner Manabe said. “I know that you're quite busy with the investigation.”

“It's no trouble,” Agent North said, taking a seat at the table. “Especially since you're letting me use your station as a base of operations.” She flipped open a manila folder, and shuffled through the pages inside. Finally, she pulled one out, and handed it to Commissioner Manabe who took it and started reading it.

“As I'm sure you're all aware, the Sigma chips have only recently become a widespread problem,” said Agent North. “The first reported case was in February of this year. However, we have reason to believe that they may have been in circulation since last fall.”

“So for almost a year,” Netto said. “But we only just noticed it recently.”

Agent North nodded. “At first, it was treated as a one-off case, and not followed up by the Net Police. By March, more cases were cropping up at a steady rate, and effort was put into finding the person or persons responsible.”

“As more reports came to light, it became obvious that this was not confined to just Japan,” Enzan added. “At that time, the International Division was called in.”

“Correct,” said Agent North. “By April, Ijuuin-san and I were looking into the possible locations of the manufacturing of the chips themselves. Most of the locations were in Japan, but a few were in other countries, such as Amerope and Northlandia.”

Manabe handed the document she'd been reading over to Netto, who looked it over before handing it to Laika, who sat next to him.

“Northlandia is where I started my investigation, while Ijuuin-san started his in Amerope,” Agent North explained. “Northlandia turned out to be a dead end, so I joined up with Ijuuin-san to help him finish his search.”

“While Amerope also ended up being a dead end, we did discover something interesting,” Enzan said. “When I looked over all the different manufacturing companies that had been used, a pattern started to emerge.”

“What sort of pattern?” Manabe asked.

“They were all connected to each other,” Enzan said. “Each one had dealing with the others. And the majority of the manufacturing facilities being used were owned by a company called Vega.”

Taka shifted in his seat, and Saki reached over and gave his hand a reassuring squeeze. Taka smiled for a brief moment, and then his expression became bleak once more.

“Vega...and what do they manufacture, exactly?” Manabe asked.

Enzan looked over at Taka. “Would you care to explain?”

Taka swallowed. He looked around the room, and then at Saki, who nodded encouragingly.

“Well...” Taka's voice lacked its usual enthusiasm. “Vega has a contract with NAXA to build their space exploration vehicles, satellites, and telescopes. They've even built pieces of the International Space Station, and the Orbital Elevator.”

“I see,” Manabe said. “And your connection to Vega is...?”

Taka sighed. “Mamma—I mean, my mother—is currently the CEO of Vega.”

Manabe folded her hands, her expression troubled. “I...see.”

“Since Vega has manufacturing facilities in several different countries, and has access to equipment that can make the microchips used in satellites and navigation systems, it only makes sense that they were of particular interest to us,” Agent North said. “Not only that, but they have contracts with other manufacturers, a lot of them producing electronics.”

“One of the factories being used was one owned by IPC,” Enzan said. “IPC and Vega have a contract as well. It seemed highly suspicious to me, as I knew for a fact that I had not authorized use of that facility at any time in the last year or so.”

Manabe looked to be deep in thought. Laika handed the document to Saki, who quickly read it over.

 _Hmm...a lot of these factories really are listed as being owned by Vega. And the rest..._ Saki looked over the list. _Some of these are companies I even recognize, like Matsubishi, Hunda, Cannon Inc and Pentasonic. I wouldn't have known that they were all connected unless Enzan and Agent North had explained it to me_.

“I hadn't heard any of this until now,” Laika said, and Saki caught a bit of irritation in his voice.

“We tried to release as little information to the public as possible to avoid alerting the chip ring of our investigation,” Agent North explained. “Chances are, the Net Police in Sharo chose to let the International Division handle this, given how unstable things are in the country at the moment.”

 _Unstable...?_ Saki thought. He looked at Laika, who seemed particularly cross.

“It's true that the situation surrounding Syacclea is becoming more turbulent,” Laika said. “But that doesn't mean that I wouldn't have heard _something_.” He shook his head, looking disgusted. “How typical of them to dump something like this on someone else...”

Enzan sighed. “Amerope has been similarly dismissive of the Sigma chips. Other than giving us assistance on our raids, their task forces seem more interested in domestic affairs, and all but handed control of the situation over to the International Division.”

“Northlandia did its best to assist my investigation, but there was only so much that they could do,” Agent North explained. “The Aerospace Industries Association of Northlandia provided quite a lot of help, but in the end all of their leads were dead ends.”

“So the only solid lead that you have is Vega then,” Manabe said.

“Yes,” said Enzan.

“Is that why you think it's Vega that's behind everything?” Netto asked.

Agent North smiled sadly. “Unfortunately, it seems that way, given the evidence that we've collected.”

Taka looked miserable at this news, and Saki gave his hand another squeeze.

“The question is why Vega would want to make the Sigma chips in the first place,” Laika said. “What would they stand to gain from it?”

“That, I don't know,” Enzan said. “It isn't as if the Sigma chips would drive off the competition, or bring sales their way. They don't profit from it, either. So the question of 'why' is a complete mystery.”

“However, what we _do_ know is that the operation is being spear-headed by a Navi,” Agent North said. “And so now we know how to search for him. Before, when we were convinced that it was humans making the Sigma chips, we were trying to track them like humans. But Vava is a Navi, and can move through Networks, allowing him to go unnoticed.”

“But if we can figure out where he's working from, then we can trap him,” Enzan said. “He's using the old Dimensional Converters that the Darkloids were using, but we've proven in the past that we can layer the fields on top of each other.”

Netto's eyes lit up. “Oh, I get it! We can use the same trick we used to trap Blues when he was a Darkloid!”

“As I recall, Blues tore through the second field fairly easily,” Laika pointed out. “What's to say that Vava won't do the same?”

“If we strike fast enough, he probably won't have time,” Enzan said.

“But we couldn't beat him the last time we fought him,” Saki said. “How are we supposed to do it this time?”

“We'll probably have a better chance if we use Cross Fusion,” Netto said. “Plus, we'll be better prepared, and have more people with us this time!”

“Vava _is_ pretty strong,” Rockman said. “But even he must have limits.”

“We'll beat him for sure this time!” Netto said. “ We'll capture him, and force him to tell us everything he knows.”

“But to trap him, we need to know what he's doing,” Agent North said. “For that, we'll need someone on the inside.”

Slowly, everyone looked over at Taka, who looked back at them fearfully.

“I know it's a lot to ask, Taka,” Enzan said softly, “But can I ask you to use your connection to Vega to see if you can find out what Vava is up to?”

Taka looked away, frowning. “What makes you think I'll even be able to find anything?”

“There's a chance you might not,” Agent North admitted. “But there's also a small chance that you might. And even a small chance is better than nothing.”

“And we'll all be trying to find information too,” Enzan said. “All of us are going to do our best to locate him. I promise.”

“We are planning on questioning your mother as well,” Agent North told Taka, “But I suspect that she will be reluctant to tell us anything useful.”

Hesitantly, Taka looked at Enzan again. After a moment, he seemed to come to a decision, and nodded his head.

“Okay,” he said. “I'll do it. I want to do whatever I can to help.”

 _This had got to be tough for Taka_ , Saki thought. _There's a chance that his Mom is involved with all of this. If it were me, I don't know if I could spy on my own Mom, even if it meant stopping something as awful as the Sigma chips_.

“We'll do whatever we can to support you,” Agent North told Taka kindly. “And if you feel like you might be in danger, come to us immediately.”

“I will,” Taka said.

Manabe nodded. “Until we can locate Vava, the Net Police will do its best to track down anyone who might be distributing the Sigma chips. If we can stop their use, then we might be able to prevent any more Navis from rampaging.”

“It'll be difficult to track down anyone who has already acquired one,” Enzan said. “But maybe if we gave them an incentive to turn the chips over to the Net police, it might encourage them to come forward.”

“I'll handle that,” Manabe said. “You all focus on finding Vava.”

***

“Does this mean that you're a Police officer now?” Keiko asked, her eyes wide.

“No, Mom,” Saki said tiredly. “I'm not a Police officer. I just have a license to fight crime.”

“That sounds really cool though,” Keiko said. “'A license to fight crime'. Just like a real hero, you know?”

“Does that mean you're a superhero now, big brother?” Michi asked.

“Huh?” Saki thought about it for a moment. “I guess so...”

“I wish I could fight the bad guys too!” Michi said. “Like you did at the live show!”

“I didn't really do anything,” Saki said. “That was all Zer0.”

Zer0 nodded. “True. However, if you and Taka-kun had not entertained the crowd, then they would have surely panicked.”

“I guess...” Saki said. “But that was Taka's idea, not mine. I just followed his lead.”

“Oh, I'm sure you were great,” Keiko said. “You're always so modest, Saki. Why can't you be prouder of your accomplishments?”

“I'm just being honest,” Saki said.

“Well, you're still a hero in my book,” Keiko said.

Saki sighed. “Thanks, I guess.”

“But it must be so scary,” Keiko said, “Rushing into a fight.”

“Yeah,” Saki replied. “I never know when one of those out-of-control Navis will show up. And there's always the possibility that Vava will too, and he's really strong. Zer0 was only just able to scare him off last time.”

Zer0 looked down. “I am disappointed in my inability to control myself. I was only able to drive Vava off because I gave into rage.”

“Personally, I think that the fact that you were able to scare him off is what's really important here,” Keiko said. “How you did it doesn't really matter.”

Saki scratched his cheek. “That's true.”

Keiko leaned across the table, and took Saki's hand. “Let me give you some advice that your father told me once. He said that the most important tool in a fireman's arsenal is his wits. Anything can happen at a fire, and no matter how many tools you carry, it will never be enough. But if you can think of a solution, then you can overcome anything. It won't always be the prettiest solution, and sometimes it's risky and stupid, but if it works, then that's all that matters.”

“Sounds like something Dad would say,” Saki muttered.

“So if you have to get really, really mad to beat someone, then I say you should do it,” Keiko told Zer0. “I mean, it worked once, right?”

“Yes, but—” Zer0 began.

“And no one got hurt because of your actions, right?” Keiko asked.

Zer0 seemed to think about this for a moment. “No, I suppose no one was.”

“Then I'd call that a success,” Keiko said.

Saki and Zer0 looked at each other, and after a moment, they nodded understandingly to one another.

“I guess you're right, Mom,” Saki said.

“Yes,” Zer0 said. “Perhaps I was focused on the wrong thing.”

“So it's okay to hurt people, as long as they're bad guys?” Michi asked.

“Well,” Keiko said, “You should still never hit or kick anyone. Unless you're in real danger.”

“I won't,” Michi said. “I know that I'm not supposed to do what I see on television.”

“That's my girl,” Keiko said, ruffling Michi's hair.

“Still, I do not wish to resort to rage,” Zer0 said. “I would rather learn to temper it, so that I never have a chance to harm someone.”

“One thing at a time, Zer0,” Saki said. “We'll work on getting your rage under control, together.”

Keiko smiled. “I'm so proud of both of you.” Her smile faded. “But just promise me that you won't do anything unnecessary. I don't want anything to happen to you.”

“We won't,” Saki promised. 

“Good,” Keiko said. “Do whatever it takes to come home safe.”

“I shall not allow any harm to befall Saki-kun,” Zer0 said. “I promise you this.”

Keiko looked satisfied. “Good!” She clapped her hands together. “Well then! What are we waiting for? Let's celebrate!”

“We really don't have to,” Saki said.

“I say that we get sushi!” Keiko said. “Maybe I'll even pick up some beer!”

“Mom, please,” Saki whined.

***

For the next few weeks, everyone did everything possible to try and locate Vava and the chip ring. Taka poured over websites and forums, looking for anything that might be helpful. Enzan and Agent North talked to every possible informant they could, and followed every single lead they came across. Manabe organized a task force to crack down on people distributing Sigma chips, and launched a viral campaign to encourage people to turn in the Sigma chips that they already owned. The Ministry of Science analyzed any of the chips that were brought in, trying to understand how they worked, and Netto worked furiously to refine the PDGs in case they were needed in the field. And Saki...was keeping his ears open. He felt slightly discouraged at not knowing what he could do, but Enzan suggested that since Saki often overheard conversations at Argenterie, he should try to see if he could overhear anything that might help them.

“People tend to be more willing to share information over a meal,” he explained. “In fact, I often use it to my advantage. Discussing contract details over a meal always seems to ease the process along. Argenterie hosts a very distinguished clientele, so there's a chance that you might hear something from one of the people involved.”

Saki had thought that it was a bit of a long shot, but he agreed to keep his ears open anyway. But after weeks of listening, he still hadn't heard anything useful.

 _I really wish I could do more_ , Saki thought miserably. _All of this waiting around is making me nervous_.

Sitting in the back room on his break, Saki quickly typed out an email to Taka, explaining his anxiety over his lack of progress.

 _I don't feel like I'm doing enough_ , he wrote. _Unlike the rest of you, I don't have any special connections or useful abilities. All I can do is wait around for something to happen, and it's making me really anxious_. 

Saki sent the email, and put his head in his hands with a sigh. 

“I know Mom said that my wits are the most important tool that I have, but they're not doing me a lot of good right now,” Saki muttered.

A beep let Saki know that he'd received an email. He pulled out his PET, and saw that it was a reply from Taka.

 _I wish I was in your position right now_ , it said. _I hate having to spy on my own mother. Axl and I tried going through the company's files, but we didn't find anything useful. If Vega really is involved, there's no evidence to suggest it. At least, nothing that we can find. The only other thing I can try is going through Mamma's computer, but it's going to be really hard. She's been home a lot more, and I'm sure she'd be able to tell if I did manage to go through her stuff_.

Saki sighed. Taka seemed to be having a difficult time, and Saki didn't really know what to say to make things easier for him.

 _Anyway, I know things seem hopeless, but you can't beat yourself up over it. We can't all be the one to make the big discovery, or take down the big bad. Being supportive of everyone else is also an important job! Even if it's just some encouraging words, your contributions are more important than you realize_.

“That's true...” Saki whispered. He thought about what his mother had said to him, about how his wits were the most important tool, and remembered something about his father that he'd forgotten about.

“Dad wasn't always on the front lines,” he said. “Most of the time, he was at the station, making meals for everyone.”

“I am certain that your father's contributions at the station were just as important as his contributions fighting a fire,” Zer0 said.

“Yeah,” said Saki. “I bet coming back to the station after fighting a huge fire and having a hot meal waiting for you was pretty comforting.” He scratched his head. “I guess...this isn't so different.”

“Everyone is working hard to find Vava, and put a stop to these chips,” Zer0 said. “I am certain that they are quite exhausted from their efforts.”

“You're right,” Saki said. He grinned. “I spent so much time worrying about what I wasn't doing that I forgot about all the things that I _could_ be doing instead.” He clenched his fist. “I bet some of them haven't eaten a decent meal in days.”

“So then, what shall we do to remedy that?” Zer0 asked.

“Easy,” Saki said. “I'm going to make them all a really good meal!”

Typing quickly, Saki told Taka his plan, and Taka's response was overwhelmingly positive.

_That sounds great! Don't worry about the expenses, I'll cover them. Just send me the bill, okay?_

Saki felt himself grinning from ear to ear. The more he thought about it, the more excited he became. He started brainstorming ideas on what he should make, and how he should pack it. Before his break was over, Saki had already made a long list of notes.

“Okay Zer0!” he said. “Let's make Operation 'Comfort Food' a success!”

***

Saki spent the entire morning of Sunday making lunches for everyone he could think of. He took the time to personalize each one: adding in shaped fruits and vegetables, writing messages of encouragement with nori, and laying out everything into visually appealing scenes. He also made sure to pack things that each person would like, and adjusted the proportions so that they were just the right amount for each person's appetite and dietary needs. By the end, Saki was exhausted, but proud of what he'd accomplished.

Michi looked at the dozen bentos on the counter with wide eyes. “Big brother, did you really make all of these?!”

“Yeup!” Saki said proudly. “And each one is unique.” He picked up one of the bentos, and handed it to Michi with a smile. “I even made ones for you and Mom too.”

Michi took the bento with a quiet reverence, staring at it like it was the most important thing in the world. She popped the lid off, and looked down at the colorful display of vegetable flowers inside with a bright smile.

“It's so pretty!” she said. “I almost don't want to eat it!”

Saki laughed. “But it's meant to be eaten! Promise me that you'll eat the whole thing.”

Michi nodded enthusiastically. “I will!”

“Make sure Mom eats hers too,” Saki said, handing Michi a second bento. “And let me know what she says, okay?”

“Okay!” Michi promised.

Satisfied, Saki packed the remaining bentos into a bag, said goodbye to Michi, and headed out the front door towards the Metroline station. His first stop was the Ministry of Science.

“Everyone at the office is working really hard to figure out how the Sigma chips work,” Saki told Zer0. “Most of them probably haven't slept for days, much less had a decent meal. So we're going to start there, and make sure everyone eats something.”

The tense atmosphere inside the office made Saki hesitate a little bit, but he quickly recovered and marched over to Netto's desk. Every square inch of the desk was covered with electronic parts of all sizes, and Netto was tinkering with a device, carefully tightening something with a screwdriver. Saki cleared his throat as he approached, and Netto looked up in surprise.

“I didn't expect to see you here today,” Netto said. “What's up?”

Rather than answer right away, Saki reached into his bag, and pulled out a bento, which he handed to Netto. He gave it a curious look, and then opened it.

“Hey, curry!” Netto said excitedly. “My favorite!”

“I thought you might appreciate the pork cutlet,” Saki said.

Netto grinned. “I do! Then again, I always appreciate free food.”

“I'm glad you like it!” Saki said happily. 

Netto pulled out the utensils hidden inside the lid of the bento, and scooped a mouthful of curry and rice into his mouth with a contented sigh. After a moment, he looked at Saki and asked, “So, what's the occasion?”

“I was thinking of ways that I could help,” Saki explained. “I don't really have a way of contributing directly the way that everyone else does, but it occurred to me that I should try to do something that only I can do.”

Netto laughed. “Aww, you're doing lots to help out, I promise!” He gestured to the bento. “But a good lunch is greatly appreciated.”

“I think it's a wonderful idea,” Rockman said. “It can be hard to remember to take care of yourself in a crisis, after all.”

“Right!” Netto said. “I know for a fact that most of us are _terrible_ at remembering to do things like eat and sleep when we're this focused.”

“Well, I can't force people to sleep,” Saki said, “But I _can_ make people eat.”

Netto laughed, and pointed at his food with his spoon. “Speaking of eating, I'm going to do just that.” 

Saki gave him a small wave. “I'll leave you to it, then. I have a lot more deliveries to make, after all.”

After leaving Netto's desk, Saki poked his head into Meijin's office, only to find that he wasn't there. Saki looked around, and noticed a rather skittish looking employee nearby.

“Excuse me,” Saki asked the employee, “Do you know where Meijin-san is?”

The employee pushed his glasses up his nose. “Oh, uhh, he's in the lab with Professor Hikari.”

“Oh!” Saki said, “I see. Thank you very much.” He gave the employee a small bow, and quickly left the office. 

_It makes my job easier when they're together_ , Saki thought. _I just hope I don't end up disturbing them..._

Quietly, Saki opened the door to the lab a little bit, and peered inside. Everyone inside seemed quite focused on whatever they were doing, stooped over their terminals with expressions of intense concentration. Yuuichiro lifted his head, and took off his glasses before rubbing his eyes, and Saki knew that this was the opportunity he'd been waiting for. He opened the door wider, and stepped inside the lab.

Yuuichiro looked up, and smiled. “Oh, Saki-kun! What can I help you with?”

“Uhh, well, it's not really what _you_ can help _me_ with,” Saki said, handing Yuuichiro a bento. “But you look like you could use a break.”

Meijin's head shot up at the word 'break', and he leaned back in his chair so that he could see Saki clearly. Saki looked back at him with an amused smile, pulled out Meijin's bento and handed it to him.

“Oh, my!” Yuuichiro looked at the lunch with a soft smile. “How nice! I wasn't expecting this at all.”

Meijin mouthed the words 'thank you', and scooted his chair back into its usual position before popping the bento open and shoveling food into his mouth, staring at his terminal screen.

“You've probably been going for a while now,” Saki said. “I figured none of you have had a chance to have a decent meal, so I brought you a little something.”

Many pairs of eyes fixed themselves on Saki, and he felt himself break out into a cold sweat. He'd almost forgotten about the other scientists, and now they were staring at him expectantly.

 _I'm sorry, but I'm just not able to make one for every single person!_ Saki thought sadly. _Please forgive me!_

“What a wonderful gesture!” Yuuichiro said. “And it's my favorite too!”

“I made a guess,” Saki admitted. “I thought that maybe you and Netto had similar tastes...”

Yuuichiro laughed. “I suppose Haruka's curry can win anyone over.” He gave Saki a playful wink. “I'll be sure to let you know how your curry stacks up against my wife's.”

“Please do,” Saki said. 

Yuuichiro sighed. “I wish that I could say that we've made some progress analyzing these chips, but unfortunately we know even less about them than we did before.” He shook his head. “We can't figure out what the outer surface of the chips is made of, and most of the chips change back after only a few hours.” He rubbed his temple. “Even our samples have disappeared. It's incredibly frustrating.”

“That _does_ sound frustrating,” Saki agreed.

“The only thing we've managed to figure out is that it's some kind of metal alloy, one we have no record of. It may even be alien in origin.”

“Alien?” Saki asked, his eyes widening.

“Possibly,” Yuuichiro said. He paused. “More than likely.”

Saki reeled at the possibility of aliens. He'd never really believed in their existence, so it was hard to accept that the Sigma chips might have been made by some being from another world.

 _Taka would probably get really excited_ , Saki thought. _He's always obsessing over space. I bet he'd want to meet these aliens...if it really is aliens behind this_.

“Don't worry about it for now,” Yuuichiro said. “We have a long way to go before we know for sure what the chips are and how they work.”

“I see,” said Saki. “I'd love to stay and chat, but unfortunately, I can't stick around. I have more lunches to hand out.”

“I'm sure everyone who gets one will be delighted,” Yuuichiro said.

Saki left the lab quickly, eager to get away from the hungry gazes of the other scientists, and paused in the hallway.

“Hmm,” he muttered. “I wonder if Laika's in today...?” He turned, and started walking towards the practice room. “I mean, I _hope_ he's in today, because I wouldn't even know where else to look for him otherwise...”

Zer0 put a hand to his chin thoughtfully. “It is true that we do not know much about Laika-san...”

“He kind of likes to keep to himself,” Saki said. “And I can respect that. But I don't know the first thing about him, especially when it comes to food.” He pursed his lips and tried to think of any of the times he'd seen Laika eat, and could only recall one time. “At my birthday...he certainly seemed to like the cake...”

“Could he be the kind of person who enjoys sweets?” Zer0 asked.

“Maybe?” Saki replied, shrugging. “That doesn't really tell me much about the rest of his preferences though.”

Zer0 seemed deep in thought. After a while, he looked up at Saki, and declared, “Statistically, this group seems to enjoy meat-based dishes.”

Saki felt his lips curve into a smile. “That's true. But Laika's the variable here. What if he doesn't like meat-based dishes?”

“There is always that possibility,” Zer0 admitted.

Saki sighed. “Since I didn't know what he'd like, I made several different lunches, hoping he'd like at least _one_ of them.”

“Oh, a wise move!” Zer0 said. “The fighter who prepares is the one that will live to see another day.”

“This ain't a fight,” Saki said, chuckling. “But you're not wrong.”

Saki checked the practice room, but saw no signs of Laika. He decided that the last place that he could look was in the gym, and headed down to it. As he poked his head in the door, Saki spotted Laika on one of the machines, and waved.

Laika stopped what he was doing and waved back. “What are you doing here?” he asked. “Did you need something?”

Saki suddenly felt nervous. His stomach clenched up, and he shuffled over to Laika before yanking out one of the bentos and shoving it into Laika's hands.

“I...I thought you might like lunch,” he said, feeling his face heat up. “I didn't know what you liked, so I made a few different ones if you don't like this one.”

Laika popped the bento open, and looked down at the pork cutlet curry inside. He gave a small nod.

“It looks good. I'll be sure to eat it all.”

Saki breathed a sigh of relief. “Oh...I'm glad.”

Laika put the lid back onto the bento, and looked up at Saki again. “I'm not very picky about food. You didn't have to fret so much about it.”

Saki fidgeted. “Well, umm, it's just that I was trying to do something nice for everyone, and I wanted them to really enjoy what they got. I'm familiar with Netto and Taka's tastes, but everyone else was a whole lot of guesswork. I mean, if you don't like the food, it's not very enjoyable, right?”

A chuckle escaped Laika. “How very like you to worry yourself sick over what other people think.” He shook his head. “What inspired you to make everyone lunch?”

“I was talking to my Mom about how I didn't feel like I was contributing,” Saki explained. “And she made me remember my Dad...and why I got into cooking in the first place.” He absently tugged on a chunk of hair near his ear. “Food is something that brings people together. A good meal can be really comforting, and people talk and connect as they eat. And the food itself can convey the feelings of the one who made it.” He took a deep breath. “I thought that we've all been under a lot of stress lately, and probably need something comforting.”

“I would be lying if I said I didn't need something like that,” Laika admitted. He sighed. “Even with the threat of the Sigma chips, I keep finding myself thinking of home, and of the situation with Syacclea.”

Saki tilted his head. “I think I remember you mentioning it during the meeting, but I don't know anything about what's happening.”

“It's too complicated to get into right now, but the short version is that Syacclea is disputed territory between Sharo and Creamland,” Laika explained. “Both sides feel that they have ownership of the area, but recently talks are starting to break down, despite my best efforts.”

Saki blinked in surprise. “Huh? Are you involved with the dispute?”

“Yes,” Laika said. “I've been acting as a translator for the Sharonain Embassy in Japan for a number of years, and because of this, I was asked recently to act as a diplomat for Sharo in Creamland.” He averted his gaze. “I have...personal interest in establishing peace in the area, so I agreed.”

“That sounds pretty hard,” Saki said slowly. “I can see why you'd be stressed out all the time.”

Laika scratched his head. “Do I really seem that way to you?”

“Yeah,” Saki admitted. “So does everyone else.”

A great sigh escaped Laika, and he pinched the bridge of his nose. “I see.”

“A-anyway, you should just relax for now,” said Saki. “It won't do any good to stress out over every little thing.”

“Maybe I will,” said Laika, and patted the bento in his lap. “I'm sure a good meal will go a long way to helping improve my mood.”

“Great!” Saki smiled, and shrugged the straps of his bag back up onto his shoulder. “I hope you like it.”

“I'm sure I will,” said Laika. “I'll wash and return the box as soon as possible.”

“Don't rush,” Saki said, chuckling. “It isn't like I need it back any time soon.”

With a wave, Saki left the gym, and made his way back to the Metroline station. He quickly checked over a list on his PET as he waited for his train.

“Let's see...I think the next people I have to visit are Enzan and Agent North...” Saki frowned. “Hmm, I don't know exactly where Enzan would be at the moment, but Agent North is probably at the police station downtown.”

“Perhaps Taka-kun would know where Enzan-kun is,” Zer0 said.

“I can ask him,” Saki said, typing out a quick message to Taka just as the train pulled up to the platform. Saki didn't get a reply until he was almost at the Downtown station.

 _Axl checked at IPC, but Enzan wasn't in, so it's more than likely that he'd be at the police station_ , Taka wrote.

“Well that's lucky,” Saki muttered. “I'd hate to have to run all over town looking for him...”

The police station was a short walk from the train, so Saki put on a bit of speed in order to get there as soon as possible. By the time he arrived at the police station, Saki was slightly breathless.

“Okay, maybe speed walking was a bad idea,” he wheezed.

After getting his breath back, Saki asked the officer at the front counter if Agent North was in, and a few minutes later, he was being directed towards an office near the back of the station. Agent North was sitting at a desk, partially obscured behind large piles of papers. Across from her, Enzan was going through the papers one by one, alternating between reading and making notes on his PET. Both of them looked up when Saki approached.

“Sorry to bother you,” he said sheepishly.

“Not at all!” Agent North said warmly. “I was just thinking that I could use a short break.” She stretched her arms above her head, and there was a dull crack.

“Ahh, is it already after noon?” Enzan asked, checking the clock on his PET. “We've been at this for hours now.”

“You both sound like you need lunch,” Saki said, and pulled out a bento for each of the others.

Agent North looked at the bento in surprise. “For me? Really?”

Enzan took his gratefully. “I can assume you made these yourself?”

Saki nodded. 

Agent North looked even more surprised. “What? Really? Oh wow, that's too much.”

Enzan opened the bento, and a soft smile graced his lips. “It's clear that you put a lot of effort into these.” He pointed at the vegetables. “You made the salad look like a little rose garden.”

“Michi likes it when I make things into flowers,” Saki explained. “I decided to do the same for everyone.”

“Gosh, this is really sweet,” Agent North said, staring at her lunch with wide eyes. “But you really didn't have to go through so much effort...”

“Of course I did!” Saki said. “This is all I can do for everyone right now, so I wanted to give it everything I have!”

For a moment, Enzan seemed surprised before his expression became a soft smile once more. “You seemed to have put a lot of thought into what we talked about before,” he said.

Saki nodded. “I really couldn't stand not doing anything, so I made up my mind to do whatever I could.”

Agent North took a bite of her lunch, and sighed happily. “This lunch has a lot of love packed into it,” she said with a grin. “This makes me so nostalgic...it makes me think of college, and going to this little Japanese food restaurant with my friends to celebrate passing a tough exam. We were all broke, but splurging a little on something we didn't eat very often really helped to reduce the anxiety.”

“That's kind of what I wanted to do,” Saki said. “Take some of the stress off.”

Agent North laughed. “It's too bad the portions are so small! I could eat three of these lunches!”

Saki scratched his cheek. “Oh yeah...people from Amerope have pretty big appetites, huh?”

“Oh, I'm from Northlandia originally,” Agent North said. “And let me tell you, if you think Ameropians have big appetites, then you'll be shocked by how much Northlandians can eat!”

Enzan chuckled. “I recall having a 'Northlandian Breakfast'...it was more than I could eat in a day.”

“Pancakes, eggs, bacon, sausage, hash browns...maybe some oatmeal on the side...” Agent North listed off the items with a big grin. “Big days require big breakfasts!”

“Urg,” Saki moaned. “That's so much food...I feel sick just thinking about it.”

Agent North laughed. “Well, I guess it's fine that Japanese portions are smaller. They're much cuter that way!”

Saki smiled. “Do you ever miss home, Agent North?”

She gave a thoughtful hum, and tilted her head. “Yeah, I do. Quite often, in fact. But I also love my job, so I suppose it's worth it in the long run. Plus, I get to travel all over the world, so there's always something new and exciting to see.”

“It can be pretty exhausting to travel so much,” Enzan said. “Quite often when I'm abroad, I find myself longing to return home to my own bed.”

Agent North gave Enzan a scrutinizing look, and then picked up a piece of meat from her lunch and placed it into Enzan's lunch.

“Here, you could probably use some more protein,” she said. “You look like you're not getting enough nutrients.”

“I'm fine,” Enzan insisted.

“Have you been eating properly?” Agent North asked, putting a few more pieces of meat into Enzan's lunch. “Drinking enough water? Sleeping enough?”

“I'm fine,” Enzan insisted more firmly, putting the extra pieces of meat back into Agent North's lunchbox. “You don't have to worry so much.”

Zer0 hopped onto one of the piles of paperwork, and looked at the sheet on the top curiously. “Why do you have so many papers on your desk? What are they for?”

Agent North smiled. “That's all the data I've gathered on this case,” she explained.

Saki stared at the paperwork in awe. “Do you not like working digitally?”

“I suppose not,” Agent North admitted. “I'm still used to the way things used to be done, with file folders and paper storage. And perhaps I'm a little paranoid about things being hacked, especially when the leader of this chip ring is a Navi.”

“It's still a pain,” Enzan groused. “If I need something, I have to manually enter it into my PET so that I can refer back to it later.”

“Sorry,” Agent North said apologetically. “I know it's a lot of trouble, but thank you for bearing with me.”

The three of them chatted as Enzan and Agent North ate their lunches. After a while, Agent North gave Saki a curious glance.

“What about you?” she asked. “Where's your lunch?”

“Huh?” Saki suddenly realized that he hadn't made himself his own lunch, and felt stupid. “Oh, uhh, I...ate already.”

Agent North narrowed her eyes, but didn't say anything. Enzan smirked at Saki knowingly.

“I bet he probably forgot to make himself something,” Enzan said. “More than likely because he was so focused on everyone else.”

 _Ouch_ , Saki thought. _Bullseye_.

“Just make sure you eat something after this,” Agent North said. “It would be awful if you collapsed.”

“I will,” Saki promised.

While everyone chided Saki for not making himself lunch, a police officer approached Agent North, and handed her a document. As Agent North looked at it, her expression became serious.

“Did this just come in?” she asked.

“Yeah,” said the officer. “About ten minutes ago.”

Agent North nodded. “Thank you for letting me know.”

The officer walked off, and Agent North handed the document to Enzan. “It looks like we have a promising lead.”

Enzan's eyes scanned the document, and his expression became hopeful. “If this is accurate,” he said, “Then that means we might have a chance to corner him.”

Saki leaned over, trying to catch a glimpse of what was written on the document. “Corner who?”

Enzan looked at Saki. “We might be able to corner Vava.”

Saki felt his eyes widen. “Really?”

Enzan nodded. “I can't say too much right now, but we think we have an idea of where he's operating from right now. Once we know for sure, then we'll take him down together.”

Despite Enzan's words, Saki still felt uncertain. “You promise that you'll let me know when you need me, right?”

“Of course I will,” said Enzan. “We'll need everyone in order to pull this off, after all.”

Feeling reassured, Saki nodded. “Okay, then. Just tell me when and where you need me, and I'll be right there.”

After another assurance from Enzan, Saki said his goodbyes and left the police station. As he was looking in his bag to check how many lunches he had left to deliver, he heard a familiar voice call out to him.

“Hey! There you are!”

Saki looked up, and saw Taka walking towards him. Saki felt his heart stutter, and forced himself to give Taka a tiny wave.

“What are you doing at the police station?” he asked Taka.

“I came to find you,” Taka said. “I knew from your email that you'd be here, so I hurried over.”

 _Liar_ , Saki thought. _There's no way you could get from your house to here so fast. You were already in the area_.

Taka held out his hand. “So? Where is it?”

Saki blinked. “What?” He paused. “You mean your lunch?”

Taka sighed dramatically. “I'm an _important_ member of this team, and I'm working _very hard_ right now, so I deserve a lunch too, don't you think?”

“O-of course,” Saki said. “I was going to bring it to you, but this beats traveling all the way to your house...” He glanced around. “But maybe we should find somewhere to sit down first.”

“Good point,” Taka said. He looked thoughtful for a moment. “I think there's a park nearby. Why don't we eat there?”

***

The two sat down on one of the benches in the park, and Saki handed Taka his bento.

“Ahh, a homemade lunch,” Taka said with a sigh. “Nothing could be better.” He popped it open, and frowned. “Hey, what's with all the vegetables in here?”

Saki smirked. “You need more of them in your diet.”

“Rude!” Taka stuck out his tongue at Saki. “But I'll forgive you this time because there's also a pork cutlet.” He quickly shoved a piece of pork into his mouth and let out a squeal of happiness.

“I'm glad you like it,” Saki said.

Taka looked at Saki. “So, how did it go? Did everyone appreciate your hard work?”

“Yeah,” Saki said, nodding. “Everyone was really grateful to have a homemade meal. It made me feel a lot better about not being able to help much with the actual investigation.”

“That's good!” said Taka. He paused, and looked down at his lunch with a frown. “I just wish I was having more luck...”

“Is it not going well?” Saki asked, concerned.

Taka nodded. “I don't feel good about going behind Mamma's back, or going through her computer. I know I'm doing the right thing, but it feels really wrong. Like I'm betraying her trust.”

Saki nodded. “I can understand that.”

“I don't want to believe that Mamma's involved,” Taka said, “But...” He pursed his lips.

Feeling Taka's reluctance, Saki changed the subject. “Hey, while I was at the station, Agent North got a lead on where Vava might be.”

Taka's expression brightened. “Really? That's great!”

Saki grinned. “We're getting closer to putting an end to those awful chips.”

Slowly, Taka's expression fell. He looked down at his lunch again, and said, in a small voice, “What do you think it will be like when we win? Will things go back to the way they were before?”

“Probably!” Saki said. “Nobody will have to worry about the Sigma chips anymore, and nobody will have to be scared of being attacked.”

“But...” Taka looked up at Saki with a worried expression. “What if things are a lot bigger than just the chips? What if this is just part of some larger plan?”

Saki frowned. “What do you mean?”

“I dunno...” Taka tugged on his bangs. “I just...can't shake the feeling that the chips are a distraction...”

A chill ran up Saki's spine. “A distraction? For what?”

Taka shook his head. “I wish I knew...”

Silence settled between them for a moment, and Saki tried to think of why someone would make such an awful thing as the Sigma chips, and what they might have been trying to distract the police from with them. Nothing he thought of made sense, or seemed plausible.

“A-anyway!” Taka said brightly. “This lunch is really good! Thank you so much for making it!”

“N-no problem!” Saki replied, trying to shake off his gloomy mood. “I'm glad that you like it!”

“You should do this again sometime,” Taka said in between bites of food. “I bet everyone would appreciate it.”

“Would _you_ appreciate it?” Saki asked coyly.

Taka laughed. “Yeah!”

“Then I'll consider it,” Saki said, smiling.

“Awesome!” Taka flashed Saki a wide grin before going back to devouring his lunch. Saki watched him eat, his thoughts spinning.

_The stress of trying to stop Vava helped me to forget my feelings for Taka, but today just made me remember them all over again. I know that I'm reading too much into things, but I want to believe he might like me back. But just because he jumped at the chance to help me or raced over here to have me give him his lunch in person doesn't mean anything. Those are things he would do just because he could, just because we're friends..._

“Thank you for the food!” Taka said, setting his utensils down on top of the bento and sighing happily. “That was so tasty!”

“I'm glad you liked it,” said Saki. “I made it just for you, after all.”

Taka laughed. “Hey, you know how I hired you to come make dinner for me once a week? How about you make me lunches too?”

“Don't push your luck,” Saki growled.

“I was kidding!” Taka said, raising his hands defensively. “You already do so much for me as it is.”

Saki's face heated up, and he rubbed his neck nervously. “It's not a big deal or anything.”

“There you go again, selling yourself short,” Taka chided. “You don't always have to be doing something big and important, you know. Even little things go a long way.”

Saki sighed. “I know that you're right, but it's really hard to remember.”

“Then I'll just have to remind you,” said Taka. “Over and over again until you finally believe it.”

The heat in Saki's face crept up to his ears, and he turned away from Taka to hide it.

“I really...appreciate that,” Saki said quietly.

“Well, I really appreciate you!” Taka replied cheerfully.

Saki's heart skipped a beat.

“I also really appreciate the food you cook for me,” Taka continued.

Saki's soaring hopes were instantly dashed. “Am I just a source of food to you?” he asked irritably, grabbing Taka by his hoodie and shaking him. Taka just laughed. Saki eventually let him go, and Taka dusted himself off, still smiling.

“Let's continue to do our best, okay?” he said.

“Yeah,” Saki promised.


	36. Taking Out the Trash

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Agent North finally manages to pin down Vava's location, and the group makes its move.

Inside the observation room, Agent North anxiously watched Tsukiko Wakahisa be led to her seat at the small table inside the interrogation room. Her high heels clicked sharply against the tiled floor, echoing slightly in the confined space, and she tucked her skirt down as she sat, before neatly folding her hands on the table's surface and staring intently at the glass panel, as if she could see Agent North on the other side.

“She holds herself confidently,” Agent North muttered under her breath. “No signs of guilt or remorse. She doesn't seem nervous either. She might be a tough nut to crack.”

Enzan sighed as he stared at Tsukiko. “We're not looking for a confession. We just need her to slip up, and give us something to work with.”

The two observed Tsukiko for a few more minutes, but the woman remained in the same position, staring unflinchingly at the glass. When Agent North seemed satisfied that nothing else was going to happen, the pair made their way into the interrogation room next door.

Tsukiko stood as they entered, and offered them a cold smile. Agent North smiled back, but it was missing her usual warmth.

“Wakahisa-san, thank you so much for coming in today,” said Agent North as she took her seat.

“It was no trouble,” Tsukiko said, smoothing down her skirt once again as she retook her seat. Enzan quietly slid into the chair next to Agent North, and Tsukiko gave him a small smile.

“Do you know why you're here today?” asked Agent North.

“I can't say that I do,” Tsukiko said.

“We wanted to talk to you today because we believe that someone at your company might be using your manufacturing facilities for illicit activity,” Agent North explained, her face a mask of composure.

“Is that so?” Tsukiko replied.

Enzan leaned forward, and steepled his fingers. “There is evidence to suggest that several of your factories were used within the last six months for activities not related to the manufacturing of aeronautical parts. Were you aware of it?”

Tsukiko made a thoughtful noise, and tilted her head to the side. “Yes, I am aware of that.”

Agent North raised an eyebrow. “You are?”

“Yes,” said Tsukiko. “I filed a report three months ago, when I first noticed it.” She fixed her gaze on Agent North. “Surely you knew about that? You _were_ aware of the report before you called me in, weren't you?”

Agent North quickly looked down at her manila folder, and shuffled through it, a look of confusion on her face.

“Yes, of course,” said Enzan smoothly. “Can you explain how you became aware of this activity?”

“Certainly,” said Tsukiko. “Three months ago, I was going over my monthly reports, and noticed that large shipments of materials had been made to several of my factories that I knew for a fact had been temporarily closed. When I checked to see who had made the shipments, I found my name on the invoices.” She clicked her nails on the table top irritably. “I know for a fact that I did not make those requests, nor did I sign for them. In other words, someone was using my name and stamp to sign off on orders I did not make.”

“And when you found out, you went to the police?” Agent North asked.

“Of course,” Tsukiko replied. “I filed a report, but as far as I know, no one followed up on it. I never received so much as a phone call.”

“Were there other shipments?” Enzan asked.

Tsukiko shook her head. “No. At least, none that showed up on my invoices.”

Agent North frowned. “It seems odd that the Net Police wouldn't follow up on your report.”

“Yes, well,” Tsukiko said, her eyes narrowing, “In my _personal_ experience, the police tend to be rather _inept_.”

Agent North crossed her arms. “Have you had negative experiences with the police before?”

Tsukiko nodded. “Yes. As I'm sure you're aware, there have been multiple instances in the past of blatant police negligence to contain viral threats to both the Internet and to the general populace.” She glanced over at Enzan. “Such as the Super Cybeast incident.”

Enzan clenched his jaw angrily.

“I assure you that the Net Police did everything they could in that situation,” Agent North said.

“Did they?” Tsukiko asked coldly. “As far as I'm aware, they left the resolution of that incident in the hands of mere children.” Her eyes became dark and angry. “Had something been done sooner, perhaps the incident might not have occurred at all, and perhaps no one would have had to lose their life.”

Agent North looked visibly shaken by her words.

“It wasn't such a simple matter, Wakahisa-san,” Enzan replied tensely. “And I assure you, everyone involved did everything in their power to end it as swiftly as possible. It is regrettable that your son lost his life, and I am sincerely sorry for your loss, but the truth of the matter is that we were all very lucky that things didn't escalate any further.”

Tsukiko glared at Enzan for a moment, and then sighed and shook her head.

“My apologies. I didn't mean to upset anyone.”

Agent North cleared her throat. “Back to the matter at hand...regarding that report that you filed with the Net Police...you said it was three months ago?”

“Yes,” said Tsukiko.

“And you are _certain_ that no one followed up on it?” asked Agent North.

“Yes,” Tsukiko replied.

“So, to summarize, you were aware of illegal activity regarding the diversion of resources three months ago, filed a report, and then did nothing else?” asked Agent North.

Tsukiko sighed. “I wouldn't say I did _nothing_. I made more of an effort to look out for any further activity in the future, and I didn't observe any.”

“But your factories were being used even after you filed your report,” Enzan said. “How do you explain that?”

Tsukiko shook her head. “Regrettably, I have no way of explaining myself. I wasn't even aware of their use.”

“But you just said that you were carefully monitoring for illegal activity,” said Agent North.

“Yes,” Tsukiko replied, “And I'm only human. Things such as power usage for the factories is not separated out by factory, but rather lumped together as one bill. I wouldn't notice a small uptick in usage. And while no one used my name and stamp to order materials, it is entirely possible the people involved used other channels, which I would have no way of monitoring.”

Everyone fell silent for a long moment.

“You said that someone used your stamp to sign off on materials shipped to the factory,” Enzan said. “When did you notice your stamp missing?”

“Oh, months ago,” Tsukiko said. “Early in the year. February, I think? It was such an irritating process to acquire a new one, I'll have you know. So many legal hoops to jump through.”

“Do you know anyone who could have taken it from you?” Enzan asked.

“Not offhand,” Tsukiko said. “I keep it in my purse, you see. But anyone who knew that would have an opportunity to take it while I was at work. I often get so absorbed in what I'm doing that I don't notice what's going on around me. And many people enter and leave my office on a daily basis. Any one of them could have taken it.”

Enzan sighed quietly. “I see.”

“I just have one more question for you,” said Agent North. “Is it possible that it might have been your son who took it?”

Enzan looked at Agent North with surprise, but quickly recovered himself and went back to his usual stoic expression. Tsukiko narrowed her eyes.

“I highly doubt it,” she said. “Takashi is a very good boy, and he isn't one to steal.”

“But he would have access to your purse while you're at home,” said Agent North. “And since you wouldn't suspect him, it would be easier for him to get away with it.”

Tsukiko leaned forward, and spoke in a threatening tone. “My son would never steal from me. More importantly, he is not the kind of child capable of committing any kind of crime. Even accusing him of such a thing is insulting.”

“I see.” Agent North gave Tsukiko a nervous smile. “My apologies.”

Tsukiko leaned back and folded her hands on the table once more.

“Just so we're clear, you have no idea who might have stolen your stamp, or who might have ordered those materials using your name?” asked Agent North.

“No,” Tsukiko said.

“Not even a guess?” Agent North asked. “Possibly one of your employees? An ex-employee maybe?”

“I carefully screen all my employees before I hire them,” said Tsukiko. “None of them have criminal records. As for an ex-employee, it's possible, but I'm not inclined to believe it.”

“I see,” said Agent North, shutting her folder. “I believe I've heard enough.” She gave Tsukiko a smile. “Thank you for your cooperation today, Wakahisa-san, you've been most helpful.”

Tsukiko smiled back. “Of course. Anything to help.”

An office entered the room, and escorted Tsukiko out. Agent North and Enzan waited until she had left the room before they let out a huge sigh.

“She didn't slip up,” Agent North muttered angrily. “In fact, she was suspiciously helpful.” She looked at Enzan with a curious expression. “Why did you say that you knew about the report?”

“I was calling her bluff,” Enzan explained. “I was hoping she might become over-confident, and say something incriminating.”

“Well, she might not have said anything _directly_ incriminating,” replied Agent North. “But I'm fairly positive she was lying about losing her stamp.”

“I'm sure she is too,” Enzan said. “But accusing her son was a dangerous move.”

“Yeah,” said Agent North. “She seems to be very protective of him.”

“As I'm sure any mother would be,” said Enzan. “But I find it curious that she would say that Taka-kun isn't capable of anything illegal, considering what I know about him...”

“She might not be aware of his activities,” Agent North suggested. “After all, she did say that she tends to get too focused on her work, and becomes unaware of her surroundings.”

Enzan sighed. “This only makes me more suspicious of her.”

Agent North stood up. “I'm going to check the system to see if I can find her supposed report.”

“Good idea,” Enzan said, getting to his feet. “If it turns out that she was lying about that, then there's a pretty good chance that she was lying about the rest of it.”

Walking quickly, Agent North made her way to the data entry room, and slid into the seat at the terminal behind the counter. With a few quick keystrokes, she pulled up a log of reports filed within the last six months, and scrolled down the list until she spotted Tsukiko's name.

“Damn,” she muttered. “It's here. She wasn't lying.”

Enzan leaned over to read the report. “It looks like she filed it in July...and it mentions the suspicious activity at several of her factories.”

“There was a police investigation, but it yielded nothing,” Agent North added. “Damn...how did I miss this the first time?! I could have sworn this wasn't here last night.”

“It's possible that you missed it,” said Enzan. “But it's more likely that someone hacked it into the system.” He frowned. “I suppose I overestimated how good the security was...”

“It does seem a little suspicious,” Agent North admitted.

Enzan tapped his foot. “Now what?”

Agent North crossed her arms. “I suggest we check the records at City Hall, and see if she really did file for a new stamp like she said she did.”

“And if there is a report?” asked Enzan.

“Then she might actually be telling the truth,” said Agent North. “Either that, or she's really good at covering her tracks.” She tapped her fingers against her arm irritably. “Either way, we're going to need to catch Vava, and make him tell us everything.”

***

Taka stared into Saki's face with a serious expression. “We have to talk about something very important.”

Saki's heart stuttered, and he swallowed nervously. “Wh-what?”

Taka grabbed Saki by the shoulders. “It's almost Halloween, and we don't know what your costume is yet.”

Saki's anxiety was immediately overtaken by irritation. He shrugged Taka's hands off of his shoulders and frowned.

“I don't care about Halloween,” he said.

Taka responded with intense shock. He staggered back a step, and clutched at the nearest object dramatically.

“Wh-what?!” he cried. “How could you say something like that?!”

“Because Halloween is stupid,” Saki replied bluntly.

Taka put a hand to his forehead. “How could you say something like that?! Halloween is my favorite holiday, and I won't stand to hear you say it's 'stupid'.”

Saki sighed. “It's a stupid holiday because it just encourages bad behavior. The only people who participate in it are hooligans and people who want an excuse to party.”

“That might be true,” Taka said, pointing at Saki, “But people also love the holiday because it means that we can be whoever we want for a whole day! It's the one chance we have to dress up and not get stared at on the train. It's a day that encourages creativity, and celebrates craftsmanship!”

“You just like it because it means free candy,” Saki replied.

“That too,” admitted Taka.

Saki crossed his arms. “I don't care about candy, or dressing up. All I want to do is stay home, where it's nice and quiet, and maybe watch a movie with Michi.”

“BOR~ING!” Taka yelled. “I swear, you're the captain of the No Fun Police!”

“Because I don't want to participate in Halloween?” Saki asked.

“No, because you can't understand it's charms!” said Taka. “And what about Michi-chan? What if she wants to go have fun on Halloween?”

“She hasn't said anything yet,” replied Saki.

“Maybe she's too shy to say anything because she knows how much you dislike the holiday,” Taka said pointedly.

Saki gave Taka a withering look. “She doesn't have any trouble telling me if she wanted something before,” he said. “And she's never asked to participate in Halloween before, so I doubt that's going to change.”

“Tyrant!” Taka declared, shoving his finger at Saki threateningly. “Monster! How dare you deprive a child of Halloween joy?!”

“I'm not!” Saki yelled back. 

“If you won't take Michi-chan out trick-or-treating, then I'll just have to do it instead,” said Taka, crossing his arms.

“No, you won't,” Saki growled.

“You can't stop me,” Taka said. “As soon as she gets home, I'm going to ask her what kind of costume she wants.”

“Stop acting like you're in charge here!” Saki yelled. “Maybe I don't want my little sister wandering around late at night with someone as unreliable as you!”

“ _Unreliable?!_ ” Taka sputtered. “I'll have you know that I am _very_ reliable!”

“Prove it,” Saki said.

Taka frowned. “Well, for one thing, I'm always on time for appointments. I never shirk my responsibilities. And I'm excellent at keeping secrets!”

Saki snorted. “And you also make spur-of-the-moment decisions, are irresponsible with money, and put yourself in situations where you could get hurt!”

“I would _never_ put Michi-chan in danger!” Taka insisted.

The two boys glared at each other for a while, neither one willing to budge on their opinions. Finally, they were interrupted by Michi arriving, who stopped when she saw Taka and Saki glaring at each other in the entryway.

“Hello, Taka-kun,” she said politely.

Taka looked at her, his expression immediately softening. “Hello Michi-chan!” he said brightly. “How was school?”

“It was the same as always,” she said. Looking at Saki, and then back at Taka, she asked, “Were you two fighting?”

“It's just a little disagreement,” said Taka. “You see, I asked Saki if I could make you a costume for Halloween, and take you trick-or-treating, but he told me that you wouldn't want to go.”

Michi looked at Saki again, who shrugged his shoulders helplessly. She looked back at Taka, and smiled.

“I'm very happy that you would do that for me,” she said, “But I can't go.”

“Why not?” Taka asked.

Michi shuffled her feet. “My friends always ask me if I want to go, but I don't want to if my brother doesn't want to go with me. He doesn't like Halloween, and I don't want to make him go if he doesn't want to.”

Saki turned away, bracing himself against the wall and clutched his chest. The guilt was overwhelming.

Even though he couldn't see it, Saki could _hear_ Taka grinning around the words, “Oh, is that so?”

 _Crap_ , Saki thought. _Taka was right. I really_ _am_ _stopping Michi from having a good time_.

“Do you really want Saki to take you trick-or-treating that much?” Taka asked.

“Mhm!” Michi said. “I bet he would have a lot of fun if he want with me!”

Saki sank to the floor, and hugged his knees. He felt like the biggest fool.

“I think so too!” said Taka. “But Saki doesn't want to celebrate the holiday, so I suppose I can't do anything about it.”

 _Stop rubbing it in!_ Saki thought angrily.

“Anyway, if you want to go with me instead, all you have to do is say the word,” Taka told Michi kindly. “I'll be here in an instant!”

Michi giggled. “You must really love Halloween, huh Taka-kun?”

“I do!” Taka said happily. “It's my favorite holiday!”

Saki slunk off to the main room to sulk. He felt attacked, and the shame of knowing that Michi had been reluctant to ask Saki to go with her because she knew how much he hated Halloween was too much to bear.

 _If she had asked me, I would have done it in a heartbeat_ , he thought miserably. _No matter how much I hate the holiday, I love Michi more!_

While Saki was wallowing in misery, his PET beeped, and Zer0 informed him that he had mail. From the entryway, Axl told Taka the same thing. Saki took out his PET, and quickly looked at the message, which was from Agent North.

 _Come to the station. We have some things to discuss_.

“Straight to the point, isn't she?” Saki muttered.

“It sounds important,” said Zer0. “Perhaps we should hurry.”

“I'll send her a reply, and let her know that we're on the way,” Axl said.

Taka bent down to talk to Michi at eye-level. “Sorry, Michi-chan, it looks like I can't play with you today.”

Michi nodded solemnly. “You have something important to do, right?”

“That's right,” said Taka cheerfully. “But me and Saki will be back as soon as we possibly can. I promise.”

Saki picked himself up off the floor, and shuffled over to the entryway. Michi looked up at him with a slightly disappointed expression, and Saki did his best to smile.

“I promise that we'll be home before you know it!” he told her.

“Okay then,” Michi said, giving the boys a small smile. “Good luck!”

Waving goodbye, Taka and Saki left the apartment, and made their way down to the Metroline station. As they walked hastily down the street, Taka asked, “What do you think Agent North wants to tell us?”

“It might have something to do with Vava,” Saki replied. “If that's the case, it would explain the lack of details in her email.”

Taka reached for Saki's hand, and held onto it tightly. Saki glanced over, and noted Taka's troubled expression. He squeezed Taka's hand reassuringly.

“We're going to catch him, and put a stop to all of this, once and for all,” Saki promised. “It'll ll be over soon. You just have to hang on a little bit more.”

Taka nodded, but his expression still remained troubled.

Neither boy spoke much on the way over to the police station. Agent North was waiting for them in the lobby, and gave them a warm smile.

“I'm glad you could make it on such short notice,” she said.

“You caught us at a good time,” Saki said.

Agent North jerked her head towards the door leading into the rest of the station. “Follow me. The others are already here.”

Saki and Taka followed Agent North through the station and up to a door that Saki didn't recognize. When Agent North opened the door, Saki could see a large table that was covered in diagrams and maps. Around the table were some familiar faces, including Yuuichiro, who looked over and smiled at the boys.

Agent North shut the door behind them, and Saki glanced around the room. There were no windows, and the walls were made of concrete. It felt almost oppressive, and he crossed his arms over his chest nervously.

“I think that's everyone,” Agent North said as she walked over to the head of the table. “Should we start?”

Manabe nodded. A few of the others murmured yes.

Satisfied, Agent North put her hands on her hips and cleared her throat. “As I'm sure you've all guessed, this is a meeting to discuss our plan to trap the Net Navi known as Vava. For that reason, we had to hold it here, in this room.”

“What's so special about this room?” Saki asked, feeling dumb.

Enzan smirked. “This room was designed to block signals from coming in or going out. It's essentially an Internet dead zone.”

Saki looked at his PET, and sure enough, he didn't have any signal. Zer0 nodded, as if to confirm Enzan's words.

“Whatever is said in this room does not leave it,” Agent North warned. “Even during the operation itself, there won't be any form of open communication. Any radio traffic will be in code. We cannot risk Vava catching wind of our operation and going into hiding.”

Leaning forward, Agent North pointed to a satellite map. “Our intelligence suggests that Vava is currently working out of this manufacturing facility on the outskirts of Akindo City. We have no idea when he might move, so we need to catch him now, while we have the opportunity.”

“The facility itself has very little security,” Manabe explained. “Most of it is designed to keep humans out. After speaking with the owners of the building, they have informed us that it also has very basic network security, which is more than likely why Vava targeted it.”

Laika looked at the map carefully. “The area is mostly open, with few other buildings nearby. It'll be difficult to approach unseen.”

“That's why we'll approach in the evening, on foot,” Agent North explained. “We suspect that Vava is using the Dimensional Converters to move around inside the facility, so our first objective once we're inside will be to disable them.”

“Before that field goes down, we'll set up our own, using the Dimensional Generator,” Yuuichiro said. “If we can trap him, it'll be less likely for him to escape.

“We'll secure the Network as well,” Manabe added, “And cut off any potential escape into the Internet.”

“The hardest part will be capturing Vava himself,” Agent North explained. “It would be easier to just delete him, but we need him alive for questioning.”

Saki's stomach dropped. “So...we really will have to fight him in Cross Fusion then.”

“Now that we know what Vava is capable of, it'll be easier to predict his attacks,” Netto said.

“With five of us, the odds are in our favor,” Enzan added.

Despite everyone's confident remarks, Saki couldn't help but feel nervous. He looked at Taka, who seemed just as uncertain, and held his hand.

“We need to leave immediately,” said Agent North, handing everyone a piece of paper. “Make sure you read over these instructions very carefully so that there's no confusion.”

Saki looked at his document, and saw that it was a laundry list of things to remember. 

“Unit B, report to transport vehicle 2J6, on standby until signal is given...” He shook his head, feeling his thoughts swim. “Ugh, I can barely keep any of this straight.”

“Just follow the rest of us and you'll be fine,” Laika said. “And don't do anything until you're told to.”

Saki simply nodded, too overwhelmed to speak. Taka latched onto his arm, and clung to him as if he was a lifeline.

“I'm scared,” he whispered. “This is for real...we're going to go into a really dangerous situation aren't we?”

Saki nodded, trying to swallow the lump in his throat. He looked at the others, and noted their calm expressions, as if they had done this a thousand times before, which only served to upset him further.

 _It's almost like this is normal for them_ , he thought. _What kind of stuff have they dealt with in the past? What kind of horrible situation is waiting for me...?_

Everything that happened next was a blur. Saki was given an earpiece, and then swept off into a crowded truck. He ended up sandwiched between Netto and Taka, and a few minutes later, the truck was off.

Saki looked around at everyone in the truck with him. Agent North was sitting back, her expression calm and her hands clasped in her lap. Laika was leaned over, his elbows braced against his knees, eyes closed as if in deep thought. Enzan stared out the window, his eyes unfocused and his arms limp. Taka was still clinging to Saki's arm, his head on Saki's shoulder, staring at the floor. On Saki's other side, Netto leaned over and asked softly, “Are you okay?”

Saki shook his head. Netto smiled kindly.

“It never gets easier,” he admitted. “We're all scared, trust me.”

“How do you deal with it?” Saki asked.

Netto looked thoughtful. “Hmm, I guess...you learn to block it out. You just sort of go numb, and work off of instinct. At least, I do.” He sighed. “I know that asking you two to fight Vava is a lot, especially since you've only Cross Fused a handful of times.”

“But...you've been doing this for a lot longer than I have,” Saki said slowly. “You've had to face all kinds of stuff, haven't you?”

Netto's eyes looked away for an instant, but he gave Saki a big smile. “Sure have! Boy, do I have some stories that I could tell you!” He patted Saki's head. “But they can wait until after we get back.” Netto reached around, and pulled both Taka and Saki into a one-armed hug. “For now, try not to think of anything too stressful. Don't worry about what could go wrong, just focus on what you have to do.”

Saki looked down at Taka, and gently stroked the boy's hair. Taka made a small noise and cuddled closer. Satisfied that Taka was calm, Saki used everything that he had learned in his sword training to block out everything going on around him. He pushed his doubts and fears down and away, and focused on a single point in his mind. He closed his eyes, and focused on the rhythm of his breathing, and the steady beat of his heart. Slowly, it went from a frantic cadence to a slow march. For a long time, Saki simply sat and focused on his own body, until he felt a gentle presence reach out to him. Instinctively, he knew that it was Zer0, and reached back.

 _That's right_ , he thought. _No matter what, I'll always have Zer0 with me. As long as we have each other, we can't lose_.

Suddenly, the truck stopped, and Saki collided with Netto, who quickly threw an arm in front of him to stop him from falling forward. Saki felt his face heat up with embarrassment, but Netto just gave him a smile.

Unbuckling her safety belt, Agent North stood up. “We walk from here,” she said, and exited the truck. One by one, the others followed suit. As soon as he was outside the truck, Saki stretched his whole body to try to work out some of the stiffness in his muscles. Taka tugged on Saki's sleeve, and pointed at a second truck parked some distance away. As Saki stared at it, a group of police officers in helmets and protective vests exited the vehicle, and formed a line. Manabe got out of the passenger's side, and made a few hand gestures at the officers, who started walking forward.

“From here on out, don't use the com unless it's important,” Agent North told the group. She started walking in the same direction as the officers, and waved for the others to follow her. Obediently, Saki fell in line behind Netto, and Taka grabbed the back of his shirt before following after him.

For what felt like miles, Saki and the others trudged through grassy lots and small clumps of trees until they reached the manufacturing facilities. Slowly, they made their way around them, keeping to the shadows cast by the buildings, until they reached the factory that Agent North had pointed out on the map. Squinting, Saki thought he saw light in the windows, but it was hard to make anything out from where he was standing.

The group paused, and Laika reached into his jacket, pulling out a small pair of binoculars. He stared through them at the building for a while, and then put them back in his jacket.

Through Saki's earpiece, he heard Manabe murmur, “Everyone is in position. Waiting on the signal.”

Agent North nodded, and into her earpiece microphone softly said, “Move in.”

The group moved closer to the fence that surrounded the facility. One of the officers met them, and pulled out a pair of bolt cutters, which he used to cut a hole in the fence.

“Laika, Enzan, this is your entry point,” Agent North said quietly. “The rest of you, follow me.”

Without another word, Laika and Enzan slipped through the fence and made a dash for the main building, disappearing into the shadows. Agent North and the officer started walking along the fence, and Saki followed, trying not to lose Taka in the process. They circled around to the other side of the building, and the officer cut another hole in the fence for them to enter through.

“Head directly inside,” Agent North told Netto. “Locate the Converters, and then wait for the signal.”

Netto nodded, and motioned for Saki and Taka to follow him. Saki took Taka by the hand, and carefully guided him through the hole in the fence, making sure neither of them got stuck on the sharp edges. Afterwards, they all made a dash for the building, trying to stay as quiet as possible. Once they were in the shadows, they all let out a soft sigh of relief.

“Being a secret agent looks so much easier in the movies,” Taka complained quietly.

Netto put a finger to his lips, indicating that they shouldn't speak or make noise. Saki and Taka mimicked him, and once Netto was sure they understood, he started walking down the length of the building, searching for a point of entry. They found a side door, and Netto carefully tried the knob, but it was locked.

“Hmm...” Netto crouched down to examine the door lock, and then fished around in his pocket for something. He pulled out a pair of slender metal sticks, and Saki realized immediately that they were lock picks.

“Why do you have lock picks?” Saki asked as quietly as he could manage.

Rather than answer, Netto put his ear to the door and started fiddling with the lock. An eternity seemed to stretch on as they waited, but finally the lock let out a loud 'click' and Netto grinned triumphantly. Silently, Taka applauded Netto, who gave a small bow.

 _Should I be scared or impressed that Netto knows how to pick locks?_ Saki wondered.

With the door open, the three of them entered the building. Netto glanced around, and noticed a point on the wall to plug into the Network. He aimed his PET at it, and the bright flash of an infrared beam let Saki know that Rockman had successfully plugged in. Netto's PET screen displayed a map, and the three of them looked at it carefully. Netto traced a path through the building with his finger.

“The field is probably contained to the work area,” he whispered. “So the Converters are more than likely further inside.” He pointed to a nearby hallway. “The map says we should go this way.”

Netto took the lead, and Saki stayed at the end of the line, glancing over his shoulder every so often to make sure that no one was following them. The dark hallways seemed to close in on them, and more than once Saki jumped at some little noise, which turned out to be nothing more than the pipes creaking or the floor settling. Finally, they came out into an open area, and Saki spotted the familiar iridescent sheen of the Dimensional Area forming a bubble around the processing area. Netto knelt down, and the others followed suit. Glancing around, Netto seemed to spot something, and pointed towards the ceiling.

“There,” he whispered. “There's one.”

Saki recognized the blue cylindrical Digital Converter buried in the roof of the building. With a quick glance, Saki spotted two more—one on the wall on the other side of the room, and one sticking out of the floor about twenty feet away.

“I see three,” Netto whispered into his earpiece.

“Wait for the signal,” came Agent North's voice.

Netto looked at Saki and Taka with a serious expression. “We won't be able to disable the Converters until the second field is up, so as soon as you get the signal, Cross Fuse and take the Converters out as fast as you can. Once they're destroyed, we can move in, and trap Vava.”

“Got it,” Taka whispered.

“Network is secured,” Rockman said. “I'm heading inside the field now to get into position.”

“Be careful,” Netto replied.

Saki waited with breathless anticipation, until he heard Laika's voice over the earpiece.

“We found four. Awaiting signal.”

Time seemed to slow down, and Saki's chest tightened until he could barely breathe. After what felt like an eternity, Agent North's voice came over the earpiece.

“Base, you are a go.”

Thirty seconds later, a second field enclosed the first, forming a wall behind the boys. Netto nodded, and Saki pulled out his PET and Synchro Chip, slotting it in as fast as he could manage.

Even before the process had finished, Saki was moving. He set his eyes on the Converter in the floor, and leaped up onto the railing of the raised catwalk they had been hiding on, pushing off hard enough for the metal to crumple, and used his momentum to close the distance almost instantly. With a swing of his sword, Saki cut the Converter in half, and leaped away before it exploded.

From the railing, a shot rang out, and Saki glanced up to see Taka snipe one of the other converters. The bullet went straight through, and the Converter exploded the same way the first had. The third Converter was quickly destroyed by a few well-placed shots from Rockman, who had been hiding in the shadow of a large stack of shipping crates. Once the three Converters were destroyed, Saki could hear dull booms from somewhere else in the factory, and a moment later, the field made by the Digital Converters flickers and disappeared.

“Converters are down,” Laika said over the com. “I repeat, Converters are down.”

“Dimensional Area is holding steady,” Yuuichiro said.

“Well, he knows we're here,” Taka said, the sniper rifle in his hands transforming back into his pistols. “Maybe we should go say hello.”

“Rockman, let's use Double Soul,” Netto said.

“Roger!” replied Rockman, and a moment later, his armor transformed into something that resembled Tomahawkman, right down to his signature tomahawk replacing Rockman's buster.

“Whoa!” Saki blurted out. “I didn't know he could do that!”

“Double Soul borrows the power of other Navis,” Netto explained. “That way, he can use their strengths in battle!”

“Come on,” Rockman said, waving his hand. “We have to find Vava before he tries to escape.”

Saki glanced up at Netto, who waved. “Don't worry about me!” he said cheerfully. “I'll back you guys up from here!”

Taka hopped down from the catwalk, and zipped past Saki. “You heard Rockman, let's go!”

 _It looks like Taka temporarily managed to conquer his own fears_ , Saki noted to himself. _Now all I have to worry about is myself_.

Saki wove through the maze of machinery on the floor, trying to see if he could spot Vava. The sounds of gunfire towards the center of the building alerted him, and he used his augmented jumping abilities to scale one of the machines, hopping from one to the next as he rushed to where the fight was already taking place.

Enzan and Laika were already engaged in combat with Vava, who was proving to be difficult to pin down. Every time Enzan got close, Vava would unleash a burst of gunfire from the vulcan on his arm, forcing Enzan to retreat. Laika fired off a few shots, but despite his heavy armor, Vava was fast, and expertly slipped between the shots, closing the gap between them instantly. Laika dropped his gun, and blocked a punch, kicking Vava away before pulling out a small gun from his back and firing off a few shots. As Vava dodged them, Laika snatched up his rifle, and dashed into a better position. Enzan came in for an attack while Vava was distracted, but only managed to clip his side as Vava twisted out of the way. Grabbing Enzan, Vava tossed him away like a rag doll, and Enzan crashed into one of the machines with a loud cry of pain.

“Enzan!” Saki yelled, and gripped his sword tighter. Anger flared up in his chest, and he wasn't sure if it was his or Zer0's, but it didn't matter. The desire to rip Vava limb from limb overtook Saki, and he charged in with an angry cry.

The blade of the saber slammed into Vava's arm, and the Navi chuckled.

“You,” he said, his voice rumbling. “Ah wait, something's a little off.”

Gritting his teeth, Saki threw all of his weight behind his saber, and managed to push Vava back a step. Vava swung his arm, and knocked Saki away, just as a blast of bullets rained down on him.

“I get it,” Vava said. “The weaklings have joined together. But joining two pieces of garbage together doesn't make it any stronger you know. In the end, it's still just garbage.”

A blast shot out of the cannon on Vava's shoulder, and slammed into Taka, who plummeted to the floor with a scream. Rockman dashed forward, and caught Taka at the last second, before both of them slammed into the ground.

“Ow,” Taka moaned. “Thanks Rockman...”

“Don't—ouch—mention it,” Rockman replied, getting to his feet.

The team quickly formed a circle around Vava, cutting off any potential escape. He looked at them, and shrugged nonchalantly.

“If you're looking for a fight,” he said, “I'm happy to give it to you. I was getting bored with just watching anyway.”

“Vava,” Enzan said, “You're going to tell us who you work for, and why you're making these chips.”

In response, Vava laughed. “As if I'd tell you trash anything.”

“If you don't comply, then we'll just have to beat it out of you,” said Saki threateningly.

Vava only laughed harder. “Oh please! As if I'd ever be afraid of a human! You and your trash Navis are too weak to pose any kind of threat.”

“The Sigma chips have hurt countless Navis and their Operators,” Rockman said. “We're here to see that you personally answer for your crimes!”

“Yeah!” Taka said. “And once we beat you, then we'll destroy the rest of these chips, so that you won't be able to hurt anyone else!”

Vava turned and looked at Taka, tilting his head slightly. “Do you really think it's that simple?” he asked.

Saki frowned. “What do you mean?”

Vava shook his head. “I guess I can't really expect any of you to understand. You're all too stupid to see the bigger picture here...”

The image of Taka sitting on a park bench, tugging anxiously at his bangs flashed through Saki's mind, along with the words, _“I just...can't shake the feeling that the chips are a distraction...”_

“What are you planning, Vava?” Saki demanded.

“Beat me and find out for yourself,” the Navi replied, and fired off a spray of bullets in Saki's direction.

As Saki dodged out of the way of Vava's attack, Enzan swooped in, aiming for Vava's unprotected back. Despite a direct hit, Vava barely flinched, and swung his arm at Enzan, who blocked it. Laika fired at Vava's legs, and Vava countered by grabbing Enzan and throwing him at Laika. The two collided, and landed on the ground in a heap.

“Tomahawk Swing!” Rockman cried, his tomahawk arcing through the air towards Vava, who deflected it with a burst of bullets from his arm mounted vulcan. The axe arced back toward Rockman, who caught it and charged towards Vava.

“Weakling!” Vava yelled, grabbing Rockman and slamming his knee into the smaller Navi's stomach, throwing Rockman into a nearby machine.

“Rockman!” Saki cried.

“Eyes forward!” Vava yelled, quickly closing the gap between him and Saki. Instinct kicked in, and Saki threw up the saber just in time to block Vava's punch.

Taka fired a spray of shots at Vava's back, distracting him long enough for Saki to shove Vava away before taking a swing at him.

A loud gunshot rang out, and Vava cried out in pain as a bullet pierced his leg before burying itself in the cement floor. Vava let out a low growl, and turned to look at Laika, who had fired the shot.

“How irritating...” the Navi muttered. “I suppose I've played with all of you for long enough.”

Vava charged up the cannon on his back, and fired off a large blast that decimated one of the machines behind Laika, who rolled out of the way in the nick of time.

“Shit!” Laika wheezed. “That was too close.”

Taka unleashed a charged shot on Vava, who used his vulcan to fire back. Thinking quickly, Taka cut his thrusters, and dropped towards the ground, dodging the shots completely. Just before he hit the floor, Taka's thrusters fired back up, and he came to a stop inches above the concrete floor. Rockman threw his tomahawk again, and Vava turned to deflect it, only to be blindsided by Enzan and Saki, who had charged in together from opposite sides. The two of them swung their blades in unison, and Vava had no choice but to take a hit to his side in order to avoid the worst of the three attacks.

“Ghh—!” Vava put a hand to the gash in his side, which fizzled and fragmented. He let out a low laugh. “I have to hand it to you...for trash, you're not too shabby in a fight.”

“Spill it, Vava,” Saki demanded. “Who are you working for? What are you trying to accomplish?”

Vava's low laugh became more maniacal, and finally he broke out into a cackle that echoed off the building's high ceilings.

“Why should I tell trash like you anything?” he said. “Even if you manage to defeat me here, it's only because you had to gang up on me like hyenas. Why should I respect anyone who thinks that friendship is worth anything more than dog shit? The world doesn't care about things like that. It's eat or be eaten.” Vava pointed angrily at Saki. “Humans are a plague, and the weak Navis who side with them are just as bad. If I was able to wipe even a few of them off the face of the Earth, then I did them a favor.”

“You sicken me,” Enzan spat angrily. “Filth who hides in the Undernet, only to mock the bond between Navis and Operators, are the truly weak ones. Take responsibility for your own shortcomings instead of blaming others!”

“I don't care what your reasons are,” Taka added. “The fact remains that the Navis who were infected by those chips can never come back, and it's all your fault. _You killed them_.” Angry tears welled up in his eyes. “And killing you would never be enough to make up for it. I hope you rot in some solitary cell for the rest of your life!”

“Stop squawking!” Vava yelled angrily. “You act like you've won already!”

“It would be pretty pointless to continue,” Rockman said. “You're injured and surrounded. Give up quietly, and no more harm will come to you.”

Vava scoffed. “Bleeding hearts like you are the absolute _worst_! Spare me your altruism!” The cannon on Vava's back charged with a high-pitched whine. “As long as I can move, I'll never stop fighting!”

“Watch it!” Laika yelled.

Vava aimed his cannon at Rockman, and the blast took out another large piece of machinery. Thankfully, Rockman had dodged the attack, aided by a shield chip that Netto had sent him. But it was clear that Vava was done talking, and he fired his cannon in small blasts at other members of the group, scattering them.

“We need to find a way to get in close!” Saki said, taking cover behind a piece of the assembly line. “If we stay away, he'll just keep using that cannon of his.”

“His armor seems to be the weakest near his torso,” Enzan said. “And he's not in the position to move right now, thanks to Laika.”

“I agree,” said Laika, “Getting in close is probably our best course of action.”

“I think I can keep him busy,” said Taka. “If he focuses on me, he might not notice if someone came in close.”

“It might be better to split his attention,” Laika added. “I can help keep him occupied as well.”

“Then I'll try to get in close,” said Enzan. “Tanaka-kun should be ready to do a follow up in the event that I miss.”

“Right,” Saki said. He peeked over the edge of the assembly line, and saw Vava turning his head and body, frantically looking around for them.

“I'm going in,” Taka said. A moment later, the sounds of gunfire rang out, and Vava gave an irritated growl before firing back. Saki watched Taka dance away from Vava's attacks, staying up on the tops of the machines and just out of range. Laika fired a few shots, until Vava turned in his direction. Taka quickly fired another burst, and pulled Vava's attention back to him, allowing Laika to move to another position, and fire a few more shots.

Enzan dashed towards Vava, and swung his sword, but Vava deflected the blade and fired his vulcan at point-blank range. Enzan threw up his arm and managed to deflect the shots, but immediately pulled back to safety.

“Go, go!” Enzan yelled.

Saki launched himself out of his hiding spot, and built up a little bit of momentum as he ran down the assembly line towards Vava. Almost as if in slow motion, Saki saw Vava turn his vulcan towards Saki, and at that moment Zer0 took over. For an instant, Saki felt like he left his body, only to be returned to his senses a moment later on the other side of Vava. His saber was raised, as if he had attacked. Behind him, Vava let out a weak groan, and fell to one knee.

“What...was that just now?” Saki whispered.

“Raikousen,” Zer0 explained. “I apologize for taking control like that, but the timing is very sensitive.”

“I feel like I left my body for a second,” Saki wheezed. “Please warn me next time!”

“Understood,” Zer0 replied.

Slowly, Saki stood up and walked over to Vava. The Navi didn't move, so Saki pointed his saber at Vava's head.

“It's over,” he said. “You lost.”

Vava let out a chuckle. “Is that so?”

“Tell us what you know,” Saki said. “If you don't, then I'm pretty sure the Net Police will force it out of you eventually.”

Vava tried to laugh, but it turned into a wheeze. “Self-righteous humans, always barking orders...” He lifted a hand to his chest, and Saki caught a glimpse of something silvery and metallic through his fingers.

“What—?” Saki gasped.

The object in Vava's hand turned out to be a small metal orb, and all of a sudden a light on it began to flash red.

“I'd rather die than be defeated...by a human...” Vava said.

Once again, time seemed to slow down for Saki. He lunged forward, reaching for the orb in Vava's hand, but an arm grabbed him and yanked him back. Saki let out a panicked cry, and the orb in Vava's hands exploded, throwing Saki and the person who had grabbed him backwards. They rolled to a stop, and Saki pushed himself to his knees, looking over at the person who had saved him.

“Enzan...” Saki panted. “Why?”

“Idiot,” Enzan grumbled. “What were you thinking, grabbing at a live bomb like that?! You're lucky that you didn't get your arm blown off!” He winced as he pushed himself up off the ground. “Ghh...even that shield chip couldn't block all of the damage...”

Shame washed over Saki. “I'm sorry, I...I wasn't thinking...”

They looked over at Vava, who had been severely damaged by the blast. All that remained of him was his head, torso and right arm. As Saki limped back over to him, Vava let out a weak laugh.

“You...can't stop...him...” Vava said. “He's...already...here...”

And with those words, Vava turned into fragments of data, and vanished.

Saki stared at the spot that Vava had been in, too dumbstruck to move. Everyone else seems to be just as shocked, and stared at the same spot on the floor without saying a word.

“I can't believe the bastard killed himself,” Laika muttered darkly.

“His pride wouldn't allow him to be captured,” Rockman said. “In the end, he chose death over imprisonment.”

Taka trembled. His face was pale, and Saki was worried that the boy might actually pass out.

Agent North's voice over the earpiece broke the tense silence. “Is everyone alright? Report.”

Enzan sighed. “Target is terminated.”

“What?!” Agent North said. “What do you mean, 'terminated'?”

“He blew himself up,” Enzan explained.

Agent North uttered a string of expletives, and Saki heard what sounded like a fence being rattled furiously. After a moment, Agent North seemed to calm down.

“Is anyone hurt?” she asked.

“No,” Enzan said. “Other than some bruises, everyone is okay.”

There was a sigh. “That's good,” said Agent North. “I'm sending in officers to secure the scene. Stay put for now.”

The Dimensional Area slowly crumbled around them, and everyone's Cross Fusions broke apart. Rockman vanished from view, and a minute later, Netto was running over to the others, his face filled with fear.

“Hey, I heard an explosion! I ran over as fast as I could!”

“Vava blew himself up,” Laika said irritably.

Netto's expression twisted, and he shook his head angrily. “Damnit!”

“Saki was an idiot, and tried to reach for the bomb,” Enzan told Netto.

“I wasn't thinking clearly!” Saki whined. “I said I was sorry!”

“Don't reach for bombs!” Netto yelled. “That's just common sense!”

“I thought I could get it away from him!” Saki wailed. “How was I supposed to know that it would go off right away?!”

Enzan whacked the side of Saki's head, and, for a moment, the boy could see bright sparks behind his eyelids.

“Idiot!” Enzan growled. “Your safety is far more important than anything else!” He winced, and put a hand on his side.

Netto immediately ran over to Enzan. “Are you hurt?”

“No,” Enzan lied.

“Is it your side?” Netto asked.

“I'm fine,” Enzan insisted.

Netto gave Enzan's side a poke, and Enzan let out a loud yelp of pain.

“Doesn't seem 'fine' to me,” said Netto.

Enzan punched Netto in the shoulder. “Are you trying to make it worse?!”

“Just admit when you're hurt!” Netto retorted angrily. “It's really hypocritical of you to yell at Saki for not taking care of himself, and then lie about getting hurt yourself!” He sandwiched Enzan's face between his hands, and squeezed. “Your safety is important too, you know!”

Enzan pried Netto's hands off of his face. “I told you, I'm fine. I've been through worse.”

Netto let out a feral cry of frustration, and tore at his hair. “That's what I'm talking about! You're always getting hurt, and then saying stuff like, 'oh, I'm fine'. It's not fine! I get scared when you get hurt!”

“Sorry,” Enzan said meekly.

“Don't just say 'sorry'!” Netto roared. “Actually try to be better about it!”

Laika pointed at himself. “I got hurt too, you know.”

Netto looked at him. “Oh, well, you're a soldier, right Laika? You should be used to it by now.”

Laika's eye twitched. “Oh, so it's fine when _I_ get hurt, but it's not okay when Enzan does? What kind of a double standard is that?!”

While the three older boys bickered, Saki made his way over to Taka, and gently put a hand on his shoulder. Taka looked up, startled.

“Are you okay?” Saki asked him.

“I...uhh...” Taka shook his head. “N-no, I'm not.”

Saki pulled Taka into a hug, and Taka threw his arms around Saki before burying his face in Saki's chest.

“He's gone now,” Saki said gently. “He can't hurt anybody else.”

“Y-yeah...” Taka mumbled into Saki's shirt.

Saki slowly stroked Taka's back, and they stood quietly off to the side until Agent North ran into the room. As soon as she spotted Taka clinging to Saki, she walked over to him, and spoke to him in a soft voice.

“Hey there,” she said. “Are you okay?”

Taka nodded, but didn't lift his face to look at her.

“Can I do anything for you?” she asked.

Taka shook his head.

“I think he just wants to stay like this for a while,” Saki said.

“I understand,” Agent North said. “I'm sure that was a scary experience.” She looked at Taka with a pained expression. “And this is no place for children.”

“All I'm saying is that you need to communicate better,” Netto said loudly.

“That's rich, coming from you,” Enzan retorted.

“Oh boy,” Agent North murmured, looking over at the others. “That's a storm brewing.”

“Netto's just mad at Enzan for not admitting to being injured,” Saki explained. 

Agent North sighed. “I had a feeling it was something like that.” She chuckled. “There's a first aid kit in the truck. I'll send someone to go get it.”

“Look, you both suck at communicating,” Laika said. “So shut up already.”

Agent North walked over to Netto and Enzan, and pulled them apart before giving them both a lecture about respecting each other's feelings. Once everyone had stopped arguing, she checked Enzan's injuries to make sure they weren't serious, and then marched them all outside, where one of the trucks was waiting.

Saki hung back, waiting for Taka to feel well enough to walk on his own. When the boy lifted his face and looked up at Saki with a tiny smile, Saki smiled back reassuringly.

“I'm sorry,” Taka said meekly. “I guess I wasn't much help back there.”

“Don't say that!” Saki insisted. “You were very brave, and you did your best during that fight. You even rescued me a few times.”

Taka's cheeks flushed. “Uhh, yeah, I guess I did.” He looked away shyly. “But...but in the end, I still didn't do anything to stop him. I could have shot the bomb out of his hand, o-or—”

Saki shook his head. “Don't focus on what you did or didn't do. You're safe, and Vava is gone. That's all that matters.”

“Y-yeah...” Taka said.

“Still,” Saki said quietly, “I can't help but be bothered by what he said at the end. 'He is already here.' What could that mean...?”

Taka shook his head. “I dunno.”

Saki patted Taka's head. “Well, there's no sense trying to figure it out by ourselves. Let's go talk to Agent North about what happened. Maybe she'll know something.”

Taka took Saki's hand, and the two of them walked outside into the cold night air. One of the trucks they had come in was parked near the entrance to the building, and Enzan sat in the back while someone dressed his injuries. Netto and Laika were wrapped up in blankets, chatting to each other while they waited. As Saki and Taka approached, Agent North walked over, and handed them each a blanket.

“It's cold tonight,” she said. “And you've both been through a lot.”

Taka wrapped the blanket around his shoulders, and mumbled 'thank you'. Saki took the other blanket, and smiled.

“Thank you, Agent North,” he said.

She smiled at both of them. “Don't feel too bad about not being able to capture Vava. While it would have been easier if he'd cooperated, it's only a matter of time until we get to the bottom of all of this, and find out who is truly responsible for the Sigma chips.”

“So you don't think Vava was the one behind it after all?” Saki asked.

“Of course not,” Agent North said. “It's all too convenient; knowing exactly which factories would be available and when, having a steady supply of materials, always staying one step ahead of the police...it's very clear that Vava wasn't working alone.”

Taka looked at the ground with a miserable expression.

“Vava said something odd just before he was deleted,” Saki said. “He told us, 'you can't stop him, he's already here'. What do you think he meant?”

Agent North frowned. “How cryptic...but don't worry, we'll make sense of it. You two focus on resting for now. Your part in all of this is finished.”

“Huh?” Saki stared at Agent North in shock. “What do you mean?”

“What I mean is that the adults will handle things from here,” Agent North said. “I've personally never been very comfortable leaving things in the hands of children, no matter how talented they are. After all, aren't adults supposed to be the ones to handle the hard stuff?” She smiled comfortingly. “If the need for Cross Fusion ever arises, you'll be the first ones to know, but for now, just rest.”

Saki felt a little bit deflated at Agent North's words. It was true that getting involved with police investigations was way too much responsibility for someone his age, but he'd already come so far with it. Letting Agent North and the Net Police handle it from here felt almost like giving up.

 _I wonder if this is what Netto and Enzan feel like sometimes_ , Saki thought. _Coming so far only to be told that the adults will handle things from now on. They put so much of themselves into everything they do, and I bet it's really discouraging_.

“Umm,” Saki started, wringing his hands anxiously. “I appreciate the thought, but I don't think I'm okay with just stepping away from things when they're so close to being solved.”

“I know,” Agent North said. “But try to see it from my perspective. Finding criminals and seeing that they are punished is my job. You're a kid, and you're being asked to do the same job that I've trained for years to do. It doesn't really seem fair, does it?”

“I suppose not,” Saki admitted.

“It's true that I can't Cross Fuse, and neither can my team,” Agent North continued. “But catching criminals is what I do best. So let's both stick to what we're the best at, okay?”

“Okay,” Saki said, feeling defeated.

“Good,” said Agent North, who put her hand on Saki's shoulder and gently guided him towards the truck. “Now let's get all of you home. I'm sure your families are worried about all of you.”

Taka tugged on Agent North's sleeve, and she stopped short to give him her full attention. 

“Yes, what is it?”

Taka hesitated. “Umm...I still haven't been able to go through Mamma's computer...”

“I see.” Agent North gave Taka a warm smile. “Don't fret over it, okay?”

Taka twisted the hem of the blanket in his hands. “I-if I get the data...would you still look at it?”

“Of course,” Agent North promised. “But don't do anything that might put you in danger, okay? Remember what I told you: if you ever feel unsafe, call me, and I'll take you somewhere that you'll be protected.”

Taka nodded. “Okay, I will.”

“The same goes for you too,” Agent North told Saki. “If you ever feel unsafe, I'll come right away and put you in protective custody. Vava might be gone, but whoever was working with him is still out there.”

“I will,” Saki promised. “Thank you.”

***

It was very late at night before Saki arrived back at the apartment. He kicked off his shoes, dropped his jacket on the floor, and stumbled into the bedroom in a tired daze.

“Welcome home, big brother!” said Michi, who was dressed in her pajamas. “You were out way longer than I thought you would be.”

“Me too,” Saki said as he flopped onto the futon next to Michi. “It was a very long day. I'm very tired.”

Michi patted Saki's head. “Thank you for your hard work. Good job.”

Saki chuckled wearily. “Thank you.” He sighed. “You know Michi, bringing villains to justice is much, much harder than it seems.”

“Was it a hard fight?” Michi asked.

“Yeah,” replied Saki.

“Did the villain cheat?” Michi asked.

“Kind of,” Saki answered. “In the end, he didn't escape, but we didn't catch him either.”

Michi pondered this for a moment. “What does that mean, big brother?”

Saki pushed himself to a sitting position. “It means that he decided that he would rather disappear than be caught.”

Michi wore a grave expression. “Did he die?”

Saki nodded slowly. “Yeah. He was deleted.”

“Oh.” Michi bit her lip, and Saki patted her head.

“Don't worry,” he told her. “I'm not going anywhere. I have lots of good friends who look out for me, and make sure that I come home safe.”

“And Zer0 too?” Michi asked.

“And Zer0 too,” Saki replied, nodding.

This seemed to comfort Michi, and she gave Saki a big smile.

“Anyway, I'm exhausted, so I'm going to bed,” said Saki, yawning. He opened the closet, and yanked his futon out, setting it up next to the big futon his mother and sister used.

“Are you sleeping in here with us tonight?” Michi asked.

“Yeah,” Saki said. “I just wanted to be close to you, that's all.”

The siblings went through the rest of their night time routine together: they brushed their teeth and turned off the lights in the apartment before slipping into their futons and snuggling up next to each other. Saki gently hugged Michi close to him, and she curled up against his chest, her head nestled under his chin. Before long, they were both fast asleep.

(When Keiko came home early in the morning, she found her children still curled up around each other, and thought it was so cute that she just _had_ to snap a picture of it.)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> _Tsukiko mentions that someone is using her 'stamp' to sign off on orders. This is a real thing! In Japan, everyone uses a small rubber stamp with the kanji for their name instead of writing out their signature. Since they're very personalized, losing one is worse than losing your ID, and requires a long process to replace it. It can even render paperwork null and void, and everything needs to be redone and re-stamped with your new stamp! In this universe, I imagine that they work with PET screens, being scanned or creating a virtual print the way a stylus works with a tablet._


	37. The Sincerest Form of Flattery

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Despite things settling down after Vava's defeat, Saki's life gets even crazier when he has to deal with Michi's 'friend'.

With Vava gone, everything became quiet again. There were no new reports of corrupted Navis going on a rampage, no sightings of the Dimensional Converters, and no more threats on Taka and Saki's lives. Everything settled back into a peaceful rhythm, and after a week or so Saki found himself thinking more about how quickly fall was passing than of Vava and the Sigma chips.

The week after the raid on the factory, Saki went into the Ministry of Science as he usually did, but was immediately spotted by Meijin, who ran over to him with a concerned expression.

“What are you doing here?” he asked.

Feeling confused, Saki answered, “I'm here for training.”

Meijin looked upset. “Shouldn't you be at home, resting?”

Saki shook his head, feeling perplexed. “What are you talking about?”

“Training got called off for a while,” Meijin explained. “Everyone is working overtime to make sense of the data we collected on the Sigma chips, and Doctor Hikari felt like you and the others had done enough for now.” Meijin sighed. “Training probably won't resume until the new year.”

Saki was crestfallen. “The new year?! That long?!”

“That's an estimate, really,” Meijin explained. “It really depends on how long it takes to finish analyzing this data. Not to mention you did so well during the mission that Doctor Hikari thinks that the two of you have learned everything you can for now.”

“No way...” Saki moaned.

Meijin flicked his finger against Saki's forehead. “And I think that you both need some rest. You've been going non-stop for months! The holidays are coming up, why don't you spend them with your family?”

“Yeah, but...” Saki frowned. “I also want to help!”

“So stubborn...” Meijin sighed, shaking his head. “Look, just...take a break. You deserve that much.”

Saki's face heated up. “F-fine...”

Disappointed at the wasted trip, Saki walked back to the train station, sighing the whole way.

“What am I supposed to do now...?” he muttered.

Zer0 appeared on Saki's shoulder. “You have an email.”

“From who?” Saki asked.

“From Taka-kun,” said Zer0. “Shall I read it for you?”

“Sure,” Saki replied.

Zer0 cleared his throat. “'Sorry that I didn't email you sooner, but I've been playing Biohazard 2 for several days straight, and it's such a good game that I lost track of time. While I was lying in bed, trying to get to sleep, I read about this cute little bakery in Shibuya named Black Cat Bakery that sells _the cutest_ sweets you've ever seen! Ahh~! I really wish I could go!'” Zer0 paused. “He has also included pictures, if you would like to see them.”

Saki looked at the pictures of animal-shaped pastries that Taka had included, and smiled. “He's right,” Saki said, “They _are_ cute.”

Zer0 continued. “'Unfortunately, not sleeping has caught up with me, so I'm stuck in bed for a while. Can you go to the bakery, and try some of the sweets for me? I want to know if they're as good as they look! I bet Michi-chan and Keiko-san would love them too!'”

Saki contemplated the email for a moment. “Hmm...I guess a treat would be nice. I bet Michi would love something like that, especially after how stressful everything has been lately.”

“Indeed,” said Zer0, nodding.

“And Shibuya is on the way back,” Saki continued. “It wouldn't hurt to pop in for a moment, right?”

“Of course,” said Zer0.

“Then it's settled!” said Saki. “Let's go check out this bakery!”

Saki rode the Metroline to Shibuya, got off, and made his way over to the Black Cat Bakery. The storefront has a cheerful red and white striped canopy, and a wrought iron sign featuring a cat hung over the door. When Saki entered the shop, a little bell rang, and a cheerful young lady with a red ribbon in her hair ran up to the counter and gave Saki a warm smile.

“Welcome!” she said. “How may I help you?”

Saki rubbed his neck. “Umm, my friend told me about this place,” he explained nervously. “I thought it might be nice to pick up some sweets for my mom and little sister.”

“How nice!” the shopkeeper said.

“Do you have any recommendations?” Saki asked.

“Of course!” said the shopkeeper. She directed Saki over to the cabinet, and pointed out a few of the pastries on display. “The strawberry tart is a favorite...and the shaped cream puffs are very popular with children! Oh, and then there's the chocolate bread, which is my personal favorite.”

Saki studied the pastries for a moment. “Can I get the cream puffs?”

“Sure!” said the shopkeeper, putting on a pair of rubber gloves. “Which ones?”

“The cat, and the...bunny, I guess,” said Saki. “Oh, and the turtle is cute too.”

The shopkeeper carefully placed the cream puffs in a small box, and Saki paid for them. As he was leaving the shop, she bowed to him, and said, “Thank you for coming! Please come again!”

Saki hurried back to the train station, making sure not to jostle the box too much. As he sat down on the train, he gave Zer0 a smile.

“That was a cute store,” he said. “It must be very popular with children.”

“I was surprised to see that it was not very busy,” Zer0 remarked. “Such a place would likely be very popular, but there were no crowds.”

“Maybe it's a hidden gem,” Saki said. “Taka has a knack for finding those kinds of places.”

As soon as the train had stopped at the station in Ebisu, Saki hopped off, and walked home as fast as he could, eager to share his find with Michi.

“I hope she's excited,” Saki said. “I'm home early, and bearing sweets. What could be better?”

Saki pushed open the door to the apartment, and was about to announce that he was home when he thought he heard voices and stopped to listen.

“You have to be more careful!” Michi said. “I get worried when you come back all hurt!”

“My injuries aren't anything to be so concerned over,” said a gruff male voice that Saki didn't recognize. “Your concern is wasted.”

Saki slipped out of his shoes, and crept down the hall towards the main room. He spotted Michi sitting in front of the computer, but there was no one else in the room. Anxious dread filled Saki, and he felt his breath hitching in his chest.

“You're my friend, Forte,” said Michi. “Of course I'm going to be concerned.”

The box slipped out of Saki's hand, and hit the floor with a thud, and Michi turned to face Saki with a wide-eyed expression. For a moment, neither spoke.

“Michi...” Saki whispered, feeling anger flare up in his stomach.

“Big brother!” Michi yelped. “Please, let me explain!”

“Didn't I tell you not to talk to Forte anymore?” Saki yelled. “You promised me that you'd come tell me if he came back!”

“Please, listen!” Michi said. “Forte isn't a bad Navi—!”

“He's a _Darkloid_ Michi!” Saki replied angrily. “Do you know what that means? It means that he's a bad Navi, and that he hurts other Navis, sometimes even people!”

“Forte's trying to get better!” Michi insisted. “H-he said so!”

“And you believe him?!” Saki yelled. “Michi, he's _lying_ to you! He won't change!”

“He's not a bad Navi!” Michi yelled back. “He's scared and lonely, and he just wants a friend. He won't admit it, but I know he does.”

Saki grabbed his sister by the shoulders and gave her a firm shake. “Do you hear yourself?! He's tricked you into believing his lies! You need to get away from him!”

“No!” Michi screamed. “No, no no! Forte is my friend, and I won't let anyone hurt him!”

The door to the bedroom snapped open, and Keiko came running in, her face filled with concern. When she saw Saki shaking Michi, she wrenched the two apart, and held Michi protectively to her chest.

“What has gotten into you?!” Keiko asked, clearly angry. “Saki, you know better than to hurt Michi! She's just a child!”

“I didn't, Mom,” Saki began, trying to explain himself. “Michi's being manipulated by a really bad Navi, and—!”

“Mama, Saki is just worried about me,” Michi insisted. “But he's wrong about Forte! Forte is a good Navi—!”

“Enough!” Keiko shouted, silencing her children. “One thing at a time.” She pointed at Saki. “Don't you _dare_ shake Michi ever again. She's a child, and if you treat her roughly, I'll make you regret it.”

Saki swallowed. “Yes ma'am.”

“And you,” Keiko said to Michi, much softer. “What's this about Forte?”

“Forte is my friend,” explained Michi. “He's a Navi I met. Forte is a little scary, but he's a good Navi, I promise! Big brother got scared, and tried to chase him away, but Forte came back. He tried to be a good Navi this time, and he's much better, but Saki doesn't like him and wants me to stop being his friend!”

Keiko's brow furrowed with worry. “Michi, is Forte dangerous?”

“Kind of,” Michi hesitated. “He...he did break the computer at one point, but he's really trying to not get mad as much, honest!”

“Mom, Forte is a Darkloid. They're really dangerous. He's a wanted criminal!” Saki pleaded desperately.

With a sigh, Keiko looked at Michi. “I think Saki might be right, Michi. Maybe you should stop talking to your 'friend'.”

“No,” Michi said, shaking her head, tears forming in her eyes. “Not you too! Why won't anyone believe me?! Forte is my friend! He's a good Navi! Please...please give him another chance!”

“Michi, please understand, we just want you to be safe,” Keiko insisted.

Shaking her head vigorously, Michi pushed away from Keiko, and ran towards the front door.

“Michi!” Saki yelled, running after her. “Come back!”

Michi shoved her feet into her shoes and bolted out the door before Saki could catch her, and Saki watched as she ran down the steps and down the sidewalk. Saki swore under his breath as he threw on his shoes and grabbed Michi's jacket and scarf before racing out the door in pursuit.

“Be careful!” Keiko yelled after Saki.

“Stay here, Mom, in case she comes back!” Saki yelled back. “I'll go find her.”

By the time Saki got to the sidewalk, he'd lost sight of Michi. He looked helplessly in both directions, and tried to recall which way she'd run. He turned towards the park, and took off as fast as he could.

 _Where would Michi go?_ Saki thought. _Somewhere she would consider safe. Where would that be? The park maybe? She doesn't have her jacket, so she's going to get cold. She might go somewhere warm...Maybe the store?_

Saki ran around the park, checking inside the playground equipment and calling Michi's name, hoping for a response. When he'd searched every corner of the park, he ran towards the convenience store. He yelled Michi's name until he was hoarse, but he didn't get a response.

 _Michi, where could you be!_ Saki thought. _I hope you aren't in any danger!_

When he couldn't find Michi at the convenience store, he ran back towards the house. As he passed the park again, a thought occurred to him.

_What if Michi went to the school? It's somewhere familiar, and no one is there right now. Plus, it would probably be warm inside!_

Without hesitation, Saki sprinted off towards the elementary school that Michi attended, praying that he would find her safe and unharmed.

The front gate was open a small crack, and Saki's heart soared. _Someone must have forgotten to lock the gate when they left...but if it's open, then it's a good bet that Michi's inside_. He pushed the gate open a little bit more, and slipped past it before running to the front doors and entering the building.

For a moment, Saki stood in the darkened entryway, letting his eyes adjust to the low light. Glancing around, Saki spotted an open shoe box, and inside were sneakers that he recognized as belonging to Michi.

 _She_ _is_ _here!_ Saki thought joyfully. _I'm so glad that she's not hurt..._

He crossed his arms, and wracked his brain. “Now...if I were Michi, where would I go...? My classroom? Somehow, that doesn't seem right. Probably not the roof...maybe the library?”

Saki approached the hallway, and paused, trying to remember which direction he would need to go in to find the library. He turned to the right, and followed the hall down, reading the signs above the doors as he went.

“I think it's on the first floor,” Saki muttered. “It should be around here somewhere...”

A loud, inhuman roar echoed off the walls, and Saki felt his heart race. 

“I am picking up a strong fluctuation down the hall,” Zer0 warned.

Saki took off running. As he got closer to the library, Saki could hear a loud, angry voice.

“S͠I̶LENCE, HUM̵A͝N. POW͇̐Ẽ͚R ̠͡IS ̦͘A̙͗L̘͊L̯͋ Ț͗HAT ̣̒MA͔͛T̙̀T͚̋ERS.͝ I̧ ̸DO ͡NO͞T̸ NE͢E̵D̢ A͡NYTHĮNG҉ ELSE!”

 _Michi!_ Saki thought frantically. _Hang on, I'm coming!_

Saki skidded to a stop in front of the library door, and slammed it open. The lights overhead flickered as he scanned the room, searching for Michi, and finally he heard her sobbing over near the computer nook.

“Please!” she wailed.

Saki ran over to the nook, and spotted Michi clinging to one of the monitors, frantically whispering something. Zer0 stiffened.

“The origin of the fluctuation is that terminal,” he told Saki. “And...there is something familiar about it...”

Slowly, Michi pulled back from the terminal, tears streaming from her face. On the screen was a Navi that Saki did not recognize, but who seemed to exude an aura of ferocity. Slowly, its eyes opened, and it looked at Michi almost tenderly.

“Michi...” it said softly.

“Forte!” Michi cried happily.

Saki stared in shock at Forte, who turned his gaze towards the boy. Their eyes met, and a shiver ran up and down Saki's spine.

“Look,” Forte told Michi. “Your brother is here to take you home.”

Michi shook her head. “I won't leave without you!”

“Don't be stubborn,” Forte told her gruffly. “Your place is with your family, not crying over someone like me.”

“I know you were just saying all those things to try and make me hate you,” Michi insisted. “I know you don't want to be alone anymore, you don't have to pretend!”

“I am not pretending,” Forte said. “I can never go back to the way I once was. I have pushed myself to the limits in search of power, so much so that I'm starting to fall apart. I cannot survive without Dark Energy, and you have seen what it does to me. It's only a matter of time before I lash out in anger, and hurt you and the ones you love.”

“It'll be okay,” said Michi. “I know that you'll try your hardest not to!”

“For how long?” Forte asked. “How long would I be able to hold out until I inevitably slip? And what of the countless lives I have taken? The damage I've caused? So many crimes that humans have damned me for. In the end, there is no place in an orderly society for me.”

Zer0's eyes grew dark. “He speaks with regret, and yet I cannot accept that he is truly remorseful.”

“Neither can I,” said Saki. “I just know that he's trying to manipulate Michi. But I don't understand _why_.”

Forte fixed his unflinching gaze on Saki once more. “Manipulate? What would I gain from manipulating a human child? No, if anything, she won't leave me alone, no matter how much I've tried to push her away.” He let out a 'hmph'. “And she never stops _talking_. I tried to ignore her, but she never takes the hint.”

“Don't lie!” Michi replied. “You practically _begged_ me to talk to you! You got so mad when I ignored you!”

“Shut up!” Forte growled.

Forte, don't you remember how much fun we had at the festival?” Michi asked. “Don't you remember what you'd said to me? About how you were frustrated that you couldn't just beat all the games for me?”

“I never said that,” Forte replied.

“Yes, you did!” Michi insisted. “And you get so embarrassed when I tease you!

“I don't get embarrassed,” Forte insisted.

Saki frowned, confused. Something about Forte's attitude didn't match the cold, merciless villain that Netto and Rockman had described. In fact, the more he talked, the more Saki began to suspect that Forte was actually more sentimental than he let on.

“Just give up,” Forte told Michi. “I don't understand why you would try to befriend me in the first place. I have no need for a friend, especially not a human one.”

“Liar,” Michi said.

“Humans are all the same,” Forte went on. “In the end, you'll want me to be your obedient little toy, fetching things for you and participating in droll little fights for your amusement. I have never needed a human, and I never will.”

“But I don't want you to do those things,” Michi insisted. “I just want to keep being your friend. I like talking to you, and I like it when you teach me things. I want to go places and see things with you, just like I would with any of my other friends.”

Saki crossed his arms. “Wait a minute, let me get this straight: are you trying to tell me that Forte went with you to the festival? And that you've been casually chatting with him all this time?”

“Yes,” said Michi.

“What kinds of things do you talk about?” Saki asked.

“Oh, lots of things!” Michi said. “Sometimes we talk about the weather, and sometimes we talk about what I did at school, and sometimes we talk about why Forte wants to be really, really strong.”

Saki rubbed his temple. “Uh...huh.”

“Forte told me that he doesn't like humans because they betrayed him,” Michi continued. “He doesn't trust them anymore.”

“So then why does he trust you?” Saki asked. “Why are you special?”

Michi shrugged helplessly. “I...I don't know. He was on the computer, and I tried talking to him. We started to talk a lot after that, but I didn't even know much about him until just a little while ago.”

“I only talked to her because she wouldn't stop pestering me,” Forte growled. “Besides, it was something to do while I was recovering.”

Michi looked over at Forte and smiled. “He gets mad a lot, and sometimes he gets really scary, but he's been trying really hard not to. He even apologizes now.”

“You cry at every little thing,” Forte retorted. “And it's annoying to deal with.”

Saki stared at Forte, bewildered. “Are you sure that you're the same Forte that Netto told me about?”

Forte became angry at the mention of 'Netto'. “Don't talk to me about Rockman and his stupid human. They're only alive because of dumb luck.” He clenched his fist. “The day we fight for real will be the day I prove once and for all the futility of his pathetic bonds of friendship.”

“You say that, even though you and my sister are friends,” Saki replied dryly.

“We are not friends,” Forte insisted.

Saki sighed wearily. “It doesn't matter if you are or aren't, Michi thinks that you are. But I don't like it, and I don't trust you. I want you to stay away from my sister.”

Forte glared at Saki. “And what if I decide that I don't want to leave? What then?”

Saki narrowed his eyes. “Then I'll have to make you.”

Forte's gaze flickered over to Zer0. “What? With that pathetic imitation of yours?”

Out of the corner of his eye, Saki saw Zer0 tense.

“Forte, please be nice,” Michi said. 

Forte became silent, but he continued to glare at Zer0 menacingly.

“I don't want to stop being friends with Forte,” Michi told Saki stubbornly.

Saki sighed. “Look, we'll talk about this later, okay? For now, let's just go home. Mom's really worried.”

Michi softened, and then nodded her head. She looked at Forte with an apologetic expression, and said, “I have to go now. Be good, okay?”

Forte didn't respond. A second later, he disappeared from view.

Saki took Michi by the hand. “Let's go home.”

They left the library, and shut the door behind them before walking back to the entryway. Michi took off her indoor shoes, and switched them with the sneakers in her shoe box. After she had put her sneakers back on, Saki helped her into her coat and scarf, and they left the school hand in hand. 

As Saki shut the school gate, Michi looked up at him nervously and asked, “Am I in trouble?”

Saki looked back at her with a smile. “Mom might yell at you, but it's only because she's really worried.”

Sure enough, as soon as they walked through the door, Keiko ran to meet them, and scooped Michi up in a tight embrace.

“I was so worried!” Keiko exclaimed. “Don't run off like that ever again, do you understand?”

“Yes, Mama,” Michi replied.

Keiko looked up at Saki. “I'm so glad you found her. Where did she go?”

“The school,” Saki said.

Keiko looked down at Michi. “I'm just glad she didn't go very far.”

“I'm sorry that I ran away,” Michi said. “I was just really upset that everyone was being mean to Forte.”

Keiko and Saki exchanged worried glances, and then gave Michi reassuring smiles.

“Let's talk about that another time,” said Keiko. “For now, I'm just glad that you're home.” She stood up and took Michi by the hand. “Your brother brought sweets home for us! Why don't we go have them?”

“Okay!” Michi said happily.

“Sorry about dropping them,” Saki said sheepishly.

“Oh, they're fine,” Keiko said with a laugh. “I put them on a plate and fixed them up a little bit. I'm sure they look just as good as they did before you dropped them.”

Keiko set the plate of cream puffs down on the table in the front room, and Michi gasped loudly. 

“Oh no!” she said, squishing her cheeks with her hands. “They're so cute!”

“They sure are!” Keiko said. “They're almost too cute to eat!”

“Taka recommended a bakery in Shibuya,” Saki explained. “I have to say, on presentation alone, I'm impressed.”

“We'll have to thank him properly later,” said Keiko. “Anyway, which one do you want, Michi? The cute kitty? Or maybe the bunny?”

Michi pointed at the turtle. “I want that one!”

Saki was surprised. “Ehh? I thought you would have wanted one of the others!”

“Did you want the turtle, Saki?” Keiko asked.

“Uhh, well...” Saki rubbed his neck sheepishly. “If Michi wants it, she should have it. I'm just surprised, that's all.”

Keiko handed Saki the cream puff shaped like a cat. “I think you should have this one!”

Saki took the sweet. “Why?”

“Because it reminds me of you,” Keiko explained. “Or would you prefer the bunny?”

“I don't think I resemble either of them,” Saki retorted.

***

After Michi had gone to bed, Saki sat alone in the main room, typing out an email to Taka containing his review of the bakery.

“Hey Zer0,” Saki asked, “How does, 'friendly and helpful staff, beautiful presentation and delicious taste' sound? Too boring?”

Zer0 made a thoughtful noise. “I feel that it conveys your points very well.”

Saki sighed. “Of course you would think it was fine.” He tapped his chin. “Being a food critic is harder than I thought.”

“If I may,” Zer0 said, “You are merely stating your feelings on the sweets to a friend, not writing a review for a magazine. Perhaps it would be alright to use a much more relaxed approach.”

Saki burst out laughing. “Listen to you, scolding me for being too formal! Hello pot, meet kettle!”

Zer0 became flustered. “I was simply making an observation!”

“I'm just teasing you, Zer0,” Saki said, grinning. “You're right though. I'm probably making this out to be a bigger deal than it needs to be.” He erased his letter, and started over. “'I tried the pastries at the bakery you recommended. They were really good. Wish you could have tried one.'” He paused, and smacked his hand to his forehead. “Oh shoot! I forgot to take pictures! Argh! Taka's gonna be so mad!”

“I'm sure he will understand,” said Zer0.

“Yeah, probably,” said Saki. “But he's gonna complain about it forever.” He quickly typed out the rest of his email, and turned to Zer0. “All done! Can you deliver this for me?”

“Of course,” said Zer0, who returned to the PET and placed the email in his inventory. Looking up at Saki, he said, “I shall return momentarily,” and left the PET's homepage.

Zer0 had not gone far, however, when he sensed a familiar presence. He came to a stop, and a second later, Forte appeared in front of him.

“What do you want, Forte?” Zer0 asked.

Forte stared menacingly at Zer0 for a long moment, before replying, “I have something I want to speak to you about. Meet me in the Network of the vending machine by the park.” And then, without warning, Forte vanished.

Slowly, Zer0 seemed to relax, and sighed loudly.

“He wishes to talk...?” he muttered. “I do not believe that to be the case. Still, there are things that I wish to discuss with him...” He clenched his fist. “Very well. I shall go.” He turned, and made his way back to Saki's PET. “But first, I shall inform Saki that I will not be able to deliver his letter just yet.”

***

“He what?!” Saki asked, his face twisted with disbelief.

“He asked to speak with me,” Zer0 said calmly. “I intend to go.”

Saki shook his head. “Zer0, this is a trap. I really don't think you should go alone.”

“But I must,” Zer0 insisted.

“This isn't some kind of a duel,” Saki said. “Forte doesn't seem like he cares about a fair and honorable fight. 

“He most certainly does not,” agreed Zer0. “And though I hope to sway him with words, I am prepared to face him in battle, should it come to blows.”

Saki sighed. “Are you _sure_ that I can't convince you to let me go with you?”

“Yes,” Zer0 said stubbornly. “I will go alone. Please remain here, and look after Michi-chan.”

Saki's shoulders slumped, and he looked defeated. “Okay then,” he said quietly, “But you'd better come back in one piece.”

Zer0 nodded, and exited the PET's homepage before making his way to the Network space of the vending machine in the park. As he stood at the entrance, a dozen thoughts flashed through his mind, and he took a moment to compose himself.

 _After our conversation earlier, I can only assume that Forte knows something about me that I am not privy to. Perhaps he will tell me what that is, or perhaps I will have to force it out of him. Either way, I must do everything I can to ensure that it is not a battle to the death_.

After a few deep, meditative breaths, Zer0 steeled himself and entered the Network.

Forte stood, hovering an inch off the ground, in the center of the Network. As Zer0 approached, he opened his eyes, and regarded him coldly.

“You came,” he said. “I was sure that you'd run.”

“Indeed, I have come,” Zer0 replied. “You stated your wish to talk, so let us talk.”

Forte snorted, and sneered at Zer0. “I have nothing to say to you. The mere sight of you disgusts me.”

“Is it because I am a Navi with an Operator?” Zer0 asked.

“No,” Forte replied. “It's because you're a pathetic imitation.”

Confused, Zer0 tilted his head. “An imitation? Of what?”

“Not what,” Forte snapped, “ _Who_.” He glared at Zer0. “The more I look at you, the more I'm disgusted. As if something like you could ever hope to imitate the likes of me.”

Zer0's eyes widened. 

“Didn't you know?” Forte jeered. “Wily made you years ago, hoping to create something strong enough to defeat me, but he failed and you were thrown out like trash. Obviously, someone stupidly plucked you out of the heap and tried to polish you up a bit, but in the end all you are is shiny trash.”

Zer0 clenched his fists, trying to stay calm. “So then, you are saying that I am a copy of you?”

“A half-finished reproduction,” Forte growled. “Not even worth being called a 'copy'.”

 _I had thought, all this time, that it was Meijin-san who had given me life_ , Zer0 thought helplessly. _But now I am told that it is not true, and that someone else made me in an attempt to 'copy' Forte..._ He closed his eyes and took a deep breath. _No, I must not let this shake me. Surely that is what Forte wants. I must remain calm, and divine his true intent_.

“Who made me, and for what purpose, does not matter,” Zer0 said. “I alone chose my path forward.”

Forte let out a short laugh. “Ha! And you wasted it by letting yourself become the puppet of an inept fool! If you'd chosen to reject humans, I might have had a small shred of respect for you. But in the end, you're just like all the other sappy weaklings.”

Zer0 narrowed his eyes. “While I respect your right to autonomy, I would thank you not to mock the bond that I share with Saki.”

A nasty grin spread across Forte's face. “Does it bother you? Does it get under your skin when I say things like that? What are you going to do about it? Huh?”

Zer0 sighed and shook his head. “In the end, all you wish for is to fight.” He looked at Forte, feeling pity. “I expected as much, but I will admit that I had hoped for a more peaceful resolution.”

“I have nothing else to say to trash like you!” Forte yelled, throwing open his cloak. He raised his hand, and it became wreathed in an eerie purple flame. “Just hurry up and die, so that I never have to look at you again!”

Zer0 resisted the urge to call forth his saber, and instead addressed Forte in a commanding tone. “If you wish to fight, then I accept...but only if you agree to my conditions.”

“ _Conditions?_ ” Forte asked in an offended tone.

“Yes,” Zer0 replied. “If you should win, then I will accept whatever fate you have for me. But if I should happen to win, then I ask that you never approach Michi-chan ever again. Do you accept these conditions?”

Forte threw back his head and laughed as if Zer0 had just told the funniest joke he'd ever heard. Once he was able to speak again, he said, “Are you stupid? You actually think that you might be able to win?” He cackled loudly. “Whatever! You basically just handed me your head on a silver platter, so I won't complain.” He flexed his hand, and the joints cracked loudly. “I accept your stupid conditions. Now fight me.”

Zer0 drew his saber in the same instant that Forte launched himself across the battlefield, his hand reaching for Zer0's head. With a flash, the blade intercepted Forte's attack, and Zer0 darted to the side, searching for an opening. However, Forte was faster than Zer0 had anticipated, and immediately attacked Zero again, grabbing him by the head and throwing him a short distance away. Zer0 recovered as fast as he could, and carefully switched his grip on the saber's hilt, setting up for Gokumonken. Sure enough, Forte recklessly charged in for another attack, and Zer0 countered it hard, slashing Forte several times and knocking him back.

Forte grunted, but Zer0 saw no visible damage on him. As Zer0 quickly thought of what to do next, Forte summoned a long, dark blade to his hand and vanished from sight. He appeared in front of Zer0 and slashed, delivering a blow to his torso before disappearing again and reappearing behind Zer0.

“This is how you use a sword,” he hissed, and slashed Zer0 across the back. An instant later, he delivered another strong blow to Zer0's front, and kicked him to the ground with a laugh.

Pain shot through Zer0's body, and he grimaced as he pushed himself to his feet. Every movement intensified the pain, but he forced himself to endure it.

“Impressive,” Forte said. “Most Navis can't survive that attack.”

Zer0 coughed, and gripped his sword tighter. “I am not most Navis,” he said fiercely.

Forte grinned. “Good, that's good. Fight me until you break. Struggle until the very end. It would be boring otherwise.” He threw his blades away and rushed in, fist raised. Zer0 tried to parry the attack with his saber, but Forte knocked his arm aside. The saber flew out of Zer0's hand, and landed, the blade stuck into the ground, several feet away. Now defenseless, Zer0 did his best to block Forte's punches, but ended up taking several hard hits to his head. Winding up, Forte punched again, but this time, Zer0 grabbed his fist. After blocking the second hit with his other hand, Zer0 reared his head back, and smashed it against Forte's, knocking him back and stunning him temporarily. Not wanting to waste his opening, Zer0 clenched his teeth, and channeled all of his rage and frustration into his fist, which he slammed into Forte's jaw.

“Ghh—!” Forte grunted as his head snapped to the side. Zer0 smashed his other fist into Forte's chest, and unleashed Ganzanha. The force of the blast threw Forte quite a distance, but he landed on his feet and skidded to a stop. Gingerly touching the spot on his face where Zer0 had hit him, Forte let out a grunt.

“Not many Navis can land a hit on me,” he said. “I'm genuinely surprised.”

Zer0 retrieved his saber, and glared angrily at Forte. “Do you see now what I am capable of? If so, I urge you to take this fight more seriously.”

Forte narrowed his eyes. “What?”

“You dishonor me by not fighting with your full strength,” Zer0 said. “I have no desire to hold back in this fight. Perhaps you should do the same.”

Forte's expression twisted into rage. “Do you think you're on the same level as me?” he asked. “You should be _grateful_ that I've held back!”

“Perhaps the true reason that you have restrained yourself is because you fear that Michi-chan will become upset if I am deleted,” Zer0 said sharply. “Or am I wrong?”

For an instant, fear flashed through Forte's crimson eyes, and Zer0 knew that he was right.

“Shut up!” Forte snapped. “Why would I care how a stupid human child feels?!”

“But Michi is not just some child, is she?” Zer0 asked. “She is important to you, is she not? A friend, perhaps even your only friend. The thought of hurting her pains you.”

“ _Shut up!!_ ” Forte roared, causing the Dark Energy that swirled around him to flare up. “How dare you imply that I have _feelings_ for a human!”

“Then prove me wrong!” Zer0 yelled. “Strike me down, if you can!”

With a cry of rage, Forte charged Zer0, dark energy gathering in his hands. Zer0 gripped his saber tightly, and prepared himself for what was coming next.

“Hell's Rolling!” Forte screamed, and unleashed the energy in his hands. Three rings of Dark Energy raced towards Zer0 from the front and both sides. He swept his saber up, unleashing Shoenzan, but not even the roaring flames could stop Forte's attack, and Zer0 felt the blades of Dark Energy rip into his limbs.

 _Focus...!_ Zer0 told himself. _Don't let the pain distract you!_

Before the flames receded, Zer0 adjusted his grip on his saber, and dashed forward, executing a perfect Raikousen. However, Forte leaped into the air before the attack could connect, and charged up a ball of Dark Energy above his head.

“Chaos Nightmare!” he cried, and slammed the attack down on Zer0, who barely had time to dodge. The attack ripped at his body, and Zer0 let out a yell of pain despite his best efforts. He raised his arm, but found that it shook from the effort. Forte sneered.

“It looks like you were all talk after all,” he said.

Zer0 panted, arms shaking as he struggled to hold up his sword, but he grinned triumphantly. 

“You can't hide from me anymore,” he said, his voice hoarse. “I see you for what you truly are. I have heard the voices of your soul.”

Forte gave Zer0 a disgusted look. “What _are_ you going on about?”

Zer0 let out a raspy laugh. “I had always wondered where this rage and fury inside of me came from, and why it always felt as though it was someone else, trying to swallow me whole. But now I know: this rage is your rage. I have inherited it from you.” Zer0's smile softened. “All of the frustration and anger you have ever felt collected inside of you, a roaring inferno fueled by your desire for revenge. But yet, despite this, there is a small whisper of hope at its center. You try to hide it, but I have heard it. And now I know what I must do.”

Forte clenched his teeth. “Stop spouting nonsense!”

Zer0 lowered his weapon a little. “In every fight, I feel the tug of inspiration—the spirit of my opponent manifesting as a technique for me to carry, a memento of our newly forged friendship. And even here, I feel it. Even in you, I can sense a bond forming, and it calls to me as a new technique.”

Forte seemed to realize what Zer0 was saying, and his face grew pale. “No...you have the Get Ability program as well...”

“Are you prepared, Forte?” Zer0 asked. “Shall I show you the fruits that my bonds of friendship have bore?”

“Even if you steal my abilities, it changes nothing!” Forte insisted angrily. “You still don't have a hope of defeating me!” He raised his hands, and Dark Energy gathered in them once more. He unleashed a Hell's Rolling attack at Zer0, screaming, “Just die already!”

Zer0 braced himself. He knew that he would have to pour everything he had into his next attack, and it would more than likely be his last. Forte was an overwhelming opponent, and Zer0 knew he would never be able to fully defeat him on his own. But he would not go down without a fight.

He gripped his saber tightly. _The Z Saber...proof of my first ever bond. Saki, I am proud to be your Navi, and am glad to call you my friend. It is only through your hard work and kindness that I stand here today_.

The dark blades slammed into the ground around Zer0, and he leaped into the air, letting the shock wave of the attack push him higher. As he felt himself start to fall, he threw himself into a front roll, executing Kuuenzan and slamming into Forte with all the force he could muster.

 _Kuuenzan...from my bond with Tomahawkman. The first fight in which I truly felt alive...and the first time I felt Forte's anger rise within me_.

With Forte off balance, Zer0 swept his sword upward, and Forte was engulfed in a rising blast of fire.

 _Tenshozan...a bond with Fireman, as hot and passionate as our battle. It was then that I learned how to overcome seemingly impossible barriers, and to turn the enemy's strength against them_.

At the top of the attack, Zer0 switched his grip, and his blade immediately froze solid. He slammed it down on Forte, driving him into the ground with the momentum of the fall.

 _Rakuretsuzan...from my bond with Colorman. Finding myself overwhelmed, I was forced to evolve in order to win, unlocking many new possibilities within me_.

Despite the devastating hit, Forte summoned the dark blade to his hand, and knocked Zer0's saber aside. He scrambled to his feet, and swung the blade at Zer0 again, but he countered it and shattered the dark blade with the force of his attack.

 _Gokumonken...a cherished technique handed down to me from my first and finest teacher. Though I have no hope of ever attaining your level of skill, I shall always strive to grow stronger. In you, I learned the value of pride and honor. I will be forever thankful for your kindness_.

Shocked at having his blade shattered, Forte leaped back, and charged up another Hell's Rolling attack. Zer0 swung his sword, creating energy projectiles that deflected the attack and forced Forte to retreat yet again.

 _Kougenjin...a gift from my strictest teacher yet. In him, I learned not to allow myself to lose focus, and to not become caught off-guard by surprises. For all of my raw strength, it was Searchman's finesse that won him the fight, and for the first time, I tasted bitter humiliation and defeat_.

Seeing that his attacks were being deflected, Forte charged up his hands again, but rather than Hell's Rolling, Forte unleashed the energy as a massive blast. 

“Darkness...Overload!” he screamed as the energy erupted from his hands straight at Zer0. Rather than dodge, however, Zer0 raised his blade and charged straight into it.

“Raijingeki!” Zer0 cried, and his blade crackled to life with electricity. It sliced through the middle of Forte's attack, redirecting most of the energy away from Zer0, and Forte had to dodge out of the way before he was blasted by the electricity the saber released.

 _Raijingeki...In the howls of a restless spirit, I found strength once again. Onto me I took his rage and anger, accepted it as my own, and became one with the forces of nature. My body became a mere conduit, channeling the power through me rather than trying to bend it to my will_.

Despite his best efforts, Zer0 was still injured by Forte's Darkness Overload attack, and once more he felt his strength waning. He grit his teeth, and forced himself to stay standing. Forte looked at him, and cackled.

“Is that all?” he asked. “And here I thought you actually had a chance.”

Zer0 looked at Forte, who was far less injured than he should have been, and clenched his jaw. Lifting his sword once more, he started to run towards Forte. In the blink of an eye, he closed the gap between them, and swung his sword.

 _Raikousen...A gift from a gentle soul. Rockman, I am always overwhelmed by your infinite kindness. Even in the midst of battle, you were eager to teach me, and offered me encouragement, even when you were winning. It was you who taught me that being kind is not a sign of weakness, but rather one of immense strength_.

Forte deflected the attack, and Zer0 let his sword fall from his hand. With his other hand, he punched Forte as hard as he could in the chest, and the energy of the impact exploded, throwing Forte quite a distance.

_Ganzanha...from my bond with Metalman. A quiet Navi, but one with a burning desire to grow stronger and stronger. Training next to you made me feel as though I could do anything...but even so, I failed you in your greatest hour of need..._

Zer0's limbs were heavy, and his body ached and burned, but he pushed through it, closing the gap between himself and Forte in an instant, before slamming his fist into the ground and unleashing another explosive attack, throwing Forte upwards.

 _Rakuhouha...a gift from a departed friend. Though our time together was short, I shall never forget your burning love of battle, nor your fierce loyalty to your friends. So long as I hold these memories of you in my heart, Crashman, you will never truly be gone_.

Though his legs screamed in pain, Zer0 launched himself into the air after Forte. He cried “SHORYUUKEN!” and slammed his fist into Forte's jaw with a crushing punch. Forte let out a grunt of pain, and fell to the ground in a heap.

 _Of everyone I have battled, none have been as interesting as you, Axl. While you lack physical strength, you make up for it with tactical maneuvers and cunning tricks. And in battle, I always know that you will have my back, allowing me to fight without distractions. I am deeply honored to call you my friend_.

Calling on all the strength left in his body, Zer0 channeled it into his hands for one last attack. It coiled itself into a pair of rings, burning with violet flame, and hovered at his fingertips until he flung them at Forte with a feral scream. Forte threw up his hand, and the attack impacted with explosive force. Zer0, now exhausted, was nearly swept off of his feet by the back draft. His legs shook, but somehow he managed to stay standing. The smoke and dust settled, and Zer0 peered through it, trying to see what became of Forte. But as the Darkloid came into view, Zer0 realized that he had not succeeded in stopping Forte at all. He was still in one piece, and no worse for wear. Slowly, Forte rose off the ground, and righted himself in the air before giving Zer0 a withering stare.

“Is that all?” he asked.

At that moment, Zer0's knees buckled and he dropped to the ground, completely spent. Forte hovered over to him, and stared down at him with empty disgust.

“I don't know what I find more insulting,” said Forte. “That _this_ was the best that Wily could come up with, or that you somehow managed to copy my Hell's Rolling attack...although yours is clearly inferior.”

“Shingetsurin,” Zer0 said breathlessly.

“Huh?” 

Zer0 met Forte's gaze with a defiant glare. “My technique. It is called Shingetsurin. And I did not _steal_ it...our bond helped me to create it.”

“What _bond_?!” Forte asked angrily, dropping to the ground and slamming his foot into Zer0's gut. “There's no bond between us!”

Despite the pain, Zer0 let out a wheezy laugh. This only served to infuriate Forte further, and he slammed his foot into Zer0's gut a few more times, leaving Zer0 crumpled on the ground.

“Just admit that you're an inferior copy,” Forte growled. “Everything about you is inferior, and always will be! You're weak, even with your stupid, flimsy _bonds_. Give up and die already!”

After a moment of lying on the ground, Zer0 slowly began to push himself to his feet. Forte kicked him again, but still he continued to get up. As he tried to stand, he reached out and grabbed onto Forte's cloak, and the Darkloid knocked his hand away.

“Don't touch me!” he said angrily.

With considerable effort, Zer0 staggered to his feet, and gave Forte a soft smile. The Darkloid's expression suddenly shifted from anger to fear, and as Zer0 staggered forward, Forte tried to retreat backwards.

“Why are you smiling?” he asked.

Rather than reply, Zer0 raised his arms and held them out towards Forte. He tried to bat them away, but Zer0 reached for him again. Finally, Zer0 lurched forward, and wrapped his arms around Forte, who froze in place with wide-eyed shock.

Zer0 was embracing him.

“Stop,” Forte whispered.

Zer0 only hugged him tighter. “I will not,” he replied in a weak voice.

“Stop,” Forte whispered again, more forcefully this time.

Zer0 closed his eyes, and continued to hug Forte, who squirmed uncomfortably, much like a cat who didn't want to be held.

“Forte, know that I do not hate you,” said Zer0. “Even when you rain your fury down upon me, it is only because you simply do not know any other way.”

Forte trembled.

“Kindness has been lost to you, and so it is a foreign concept. But anger will only lead to more anger, and so instead I shall offer you kindness, even if you refuse it.”

“Let go!” Forte screeched.

“No,” said Zer0. “I shall not.”

“I could kill you!” Forte threatened. “I could destroy you, right now! Is that what you want?”

“I have no doubt that you could,” said Zer0 calmly. “And yet, you have not. Which leads me to believe that you simply do not have it in your heart to finish me off.”

Forte let out an angry screech, and tried to pry Zer0 off of him, but Zer0 refused to budge.

“Even if I cannot forgive your crimes, know that I shall love and accept you,” Zer0 said, hugging Forte a little tighter. “ _Brother_.”

With a furious cry, Forte finally managed to throw Zer0 off of him, and shot backwards, putting space between them. Zer0 felt a laugh bubble up inside of him, and Forte gave Zer0 the nastiest look in response.

“I will _never_ accept you!” he shrieked. “ _Never!_ ”

“That is fine,” said Zer0 calmly. “I shall wait for eternity, if I must.”

Forte seethed with rage, throwing his hands in the air and screaming loudly. When he settled down, he pointed a finger accusingly at Zer0, and said, “This doesn't mean that you've won! You're simply too pathetic to destroy. Not even worth my time!”

“I see,” said Zer0, nodding slowly. “Then, when you come to visit Michi-chan, I ask that you behave yourself, or I might find myself showering you with my love and kindness again.”

“Bastard!” Forte screamed, and disappeared.

With Forte no longer a threat, Zer0 let himself fall to the ground, completely exhausted. Internal alarms blared, warning him of the excessive damage that he had received, but he barely registered any of it. Instead, he stared up at the ceiling of the Network, and cracked a smile.

_Somehow, even in the face of death, I am calm. I suppose if I leave now, it would not be so bad. Ahh, but I promised to go home in one piece, did I not...? Oh dear...Mayhap I will rest here for a short while, and regain my strength..._

His vision began to blur and darken, and Zer0 slowly let himself slip into unconsciousness, only to have someone yell at him and wake him up. Cracking one eye open, Zer0 spotted a group of programs standing around him, looking very concerned.

“Hey, you can't sleep here,” one of them said in a squeaky synthetic voice. “You have to get up, okay?”

“He doesn't look so good!” said one of the other programs. “Do you think he's alright?”

“Maybe he needs a Recovery chip?” suggested a third program. “Hey, does anyone here have a Recovery chip we can use?”

A chorus of voices all replied that they didn't, and so the programs rushed around, trying to find something they could use instead. Finally, one of them returned with a small data packet.

“Try this!” it said, shoving the data packet at Zer0. “It might have something good inside!”

Weakly, Zer0 reached up and tapped the packet. It opened, and one of Zer0's internal sensors registered that he had five extra health points added to his overall total.

“Oh...congrats!” said the program. “That's a good one, I think!”

“Thank...you...” Zer0 wheezed. “But what I...really need...right now is...rest.”

“How about an energy drink?” a program asked. “This vending machine has those. At least I think so.”

“Human drinks aren't going to help!” scolded a loud program. “Think before you speak!”

Despite the arguing, Zer0 found himself slipping back into unconsciousness. The voices got faint and garbled, and a moment later Zer0 was in complete, silent darkness.

“Hey,” a voice said. “ _Hey_. Get up already.”

With a tired sigh, Zer0 cracked his eye open again, and this time he spotted a familiar face.

“Axl...?” he mumbled. “Is that you?”

“Sure is,” said Axl, poking Zer0 on the cheek. “Taka was having trouble sleeping at home, so he and I came over to hang out, and Saki told us that you'd gone to face Forte all by yourself. Naturally, I panicked, and came to find you.” He shook his head. “Boy, are you a mess!”

“Yes,” said Zer0. “It was a hard battle.”

“You're alive, and that's what matters,” said Axl, yanking Zer0 to his feet. “Let's get you back home, so that you can get some proper rest.”

With a little bit of effort on Axl's part, the two Navis slowly made their way back to the apartment. On the way, Zer0 told Axl about what had happened, and how he had learned that he was a failed copy of Forte. Axl remained quiet, speaking up only after Zer0 was finished.

“Hey, it doesn't matter who made you or why,” he said. “Just what you do with yourself in the future. But you already knew that.”

Zer0 nodded. “When I told this to Forte, it only seemed to infuriate him.”

“He's probably jealous,” said Axl. “Here you are, surrounded by friends and family, living the high life, and there he is, a nasty, smelly Darkloid stuck feeding on scraps in the Undernet. If I were him, I'd be jealous too.”

“I can only pity him,” said Zer0. “He has grown so twisted that he cannot even accept kindness.”

“Yeah, well, he got himself into this mess, and it's his job to get himself out of it,” grumbled Axl. “Honestly, I can't even understand why you would bother with a loser like him.”

“Had I not met Meijin-san and Saki, I have no doubt that I might have suffered a similar fate,” said Zer0. “Living only for battle, steeped in madness and fury, wandering like a wraith through the Undernet until my inevitable death.” He sighed. “But enough about that.”

“Yeah, let's celebrate the fact that you're not dead!” Axl cheered. “You stared death in the face and said, 'not today!' Good job!”

“Somehow your jubilation seems insincere,” Zer0 muttered.

“It's just your imagination,” Axl replied.

***

After receiving a few Recovery chips and going into sleep mode for the rest of the night, Zer0 was ready to tell his tale to Saki and the others the next morning. He regaled everyone over breakfast, and by the end hardly anyone had touched their food because they'd been too enthralled by his story.

“So, wait...you're some kind of _clone of Forte_?!” Saki asked in disbelief.

“And you beat Forte by _hugging him_?” Taka added.

“Yes,” said Zer0. “Rather, I forced Forte to retreat by targeting his weakness, which is his inability to accept kindness from others.”

“See?” said Michi. “I told you that Forte wasn't a bad Navi.”

“He beat Zer0 within an inch of his life,” Axl retorted dryly.

Michi became flustered. “H-he does bad things, but he isn't a bad Navi deep down.”

“Deep, deep _deep_ down,” said Taka. “Deep in the deepest recesses of his putrid little soul.”

“I sense that, despite his anger and frustration at me, Forte was not able to finish me off as he knew that it would upset Michi-chan,” said Zer0, “Despite his insistence that he does not have feelings for her.”

“How weird that a Darkloid like Forte would have a soft spot for Michi,” Saki muttered.

“Stranger things have happened,” said Taka. “Like huge cyber beasts from alternate worlds randomly appearing downtown.”

Saki sighed irritably. “Knowing that Forte could show up whenever he wants is making me super anxious. I mean, who knows what he might do? He might be calm one day, but the next he might get angry enough to wreck something. What if Michi gets hurt because of it?”

Michi made a face. “Forte wouldn't hurt me.”

“While I agree that Forte seems hesitant to upset Michi in any way, it hardly guarantees that he won't hurt her accidentally,” Zer0 said. “During our battle, Forte's mood would shift drastically at a moment's notice, and would lash out violently if irritated or angered. Michi-chan herself has even stated that Forte has broken things in the past during violent outbursts.”

“Y-yeah...” said Michi, looking crestfallen.

Taka gave Michi a smile. “Hey, don't look so down. We're just trying to make sure nothing happens to you. I'm sure that your friendship with Forte is the real deal, but you can never be too careful, you know?”

“So you're not trying to stop me from being friends with Forte?” Michi asked.

“No,” said Taka.

“Yes,” said Saki.

Taka shot Saki a glare. “I get that you're overprotective, but I'm pretty sure that Michi-chan can handle herself.”

“She's just a little girl!” insisted Saki. “And she doesn't have her own Navi! What's she going to do if Forte decided to get violent?”

“Ask you to help her, duh!” said Taka, as if it was the most obvious thing in the world. “You don't need to be hovering over her every minute of the day.”

“I don't 'hover'!” Saki snapped.

“Yes you do!” Taka retorted. “You don't let Michi do anything unless she asks you first, you constantly stick your nose into her personal life, interrogate her friends, and get mad if people even so much as glance at her. Don't you remember how you wouldn't even tell us where you lived at first because you were scared of us meeting her?”

“I just didn't want strangers in my house!” Saki said angrily. “Don't just assume things!”

The two boys continued to bicker while Michi looked on, giggling behind her hand. Axl shrugged helplessly, and Zer0 shook his head with a bemused smile.

“It would seem that things have returned to normal,” he said.

“About as normal as they can get, anyway,” added Axl with a laugh.

“Oh,” said Zer0, “I just remembered that I was supposed to deliver an email before I was distracted by Forte. Perhaps I should do that now.” He pulled out the message, and handed it to Axl.

“Thank you,” Axl said, and then turned to Taka and yelled, “Hey Taka, there's an email for you!”

Taka stopped arguing with Saki long enough to read the message, and then frowned. “Hey!” he exclaimed. “Why aren't there any pictures?”

Saki looked away. “I, uhh...forgot.”

“You _forgot_?!” Taka asked. “How could you forget?!”

“A lot happened, okay?!” Saki yelled. “I'm sorry that I didn't take pictures for you.”

“How am I supposed to live vicariously through you if you don't take any pictures?!” Taka whined loudly. “I swear, you live such a _joyless_ life!”

“Who cares if I take pictures or not?” Saki asked, offended. “Not all of us live on social media, you know!”

“Here we go again,” said Axl with a sigh.

“Mama says that they fight because they love each other very much,” Michi said sagely.

Zer0 tilted his head in confusion. “Is that so? I was not aware of that fact.”

“Love is a very complicated thing,” Axl said. “It's not always being giddy and content. Sometimes people in love fight because they don't want to budge on their ideals, but when they make up, it makes their relationship even stronger.”

Zer0 thought about this for a long time. “Then...perhaps there is hope for me to have a relationship with Forte after all.”

“Yeah, no, probably not,” said Axl.


	38. Santa-san Comes Tonight

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Before anyone realizes it, Christmas is upon them. Taka decides that he's going to throw the Tanakas their own Christmas party, and Saki continues to struggle with his feelings.

Slowly, softly, the fall slipped into winter. The bustle of preparing for holidays kept everyone busy, and Saki found he rarely had a moment to simply sit at the kotatsu in the main room and enjoy some warm tea while he watched the amber and gold leaves fall outside. Keiko made more of an effort to spend more time with the kids before she went to work, helping Michi with her class projects and assisting with Saki trying to learn how to knit, applauding even his less-than-successful attempts.

By mid-December, the trees were stripped of their bright leaves, and the temperatures became even colder. As Saki traveled to work, the brisk wind cut into him even through his jacket, and he found himself longing for one a little newer and less worn-in.

The dishes in the restaurant became heartier, filled with seasonal vegetables and richer meats like pheasant and duck. Saki heard the customers chatting casually about what they would be doing for Christmas as he poured their glasses of champagne, and suddenly realized how quickly it was approaching.

“Christmas, huh...?” he murmured to himself as he changed out of his uniform. “What am I going to do about it...?”

One of the other male servers grinned at him. “Are you going to spend it with someone?”

Saki blinked in surprise. “Huh? Oh, probably just my family.”

“Pfft!” Saki's coworker snickered. “Wow, how lame! Don't you know that Christmas is all about couples?” He puffed up his chest proudly. “Me and my girlfriend are going to spend it at the top of Densan Tower. It's the most romantic spot in the whole city!”

“Seems a little cliché to me,” Saki said. “I mean, won't everyone be doing the exact same thing?”

The other man sighed. “You're such a downer. Of course they will be. But I'm going one step further: I'm taking her to the Skytree for dinner.”

Saki stared in shock. “The _Skytree_?! How did you get a reservation? I bet they've been booked for months!”

The man chuckled. “I know a guy who knows a guy.”

Saki sighed. “Wow, the Skytree...I guess some people take this holiday pretty seriously.”

“You should get yourself a girlfriend, so that you're not so lonely this Christmas,” the man said, smacking Saki on the back in a friendly manner. “I bet a guy like you could get one _easily_.”

“No thanks,” Saki muttered.

“Good luck!” the man said, waving at Saki as he left the break room. Saki stared after him and sighed deeply.

 _I guess I never put much stock in Christmas before_ , he thought. _Since I'm always single, I never really thought about it, outside of obligatory stuff. Besides, Michi still sees it as a holiday for gifts and food, so making sure that she's happy comes first_.

Saki put on his jacket, tied his scarf around his neck, and made his way towards the front door. As he got closer, however, he spotted a familiar face waiting for him just outside.

“Taka?” Saki asked as he exited the restaurant. “What are you doing here?”

Taka raised his hand in greeting. “I came to pick you up! I brought the car.” He gestured towards the street, where Saki spotted a black town car parked out front.

“That's...really kind of you,” Saki said. “But you really didn't have to.”

“It's no big deal,” Taka said with a shrug. “Honestly, I just wanted to come and hang out.” He paused. “Also, I have some stuff I wanted to talk to you about.”

 _Ahh, there's the catch_ , Saki thought.

After a moment, a cold breeze chilled Saki, and he made up his mind.

“Okay,” he told Taka. “I'll let you drive me home.”

“Excellent! Taka said happily. Saki walked towards the car, and Taka fell into step next to him. The car door clicked open as they approached, and Taka sprinted past Saki to hold the door open so he could slide inside.

“Thank you,” Saki said gratefully.

Taka slipped into the car after Saki, and shut the door behind him.

“Okay Axl, you know where to go~!”

“Roger that,” Axl replied cheerfully, and a moment later, the car started down the street.

“So, you wanted to talk to me about something?” Saki asked.

Taka smiled. “That's right.” He leaned forward. “I'm sure you're aware that Christmas is coming,” he began.

Saki nodded.

“I wanted to ask you what your family was doing for Christmas,” Taka continued.

Saki raised an eyebrow. “Why?”

Taka blinked. “I was curious, that's all.”

Pausing a beat to think, Saki chose his words carefully. “We don't usually do anything special for Christmas. I try to scrape together enough money to get my sister and Mom something nice, and maybe I'll get fried chicken for dinner, but that's about it. No tree or anything like that.”

Taka looked at Saki with wide, owlish eyes. “Really? You don't do anything big for Christmas?”

“Well, I...” Saki bit his lip. He shifted uneasily in his seat, trying to figure out how to phrase his next words delicately. “We used to. Mom and me and...and Dad. When he was still around.” Saki became rigid, agitated by the old memory he had drudged up. “Michi wasn't really around yet the last time we all celebrated Christmas.” His eyes misted over as he stared off into the distance. “I wanted to know if Santa-san was real, so I tried to stay up and see him for myself.” He chuckled dryly. “Nothing kills the dreams of a kid like finding out your Mom and Dad are the ones who put the presents under the tree.” He pushed some of his hair back behind his ear. “Every few minutes, they'd start kissing. Couldn't even focus on getting things done, they were so...” The rest of Saki's sentence was broken off, and he looked away, almost ashamed.

Taka's shoulders slumped. “Oh...I see.”

Saki cleared his throat. “The next Christmas, Dad was gone. I went to Mom, and told her not to bother getting me anything that year.” He tightened his grip on his arms. “Said there was no need to pretend to be Santa-san anymore, and that we could use the money for other things.”

Taka bit his lip, as if trying not to tear up. “I'm sorry,” he said quietly. “I didn't mean...to bring up an unpleasant memory.”

“It's not unpleasant,” Saki replied softly. “Just something I'd buried a long time ago and forgot about.”

Silence lingered for a long moment between the two boys, and Taka stared out the window, as if contemplating what he had just been told. After a long while, Taka turned back to Saki, his face serious.

“I want to do something for your family, if you'll let me,” he said.

“Eh?” Saki replied, blinking in confusion. “What are you planning this time?”

Taka smiled. “I want to give your family a Christmas. A _real_ Christmas. With a tree and lots of presents and maybe even a party.”

Panic welled up inside of Saki. “Oh no, no no. I can't ask you to do that for us. That's way too much.”

Rather than pout like he usually would, Taka's face became quite serious. “Please Saki. I know you think this is too much, but for me, it isn't _nearly_ enough.” He looked down at his hands in his lap. “I wanted to thank you for having me around, and including me in your lives, even though I've been so intrusive.” He grinned. “Just having people to talk to, being able to share a meal with others, even being included in an argument or two...those are precious memories to me, and I can't even begin to repay you all for them.” Taka's eyes softened. “Your family is very precious to me, especially since...since things with Mamma have been so tense.” He looked away, his smile fading. “Your family has so little, but you're so willing to share it with me, and it means so much...”

“That's just how we are,” Saki replied, his tone even. “Mom treats everyone like her own kids, so everyone is family. And besides,” he said, grinning, “You pay for the groceries when you come over, so it works in my favor.”

Slowly, Taka's smile returned. “It was the condition you set the first time I came over. I'm just keeping up my end of the bargain.”

Saki let out a short laugh. “Well, then, I don't see why you think you owe us anything.”

Taka frowned. “Saki, you said it yourself, that 'everyone is family'.” He looked down. “You've all been more like family to me this year than Mamma has. And maybe it's kind of selfish, but I just want to have a really nice Christmas with...with family.”

Saki felt his face heat up, and turned his head to look out the window. After a moment, he looked back at Taka, and offered the boy a weak smile.

“I'd...have to talk it over with Mom,” he said. “But I think she'd be okay with it.”

Taka's face lit up, and he gave a squeal of delight. “I want to have a tree,” he said, speaking quickly, as if he couldn't get his ideas out fast enough. “Not too big, I don't want to crowd you. But something nice. I want the smell of a real tree, you know? Oh, and I have to see if we can make something nice for dinner. What would you suggest? Turkey's a bit heavy I think. Maybe something like a hotpot? I always like hotpots.” He was nodding, and absently making notes on his PET. “I have to see what your sister wants for a present. Unless you know?”

Saki held up his hands. “Whoa, now. Slow down, okay? I'm only one man, and I can only do so much.”

Taka waved his hand. “Let me handle all the details. You'll just have to let me in so I can work, that's all.” He paused. “I really hope you get the holidays off.”

Saki smiled, trying not to seem disappointed. “Well, no...” He scratched at the back of his head. “Working the holidays nets me time-and-a-half, so...”

“No, no no, that won't do,” Taka shook his head briskly. “I need your help setting this up. And you deserve time with your family.”

“But Argentaire needs me during the holidays,” Saki argued.

“Then I'll pay you for the work you miss,” Taka replied. “And they will manage without you.”

Saki gave Taka an annoyed look. “Easy for you to say.”

“Saki,” Taka set his PET down in his lap pointedly. “Argentaire is a three star restaurant. If they can't cover your shift for you, then they aren't worth it.”

“I'm one of the only servers who knows any Lafleurian,” Saki deadpanned.

“Not worth it,” Taka repeated.

Saki threw his hands up. “This is about me being responsible! If I can't be there for my shifts, they can fire me, you know!”

“You're granted time off every year, right?” Taka asked.

“Yeah, but—” Saki began.

“Take it at Christmas,” Taka continued ruthlessly. “Even if it's only a day. You need to spend some time with your family.”

Saki sighed. Taka was right, of course, but the idea of asking for Christmas off still scared him.

“In any case,” Taka said, “I need to ask Michi what she'd want for Christmas. But I have to be crafty about it. Hmm...”

“Tell her Santa-san wants to know,” Saki said idly. “She's still young enough to believe in Santa-san, after all.”

Taka's expression brightened. “Oh! Good thinking! If I tell her that I'll tell Santa-san, then she'll be sure to tell me what she wants honestly!”

Saki propped his elbow up on the armrest, and put his chin in his hand as he watched Taka make frantic notes. It was almost endearing, how wholeheartedly Taka threw himself into everything he did. Saki smiled. “It seems like you have everything under control here,” he said.

Taka lifted his head abruptly. “Oh, not at all! I'm really going to need your help!” He leaned in closer to Saki, his eyes shining. “Like, what kind of drinks does Keiko-san like? Michi-chan will eat just about anything, right? Is there something that she just won't eat, no matter what?” He paused. “Also, what do you want for Christmas?”

Saki was startled by the last question. “I don't want anything,” he insisted.

“Are you sure?” Taka asked. “Nothing at all?”

Saki turned his head away. “Nothing,” he said.

Taka squinted at Saki with a suspicious expression, but said nothing. After a moment, he went back to planning. “Let's see...we should all go shopping soon, so we can pick out ornaments and whatnot.”

“Umm, I think Mom still has a box of tree ornaments somewhere in storage,” said Saki.

“That's good,” Taka replied. “We can go through that, and make notes about what we still need. As for the tree, it will have to wait until closer to the actual day. What else? Stockings?” Taka tapped his chin thoughtfully. “I once heard that in Creamland they used to use wooden shoes.” 

“Wooden shoes?” Saki asked, disbelieving.

“Might be a bit too much,” Taka reasoned. “Not something I can just pick up anywhere.”

“I don't think we need anything like that,” Saki quickly replied.

Taka squirmed excitedly. “I have so many ideas, Saki! I don't know where to start!”

“How about we start by asking Mom,” Saki said. “Then we can go from there.”

***

Taka spent the night so that he could ask Keiko about the party the next day while Michi was at school. As soon as Taka mentioned the word 'party', Keiko's whole face lit up with excitement, and she clapped her hands joyfully.

“That sounds wonderful!” she said. “I'll admit that I miss the Christmas parties me and my husband used to throw when we were younger, but with how busy everyone is these days, I never found the time to throw one myself...”

“You let me handle the details,” said Taka. “And when the time comes, I hope that you'll relax and enjoy yourself.”

“I guess I'll have to make sure I don't work on Christmas,” said Keiko. “But I have a pretty understanding boss, so I'm sure it'll work out just fine.”

“Now if only Saki would ask for Christmas off,” Taka teased. 

“What kind of a party do you want to have, Taka-kun?” asked Keiko.

Taka smiled. “I want everyone to have a really authentic Christmas experience, so I think we should have a big meal and a tree with lots of presents under it.”

“Oh, how nice!” Keiko said happily. “Eating good food is my favorite thing to do during holidays!”

“I bet you married Dad because he was a chef,” Saki joked in a dry tone.

“Saki and I will figure out what to do for the food,” said Taka. “But what I'd really like to know is what you want for Christmas, Keiko-san.”

Keiko's eyes twinkled mischievously. “Oh, that's a secret~!”

Taka pouted. “No fair! How do I know what to get you if you won't tell me?!”

 _If Mom won't tell him, then chances are it's something Taka couldn't get her anyway_ , Saki thought.

The three of them threw ideas around for a while, until the front door clicked open, and Michi called out, “I'm home!” Instantly, Taka was on his feet, and dashed to the entryway to gather Michi up in a big hug, yelling, “Welcome home, Michi-chan~!”

Michi giggled. “Hello, Taka-kun!”

“Hello, Michi-chan!” Taka replied, releasing her from his hug. “Are you excited for Christmas?”

Michi shuffled a little. “Well...actually, I'm not.”

Taka frowned. “Why not?”

Michi sighed. “Christmas means big brother has to work more, and all my friends will have parties that I can't go to.” Sadly, she looked down at her feet.

Taka gave Saki a disapproving glance, and Saki shrugged helplessly.

“I can't go because I don't have anything cute to wear, and I can't give anyone a gift,” Michi went on. “I don't want to make anyone feel bad, so I stay at home.”

Taka looked thoughtful. “You know,” he said, “I can help you get a gift and something nice to wear, if you _really_ want to go. But I was going to have a party at your house on Christmas, just you and your mom and your brother and me. Doesn't that sound nice?”

Michi's eyes lit up. “Big brother's going to be home for Christmas?”

Saki looked away, very self-aware of how terrible he had been to poor Michi. He had justified it as doing what it took to support them all, but it hadn't been right to leave her all alone, even on the holidays. He kicked himself mentally.

“Sure he is,” Taka assured Michi. “He's going to take Christmas off, and spend it with you and your Mama.” He looked at Saki pointedly. “He promised.”

Saki smiled as Michi turned towards him, grinning excitedly.

“This is the best Christmas present ever!” she shouted, throwing her arms around Saki's waist and giving him a tight hug.

Saki felt embarrassed, and glanced at Taka, who was grinning from ear to ear.

“Oh, but,” Taka told Michi, “That's not the only Christmas present! If you tell me what you want for Christmas, I'll relay it to Santa-san, and he'll bring it to you on Christmas!”

Michi looked up, unsure. “I don't know...” she said.

Taka tilted his head. “What's wrong?”

“Umm, well, it's just...” Michi shuffled nervously. “I don't think Santa-san exists.” She paused. “And if he does, I bet I'm on the Naughty list, 'cause he never visits our house.”

Taka gave her a look of wide-eyed amazement. “That can't be! Michi is the nicest little girl ever! I bet he never came because you never sent him your list, so he never knew what to give you!”

 _This just makes me feel even worse_ , Saki thought. _Why didn't I ever try to get a little something for her from Santa-san?_

“Oh, I'm sure he came,” Keiko said encouragingly. “Didn't he leave you those oranges and nuts in your stocking every year?”

 _Nice save, Mom!_ Saki thought.

Hesitantly, Michi looked up at Keiko, and then at Saki. Finally, she gave Taka a confident look.

“How do I give him my list?” Michi asked.

“Well,” Taka stated, “I just so happen to be really close friends with Santa-san, and I have his email address. I send him a letter every year, so I can just put your letter in with mine this time around! So tell me what to say, and I'll make sure he gets it this year! I promise!”

Michi nodded solemnly. “If you lie—”

“I have to swallow a thousand needles,” Taka finished, grinning.

Michi smiled. “But I trust you, so I'm sure it'll be okay and you won't have to swallow any needles.”

Taka pulled out his PET, and opened the note function. “Okay, tell me everything you want me to put in your letter to Santa-san.”

“Umm,” Michi bit her lip in deep thought. “Ask Santa-san...to bring Mama something for her leg pain. And to get big brother another pair of jeans, because the ones he has are all really old and worn out.”

“Hey!” Saki said, putting his hands on his hips.

Taka frowned. “But what about _you_ , Michi? Don't _you_ want anything?”

Michi blinked. “Well, maybe. But big brother said he'd get me those things eventually, so I'll wait.”

Saki put a hand to his chest, a stab of guilt tearing through his heart. _I'm sorry, Michi! It's all my fault that you ended up like this..._

“Tell me anyway,” Taka said. “You never know, he might be able to help you, and take some of the pressure off your brother.”

Michi seemed to consider this. Finally, she sighed, and nodded. “Okay.” Clearing her throat, she said, “I don't need a new PET, because mine works just fine. And I don't need a Navi, because I'm fine without one, and I'm already friends with Forte.” She tapped her chin thoughtfully. “But I need new shoes, because these ones are starting to get holes in them. And I'd like a nice dress to wear to a party.” She blushed. “All the other girls have such pretty dresses, and I always come in my regular clothes.”

Taka grinned. “Every girl deserves to be a princess, right?”

“Right!” Michi agreed happily. She paused again. “Also, maybe some battle chips? I want to learn how to use them.”

“He might not get you all of those things,” said Taka, “But it never hurts to ask!”

Michi giggled. “I don't care if I get everything, I just want Santa-san to visit me!”

Taka leaned in really close, and Michi gave him a curious look. “Hey, tell me what you think Saki would like,” he said in a whisper. “So I can ask Santa-san for his presents too!”

Michi's eyes lit up. “Oh, I can think of lots of things he'd like!”

Saki looked over at the two conspirators and leaned in, trying to hear. When Saki got too close, however, Taka glared at him and motioned for him to walk away, prompting Saki to roll his eyes and walk back into the main room.

“Banished to the front room, were you?” asked Keiko.

“Yeah,” said Saki, flopping down on the floor. “Taka and Michi are plotting something, and I don't like it.”

“I believe they are planning your Christmas presents,” said Zer0.

Saki frowned, and Keiko gave him a look. “Now Saki, don't complain about people giving you things. You should be grateful!”

“I am!” Saki whined. “But look at us, Mom...we're all so used to not asking for things that not even Michi will let herself make selfish requests...” He sighed. “This is my fault, isn't it?”

“Of course it isn't,” Keiko said, patting Saki's head kindly. “Michi's a child, and things aren't as nuanced for her as they are for us. When we say things like, 'it's not in the budget right now', she just assumes that it means that it's bad to ask for things. She's a good girl, and she's trying her best, just like you are.”

“I want nothing more than to spoil her,” admitted Saki. “I just wish I didn't have to depend on Taka to do it.”

“It's okay to depend on people, you know,” Keiko said. “Taka-kun has been very generous with us—maybe even _too_ generous—but he's a good kid, and his heart's in the right place. Just this once, I think it's okay to let him have his way.” She sighed. “Besides, I worry about him...he never talks about his home life, but I can't help but feel that he's troubled...”

Saki rubbed his neck nervously. He wanted nothing more than to tell his mother about Taka's situation, but he also felt like it wasn't his place to talk about it.

“Taka-kun has admitted that he feels more at home here with all of us than at his own house,” Zer0 explained. “This party is simply his way of expressing his appreciation.”

Keiko smiled sadly. “Sometimes, I feel like I want to adopt him.” She looked at Saki. “Wouldn't he be a good addition to the family?”

Saki's face heated up. “Sure, I guess. But if you adopt him, he won't be able to spend so much money on us.”

“Oh, I'm sure we'll manage somehow!” Keiko said with a laugh.

Taka and Michi came into the main room and plopped down on the floor near Saki, grinning mischievously. Saki felt his anxiety skyrocket.

“We're going shopping today!” declared Taka.

“Are we?” Saki asked.

“Yes!” replied Michi.

Keiko chuckled. “Well then, have fun you three. I'll wait here.”

“You aren't coming, Mom?” Saki asked.

“No,” Keiko said, shaking her head. “I'll just slow you down.”

“This just means I have more time to shop for your gift!” Taka declared.

“Oh my!” Keiko replied with a laugh. “I hope it's something nice!”

***

Saki hated the mall. It was always crowded normally, but now the stores were even more crowded with people doing their Christmas shopping. Saki had to keep his gaze fixed on one point in the distance to control his anxiety. He had never liked being in malls, since there were always so many people all in one place, and he found himself overwhelmed by the multitudes of audio and visual stimuli. He tried to stay near Taka and Michi, who chatted eagerly with each other, but Saki felt more and more like he wanted to escape to somewhere quiet and familiar.

“This is a nice scarf,” Taka said, and Saki tuned into the conversation, trying to stay focused.

“It is,” Michi replied, “But I don't like the color very much.”

“True,” Taka agreed. “It might be too bright. Maybe something in an earthier shade...?”

Saki tuned out, despite his best efforts, and instead turned to look at a nearby display. Some of the clothes he saw were nice, but he was afraid to read their price tags. Despite this, he browsed, hoping that the colors and textures would distract him. He studied the cut on a nearby top, and mused about it. Was it a flattering cut on a particular shape? What about the color? Could it be paired with anything? He sighed, realizing that he had no idea. Despite hearing Taka babble on for hours about fashion, none of it had stuck with him.

And then, quite by accident, Saki's eyes wandered too far to the right, and fell upon a simply wonderful jacket. He froze. It was already too late to pretend he hadn't seen it. He tried to drag his eyes away, only to have them wander right back. _Oh, the color's lovely...that nice milky shade of brown, the one that Taka said looked good on people with my skin tone_ , Saki thought. _And the cut...it's nice; long but not too long, flattering without being form-fitting or restrictive. And...is that suede?_ Saki stepped closer, his breath catching slightly. Feeling guilty, he glanced around. No one seemed to be staring at him, so he reached out his shaking hand and touched the coat, letting it slide down the fabric. _Oh! It_ _is_ _suede!_ he thought. Gleefully, he ran his hand up and down the grain, watching the color change as he did so. _Suede sure is nice!_ He glanced at the sleeves, and felt a surge of excitement when he felt how nice the lining was. _This is certainly a nice coat—_

The clearing of someone's throat jolted Saki back to reality, and his suede fantasy fell to pieces around him. He turned, feeling guilty, to find Taka and Michi staring at him, wearing rather gleeful expressions.

“Find something you like?” Taka asked innocently.

“No,” Saki said quickly, jerking his hand away from the jacket and shoving it into his pants pocket. “Not at all.”

Taka grinned wickedly, but said nothing. Michi ran over, and took Saki by the hand. “Come on, big brother,” she said, “We're going to go look at toys next!”

Saki let himself relax a little, and gave Michi's hand a reassuring squeeze. Taka took him by the other wrist, and tugged him gently along. The heat of his embarrassment still made Saki's ears tingle, but he felt a little better with Taka and Michi at his side. The two chattered at each other, and Saki let the emotion of what was being said translate rather than the actual words. He didn't really want to interrupt; he was much more satisfied just lingering in the sense of calm that he felt at that moment.

Perhaps by accident, Taka's hand slid down Saki's wrist, and their fingers tangled together. Saki's heart skipped a beat, and he suddenly heard a loud ringing in his ears. It wasn't any different than all of the times Taka had held his hand before, but for some reason, this time seemed more intimate. Maybe it was the mood or the setting, but Saki couldn't help but feel like it was more... _romantic_ than usual.

 _Oh no_ , he thought frantically. _I've been swept up in the spirit of the season, and I'm thinking weird things again!_

He looked over at Taka, who gave him a soft smile. Saki's face felt like it had burst into flames.

 _No, stop it!_ Saki told himself silently. _He doesn't feel the same way you do, and you're just going to make everything awkward!_

Michi swung her hand, and Saki was pulled out of his thoughts. She gave him a big smile, and he smiled back.

When they got to the toys, Michi let go of Saki's hand and ran over to look at them, her eyes bright with excitement. Taka tugged on Saki's sleeve, stopping him.

“Are you okay?” Taka asked, his expression concerned. “You haven't been yourself lately.”

“I'm fine,” Saki lied. “I guess I'm just tired.”

Taka didn't seem convinced. “I notice lately that sometimes you withdraw from me. Did...did I do something to upset you?”

Saki shook his head vehemently. “No, not at all! I just...have a lot on my mind lately. That's all.”

“Oh...” Taka nodded, but he still seemed troubled. “If you say so then...” He let go of Saki's sleeve. “Just remember that this Christmas is for you too. I want you to relax and enjoy yourself.”

“I will,” Saki said, “I promise.”

Taka smiled. “I'm going to hold you to that.”

***

Saki leaned against the kitchen counter, trying to make sense of the tangle of thoughts in his mind.

In the main room, Keiko handed ornaments to Michi and Taka, who worked together to set up the small, but otherwise handsome, tree, while Axl and Zer0 gave advice on where the ornaments should go. The five chatted with each other pleasantly, and Saki felt strangely disconnected from the cheer. He was already guilty for taking time off of work, and even though his boss had said that it was fine, Saki still felt uneasy. He kept glancing towards his PET, expecting the restaurant to call and demand he come into work, but the call never came. Despite this, his anxiety continued to get worse and worse as the night went on.

 _Christmas is the busiest time of the year_ , he thought, biting down on his thumbnail. _Did they find someone to fill in for me in time? Are they able to keep up? Did the boss remember to pay the electric bill? Did they use real candles or LED ones? I sure hope no one causes a fuss—_

A hand on Saki's shoulder startled him, and he found Taka's worried face staring at him with a mixture of concern and empathy. Saki tried to let his pulse settle down before speaking.

“Taka...”

“Sorry,” Taka said sheepishly. “I wanted to say that we finished the tree.” He gestured out at the main room, where Michi waved and pointed excitedly at the tree, adorned with tiny glittering ornaments and small lights. Taka looked back at Saki. “Are you okay? You look kind of ill, actually.”

Saki wanted to say that he _felt_ rather ill, but instead he tried to smile. “I'm fine,” he lied. “Probably just exhaustion.”

“Ahh,” Taka said simply. “Well, try to rest if you can.” His voice wavered slightly. “I don't want you to push yourself.”

Nodding, Saki said, “Thanks.”

Taka gave Saki's shoulder one last reassuring pat before he turned and walked back into the main room. Saki watched him go, and took three slow, deep breaths to calm himself.

 _Everything is going to be fine_ , he reassured himself. _Work isn't going to call you, and you can keep your feelings for Taka in check long enough to get through Christmas. You can do this!_

Putting on a smile, Saki entered the main room. Keiko looked up at him, a smile lighting up her face as she held her arms out to him. He took a seat beside her, and hugged her warmly.

“This is wonderful,” she murmured to him. “It's just what we all needed, I think.” Keiko pulled back from Saki a little, and brushed some hair out of his face. “Promise me,” she told him seriously, “That you won't try to put us before you, just this once. Put yourself first this holiday. Can you do that?”

Saki smiled, and nodded. “Of course,” he said, even though he only partially believed the words he was saying.

Michi crawled into Saki's lap, and grinned up at him. “Do you like the tree, big brother?” she asked.

He ruffled her hair in response. “It looks great,” he told her. “Better than anything I could do!”

“It sure is!” Axl said loudly, grinning from ear to ear. “Without design experts like me and Taka, you guys are hopeless!”

“That sounds like fighting words, little man!” said Keiko playfully, putting up her fists. “Why don't we take this outside?”

“On second thought, I might have been quick to criticize all of you,” Axl said. “Have I ever mentioned that I'm a big fan of how you decorate your home?”

Taka stepped back to admire the stockings that he'd set up near the patio door. “There we go, right where Santa-san can easily get to them!” He sat down next to Saki and leaned against him, which caused Saki's heart to stutter a little bit. “That's all I can do for the time being. Now all we can do is wait for Christmas!”

Michi squirmed restlessly. “I wish it was Christmas _now_ , so that I can see Santa-san!”

“But he won't come if you're awake!” Taka replied kindly.

“I'll stay up all night if I have to!” Michi argued.

Saki looked at Keiko, who looked at Taka, who shrugged.

“It won't change anything,” Taka told Michi. “He'll come when you're asleep. And if you stay up all night, he can't come. He has a busy night, and he can't work during the day. It's too easy to see him then! And if people saw him, then they'd run up to him, and then he'd never get any work done at all!”

“But I want to know if he's real!” Michi insisted.

“He's real,” Saki lied to his sister gently. “He'll come. You just have to believe he will.”

Finally, Michi sighed, and said, “Okay. I'll be a good girl, and I won't try to stay up for Santa-san on Christmas.”

Taka grinned. “You won't be disappointed.”

Saki looked at Taka, and something occurred to him. “Hey, Taka? Have you spoken to any of the others recently?”

Taka shook his head. “Nope, not since October.”

Saki sighed. “Me neither. Well, except for Meijin-san...I had to go in to have Zer0 repaired after he fought Forte, and Meijin chewed us out for being reckless.”

“Well, I mean, Forte _did_ treat Zer0 like a piñata,” Axl said.

“I agree that it was reckless of me to go and confront Forte alone,” admitted Zer0. “In the future, I will not act so rashly.”

“Good idea,” said Axl.

“Maybe we should send the others an email,” Taka suggested. “Just to let them know that we're okay, and to ask them how their holidays have been so far.”

“Sounds good,” said Saki. He opened the email tab on his PET, and started typing out a message before pausing. “Oh, but I don't have Laika's email...”

“I do,” said Taka before looking off into the distance. “Most of the time he just messages me really early in the morning, telling me where our next practice session is going to be held.”

“Sounds rough,” said Saki sympathetically.

Taka nodded, and Saki pulled up Netto's email address before typing him a message.

 _Hey, it's Saki! Happy Holidays! I hope you're doing alright. Sorry that we haven't talked since October...I only just realized how little we all see each other outside of work. Maybe we should get together some time and just hang out_.

Saki struggled with a way to end the email, and sighed in frustration. “I'm still not very good at writing emails, I see.”

Taka said, “Gimme that,” and took Saki's PET out of his hands. With a few quick keyboard taps, he finished off Saki's email for him, and handed the device back to Saki. “There.”

Saki read over what Taka had typed. _See you soon~! Love Saki_

“Ugh,” Saki grunted, deleting the words. “No way! That's way too sappy!”

“Then write it yourself, and don't complain!” Taka retorted.

After he'd written a closing line that he was satisfied with, Saki sent the email to Netto, and got started on drafting one for Enzan.

“What do I even talk about?” Saki muttered. “I always have a hard time being casual around Enzan.”

“Ask him if he's going to be working through Christmas or not,” Taka joked. “If he says he forgot Christmas was coming, you have to make me pudding.”

Saki frowned, but started typing.

 _Sorry to bother you_ , he typed, _especially since you're probably really busy, but it just occurred to me that we haven't spoken since October, and none of us really meet up much outside of work. I hope that you're having a good holiday season, and that you take some time for yourself. Everyone keeps telling me that I need to do that too, but it's really hard. Anyway, I hope that you have a good Christmas, and that you don't work too hard! Maybe we can meet up sometime soon!_

By the time Saki was done writing Enzan's email, Zer0 had returned bearing Netto's reply, which he read while Zer0 ran off to deliver Enzan's message.

 _Merry Christmas! Boy, time really flies when you're busy, huh? Anyway, me and Rockman are going to spend Christmas with Mom and Dad, so it'll be quiet. Maybe I'll drag Enzan over too! I bet he could use some Christmas cheer. Ｏ(≧▽≦)Ｏ We should totally hang out sometime! Maybe we could all get together for the shrine visit at the start of the new year! Not sure which shrine, but I bet it'd be really fun to make wishes together_.

“A shrine visit at the start of the new year, huh...” Saki said. “That's not a bad idea.”

“Ooh, I can get everyone fitted for kimonos!” Taka exclaimed. “I bet we'd all look so good in them!”

“You can take in that charm I gave you for your birthday, and have it replaced with a new one,” Keiko suggested. “Maybe we can all get one this time!”

“I haven't visited a shrine for New Year's Day since I was a little kid,” said Taka. “I wonder when the last time Enzan went was...?”

Zer0 returned with a reply to Enzan's email, and Saki read it while Taka looked over his shoulder.

 _Thank you for taking the time to message me. I've been so busy lately that I almost didn't notice that Christmas was almost upon me_.

“You owe me a pudding,” Taka whispered gleefully.

_As much as I would like to have a leisurely Christmas, it simply isn't possible. One of the busiest times of the year for IPC is Christmas, as PETs are a common gift, especially for young children, and most of the orders are for custom designs. As such, I am constantly busy managing suppliers and contracts, and rarely have the chance to take time for myself. Overworking myself is something I seem to do quite regularly. However, you should absolutely take time off, and spend it with your family._

_As for getting together, I don't see that happening until the New Year, unfortunately. Perhaps we can meet up then_.

“Yikes,” Taka muttered. “How depressing. He really needs to get out more.”

“It sounds like Netto is going to drag Enzan with him to Christmas, so I'm sure he's just going to have to deal with it,” Saki said, chuckling. “Besides, I'm sure he's exaggerating about the amount of work he actually has to do.”

Taka typed out a message for Laika stating that he hoped that Laika was well, and that he had a good Christmas. Taka also stated that Saki wanted to see him again soon, and closed off the message with a mess of obnoxious emotes before having Axl deliver it.

“I bet he's going to hate that,” Saki said.

“Of course he will,” Taka replied. “That's why I do it.”

After making everyone some pudding, Saki played games with Michi until she began to get sleepy, and yawned quite loudly. She pulled herself to her feet, and hugged Saki tightly before moving on to receive hugs from Taka and Keiko as well. With all her hugs collected, Michi padded off towards the sleeping room, with Saki right behind her.

“Big brother?” Michi asked as she crawled into her sleeping clothes, “Why did Taka decide to do all these nice things for us?”

Saki paused, unsure of how to answer. “Well, I guess maybe he just wanted to,” he said at last.

Michi considered this as she crawled into her futon. “I wish more people did things just because they want to. I bet people would be a lot happier.”

“Maybe,” Saki agreed, “But I think there would be a lot more trouble as well. After all, people can commit crimes 'just because they want to'. There's always some negative with the positive.”

“Yeah,” Michi sighed. “I kind of wish there weren't bad things. People would be happier.”

Saki settled down on the floor next to Michi. “You know, they might be. But I've learned something. Wanna know what that is?”

Michi nodded excitedly.

“I've learned that not every bad thing is bad. Without bad times, we'd never appreciate the good ones. If everything was happy, we'd never be able to understand the difference between happy and sad, and everything would become one shade of emotion. And that isn't any better than being sad all the time, now, is it?”

“No,” Michi answered gravely. “I guess that would be bad too.”

“Right,” Saki said with a smile. “So no matter what, the bad things in life are there to make us appreciate the good ones. And everything will pass in time. It might be gray skies today, but the blue skies will be back tomorrow.”

Michi grinned. “Thanks big brother,” she said happily. “I think I get it. And I'll try to appreciate everything that happens from now on, not just the good things.”

With a warm smile, Saki leaned down, and gently kissed his sister's forehead. 

“Goodnight sis,” he whispered. “Sweet dreams.”

With a content sigh, Michi settled down into her futon. Saki stood up before exiting the room quietly and shutting the door behind him as softly as he could. Taka shuffled over so Saki had space at the table to sit, and Saki sat down with an almost tranquil air.

“Did she go to sleep?” Keiko asked.

Saki nodded. “Pretty easily too.” He rubbed his neck absently. “I feel a little bad, telling her all these white lies...”

“That Santa-san will come?” Taka asked, his voice soft so as not to disturb Michi. “It's not really a lie. There really is someone who is going to leave her presents while she's asleep.” Taka grinned. “I'm just not a jolly old man in a red suit.”

“I really can't thank you enough, Taka,” Keiko gushed. “You've done so much for us, and you aren't even asking for anything in return.”

Taka shook his head. “Your happiness is enough for me.” He smiled warmly. “It's really not enough to repay what you've done for me, but it's a good start, I think.”

Keiko seemed puzzled. “I don't understand...”

Smiling coyly, Taka shook his head. “I don't suppose you would. It's all right, don't worry about it. At least I managed to get Saki home for the holidays, right?”

Saki scowled, and Keiko laughed. “Yes, what a miracle that is!”

“I get it,” Saki growled playfully, “I'm never here most of the time.”

“Remember what I said,” Keiko reminded him. “I don't want you overexerting yourself again just because you think you need to.”

“I won't,” said Saki. “But I'm still expecting the restaurant to call me at any minute.”

Taka stood up. “I should be going. But I'll be back on Christmas Eve to deliver presents.”

“Will you be staying over that night?” Keiko asked.

“No,” Taka said, shaking his head. “I have some things that I need to do, so I'll have to go home. But I'll be back to celebrate with you all on Christmas Day.”

“What a shame,” said Keiko sadly. “But I suppose it can't be helped.”

Saki walked Taka to the door, and the boys said their goodbyes in the doorway. As Taka left, Keiko pulled Saki in for a one-armed hug.

“Don't you dare lose him, Saki,” she said. “No matter what it takes, you hang onto that boy, and never let go.”

Saki felt his face heat up. “What do you mean by that?”

“I just mean that he's an irreplaceable friend,” Keiko replied. “And I can see that he makes you very happy. So make sure you don't do anything to mess that up.”

“I won't,” Saki promised.

“You'd _better_ not!” Keiko said, ruffling Saki's hair. “Or you'll be sorry!”

***

On Christmas Eve came, Taka came over in the afternoon bearing fried chicken and Christmas cake, and after they ate, everyone sat under the kotatsu and ate oranges while they played games. Axl and Zer0 even had a match in Pavement Pounder, and it was pretty close, but eventually Axl managed to snag a win using a Spinning Bird Kick.

At some point, Michi started to yawn, so Saki asked if she wanted to go to bed.

“No,” she replied, “But if I don't, then Santa-san won't come, so I'll go to bed anyway.” And with this, she got to her feet, gave everyone a hug, and tottered off to bed.

“What a good girl!” said Keiko, “Going to bed even though she didn't want to.”

“I'm sure Santa-san will reward her for her good deeds,” said Taka, winking.

The next few hours were slow, and drifted by in a haze of tea and conversation. Keiko turned in after a while, and left the two boys to talk amongst themselves. Once Saki was certain Michi was asleep, he signaled Taka, who went and retrieved his presents from 'Santa-san' from the car.

As the two set the gifts under the tree, Taka regarded Saki with a thoughtful gaze, and Saki blushed slightly when he realized he was being watched.

“What is it?” he asked Taka.

“I was just thinking about when we first met,” Taka said. “You really seemed kind of unapproachable.”

“Ahh, I guess I did, huh,” said Saki, embarrassed. “I was so nervous that I probably came off that way.”

“Well, we all got used to each other eventually,” said Taka. “And now look at how close we all are! Sending each other emails on Christmas...planning to meet up and celebrate the new year...” He sighed. “Last year, I would never have imagined that it'd be like this.”

“I was pretty different last year too,” Saki admitted. “I was very closed-off, and felt like making friends was a hassle. I was so lost in my own head that I couldn't even tell when the people around me were reaching out their hands.”

“We all have our own problems,” said Taka. “You overcame a lot of them this year. Like when you panicked and hurt Netto.”

Saki looked away, ashamed, but Taka shook his head. “You had to learn that you didn't need to deal with everything all by yourself. And now look at you! At this rate, you'll be even better at Cross Fusion than Enzan or Laika!”

“Nah,” Saki replied, rubbing his neck sheepishly. “I'm only as good as I am because they were there to teach me.”

Taka reached out, and put his hand on Saki's arm gently. “Look, I get that you're humble, but you have to learn to accept compliments.” He smiled almost sadly. “Still, it's as if...” He paused, searching for the right words, “As if you came to understand something about yourself, and it made you stronger.” The boy's eyes grew distant. “I'm sure my time to wrestle with my inner demons will be soon. I only hope I'll be as successful as you were.”

“Honestly?” Saki replied, “I'm still wrestling with mine. It's a long process, you know. And you're a really strong person.” He cupped a hand over Taka's hand. “Stronger than anyone, even me, gives you credit for.”

Taka blushed slightly, and pulled his hand away. “Thank you,” he said softly. “That means a lot, coming from you.”

Saki turned his head to the side, feeling his face heat up. “Sure.” He pushed some hair behind his ear. “Now let's pretend I didn't just get sappy there, and move on with life.”

Taka gave a short laugh. “Okay,” he agreed.

The two awkwardly shuffled through the gifts after that, making sure all of them had been set down properly. Taka busied himself with stuffing the stockings, and Saki cleaned up all the dishes that had been used. When Saki was finished, Taka was waiting for him in the entryway, slipping on his coat and scarf with a regretful expression.

“Leaving then?” Saki asked.

“Yeah,” Taka said. “Gotta get some sleep before tomorrow.” He paused. “Big day and all.”

“Yeah,” Saki agreed.

The two stood in the tiny entryway, looking at each other. Saki had no clue what to say, but eventually he bent down and slipped on his shoes. Something inside of himself solidified, and at last he knew what he had to do.

Taka looked confused, but put his own boots on as Saki grabbed his threadbare jacket. Fully dressed, both boys walked outside into the chilly night air, and waited until they had reached Taka's car before speaking.

“The stars are really nice tonight,” Taka commented.

Saki looked up at the sky, where the stars shone fairly brightly, even as the clouds rolled in to blot them out.

“They're really beautiful,” Saki agreed.

Taka nodded. He leaned back against the car, just staring up at the stars almost wistfully. After a while, a feathery flake of snow drifted down, settling on Taka's cheek before melting. More flakes fell, and Saki lifted his hand to catch a few.

“It's snowing,” he said softly.

Taka smiled. “What a wonderful Christmas present.”

They watched the snow fall for a long while, until Saki couldn't stay silent anymore. “Why did you do it?” he asked Taka. “Why did you really do all of this for us?”

Sighing, Taka settled his weight on his arms, and looked up at the sky once more.

“The truth is, I kind of wanted to see your family all together once again,” Taka told him, his voice even and sad. “You're all so close, but you never really get the chance to sit down and be a family very often. You and Keiko-san work all the time...and Michi is growing up all alone. I...I'm a little scared for her. I want her to remember that both of you are always there for her, even if you aren't right there next to her every minute of the day.”

Saki stared at Taka, dumbfounded.

“She reminds me of myself...I loved my brother too, but he left and then there was no one there for me anymore. Just the vast expanse of space and my imagination to keep my company.” A soft breeze rustled Taka's hair, and Saki tightened his jacket around him to ward off the cold. “Me and Mamma...we aren't close anymore. And it's only a matter of time before I have to confront that.” He glanced at Saki. “And, when I do, I'll never be able to look at the stars with the same innocent wonder ever again.” There was a deep foreboding in his tone, and Saki shivered.

“So I wanted a happy memory before that happens. All of you...you've become my new family.” Taka grinned happily. “You let me in, and made me a part of your lives. You let me eat meals with you, and laugh with you, and shared your stories with me. I'm closer with all of you now than I am with Mamma.” His shoulders drooped. “This is just as much for me as it is for all of you.” He looked away, ashamed. “I guess I'm just as selfish as you thought I was, huh?”

Saki slowly shook his head. “No,” he said finally. “No, I think it makes you kinder than I ever imagined you could be.”

Taka stared at Saki with an expression of shock. Tears formed at the corners of his eyes, and he swiped them away with his gloved hands.

“Oh...” he whispered. “Oh dear...”

Saki stepped forward, and wiped at Taka's tears with his bare hands, a half formed smile on his lips. Taka lifted his face to look at Saki, and Saki could suddenly see into a dark depth in Taka he had only glimpsed before.

“Your heart is so kind,” he told Taka firmly. “You try not to show, but it bleeds for everyone, doesn't it?”

Taka nodded hesitantly, letting his cheek rest against Saki's hand. He blinked slowly, his lashes disturbing the tears that clung to his eyes, and Saki wiped them away with his thumbs.

After a long while, Taka finally lifted his own hands to pull Saki's away, and smiled bitterly. “I can't, not yet,” he said. “Maybe once this is over, I'll let you in a little bit more. But, for now, it's better that I don't.”

Saki's heart drooped, but he smiled anyway.

“I'll wait,” he said. “As long as it takes.”

Taka nodded. “Believe me when I say you are my dearest friend, Saki.”

Saki's heart sank further, but he refused to show it. “You're my dearest friend too, Taka.”

“There's something that I'll have to do soon,” Taka told Saki grimly. “And it might mean that...I might not be back for a long time. But I promise...I'll come back. No matter what it takes.”

With one last smile, Taka pulled away, and reached for the handle on the car door. Glancing back over his shoulder at Saki, he simply stared for a long time.

“I'll see you tomorrow,” he said at last.

“Tomorrow then,” Saki answered.

And then, without another word, Taka got into the car, closed the door, and drove away. Saki watched him go until the car had faded into the night and vanished, and for a long time after that he stared out into the murky winter night, hoping to see something he might have missed.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> _Fried chicken for Christmas? It's more likely than you think! In 1974, a viral marketing campaign by KFC popularized having fried chicken for Christmas. Nowadays, lots of families in Japan place their orders for chicken weeks in advance, and wait in long lines to pick it up. There's also Christmas cake, which isn't anything like a yule log or fruit cake. Instead, it's usually a sponge cake topped with fresh strawberries and whipped cream! It's also not considered a holiday from work, and most businesses continue to operate like normal, however schools are given the day off. The overall theme of Christmas in Japan is the idea of spreading happiness, and the holiday is especially popular with young couples, who often go on walks to look at Christmas lights or go to restaurants for a romantic meal (which is very difficult, since most restaurants are booked far in advance!)_


	39. Promises Made

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The holidays are anything but joyful for Taka, but he puts on a brave face nonetheless.

It was Christmas Eve, and Agent North was working. Behind the piles of paperwork on her desk, she poured over document after document, muttering under her breath. She raked a hand through her hair, and sighed loudly, leaning back in her seat.

“It's no good...” she murmured. “Without solid proof, I can't make any arrests. And the longer it takes, the harder it becomes to find evidence.”

Picking up her coffee cup, she made her way to the break room to refill it. As she waited for the coffee machine to finish, she looked up at the clock.

“It's already so late,” she said. “So much for having a merry Christmas.” She fished out her PET. “Maybe I should call someone...it's probably sometime in the afternoon back home, right?” Her fingers paused over her list of contacts. “Oh, but it's only the twenty-third for them...maybe I'll call tomorrow then.”

After refilling her cup, Agent North walked back towards her desk. “What a sad Christmas...” she said. “No one to share it with again this year. And no Santa to give me a gift either.” She took a sip of her coffee. “Not that he could even give me what I want anyway. What I'd really like for Christmas is the key to wrapping up this case. But it's not like that's going to just drop right into my lap...”

As she reached her desk, an officer approached her. 

“Agent North? There's someone here to see you,” he said.

Agent North looked surprised.

“He said it's really urgent,” the officer continued.

Setting down her coffee cup, Agent North walked briskly to the lobby. When she got there, the only one waiting was Taka.

“What are you doing here?” Agent North asked. “It's Christmas, you know. Shouldn't you be celebrating?”

Taka offered up a tired smile. “I actually have some things I'd like to discuss with you. Can we talk...somewhere private?” He paused. “Maybe somewhere _isolated_?”

A look of understanding flashed across Agent North's face. “Oh, of course!” she said. “Why don't you come with me?”

The two walked into the station, and Agent North led Taka to the room they had held the strategy meeting in. As Taka sat down at the table, Agent North took out her PET.

“I'm going to contact Enzan,” she said. “Can you wait until he gets here?”

Taka nodded.

Shutting the door behind her, Agent North typed a short email to Enzan. After she sent it, she stood in the hallway, waiting for a response. She didn't have to wait long. Her PET beeped, and she read the reply, which simply said, _I'm on my way_.

It only took Enzan fifteen minutes to arrive, and Agent North commented, “You didn't break any laws getting here, did you?”

“I took a helicopter,” Enzan explained. “Much faster then a car.”

“That would explain it,” said Agent North. “Anyway, let's get this over with so you can go back to whatever it was that you were doing.”

“I was working,” Enzan explained as he opened the door.

“Working on Christmas?” Agent North asked, sounding surprised. “I would have thought that you'd be at a party.”

“I'm getting dragged to my partner's house for Christmas tomorrow,” Enzan said. “That's as close to celebrating Christmas as I'm ever going to get.”

“Shame on you, Enzan,” scolded Taka playfully. “You should be spending Christmas Eve with Netto too!”

Enzan frowned. “What I do with my time is really none of your concern,” he said, sitting down at the table across from Taka.

Agent North shut the door, and took her place next to Enzan. Once they were all settled in, she addressed Taka in a polite tone. “What did you want to talk about, Wakahisa-kun?”

Whatever cheerful demeanor Taka had instantly vanished. His shoulders slumped, and his expression became haggard. He pulled something out of his pocket, and set it down on the table in front of Agent North.

“I found an opportunity to go through Mamma's computer,” he said in a tired voice. “Everything I could find I put on that flash drive.”

Agent North looked down at the flash drive on the table in front of her with wide eyes.

“It should be everything you need,” Taka continued. When he was finished talking, he stared off into the distance with a dazed expression.

Agent North got to her feet, quietly excused herself, and left the room. She returned a moment later with a laptop, and set it down on the table, opened it, and slotted the flash drive into one of its ports. Enzan got out of his chair, and leaned over her shoulder. After a moment, they both let out a small gasp.

“It's...it's all here,” Agent North said quietly. “Everything from the schedules of the factories she used, to the records of supply shipments, to the allocation of company funds. It's all here.”

“We've got her,” Enzan said excitedly.

Agent North looked at Taka with an expression of gratitude. “This is a tremendous piece of evidence. With this, I think we can secure a warrant for your mother's arrest.” She paused. “I know this must have been very hard for you to do...”

Taka nodded, and then seemed hesitant. He looked down at the table, and a moment later, he said, “Umm, there's...something else I want to tell you as well.”

“What is it?” Agent North asked.

Taka lifted his gaze again. “I...want to come clean...about my involvement in all of this.”

Enzan fixed his gaze on Taka, and slowly sat back down. Agent North closed the laptop, and folded her hands in front of her.

“We're listening,” she said.

Taka took a deep breath. “Umm...it all started some time last year,” he began. “Mamma had been acting...really funny for a long time before that, but then she got really strange. She started getting mad about all kinds of little things, and she'd yell at me without warning before apologizing right afterwards. I had a feeling that she was under a lot of stress, so I tried not to take any of it personally, but she just got worse and worse. She started spending more time at home and less time at the office, and shut herself up in her study, sometimes for weeks at a time.

“Then, one day earlier this year, she told me that she was going to use her connections to get me into the Cross Fusion program. She said some stuff about how it would be useful for later in life, when I started applying to NAXA, but I kind of suspected that she was just making excuses. Sure enough, after I was accepted, she started asking me to steal information from the Ministry of Science's database. It was little things at first: information on security systems, data on creating chips, PET schematics. But eventually the things she was asking for got more and suspicious.”

Enzan nodded. “From what I was able to gather, you access quite a lot of sensitive information, including data on both the Synchro Chips and the Dark Chips, information regarding the Dimensional Converters, and all of the data that was gathered during the Super Cybeast incident.”

“Yeah,” Taka replied. “I also...uhh...looked into a few things I was curious about. Mostly some stuff on ancient civilizations. Sorry about that.”

Enzan sighed. “So you claim that your mother asked you to steal this information for her?”

“Yes,” Taka replied.

“What was she using the information for?” Agent North asked.

Taka fidgeted. “I...I dunno. I assume it was probably related to the Sigma Chips.”

Enzan tapped his fingers. “It would make sense. Everything you mentioned lines up with what we know about the Sigma Chips and Vava's use of the Dimensional Converters.”

“Did you suspect that your mother was involved at that point?” Agent North asked.

“I suspected that she was involved in _something_ , I just didn't know _what_ ,” Taka clarified. “I kept doing what she asked because I was scared that she might get hurt otherwise.”

Agent North frowned. “'Might get hurt'? What do you mean?”

Taka hesitated. “Well...there were a few times when I overheard her talking to someone, and she always seemed really agitated.” He tugged on his bangs. “The little snatches of conversation that I could make out made me think that she was fighting with this person over an agreement of some kind...”

Agent North looked at Enzan. “Could Wakahisa-san have been working for someone else?” she asked.

Enzan frowned. “If that's true, then this would get a lot more complicated.”

Agent North looked at Taka again. “Can you tell me anything else about this other person your mother was talking to?”

A shadow passed over Taka's face. “Y-yeah, I can.” He took a deep breath before continuing.

“About three weeks ago, I overheard a conversation Mamma was having with this other person. It was really early in the morning, and I was going downstairs to get some water, when I heard voices from her study. I crept down the hall, and stood near the door, and I suddenly realized that she was talking to someone, probably over video call. She did that for work a lot, but I didn't recognize the voice of the person she was talking to.”

“Could you see anything?” Agent North asked.

“No,” Taka admitted.

“Do you remember anything about the voice you heard?” Enzan asked. “Were they younger or older? A man or a woman?”

Taka frowned. “Umm, they had a pretty androgynous voice...but they sounded like they were younger...I think. It's hard to explain.”

Enzan waved his hand. “That's okay.”

“There was...something else,” Taka said. “This person's voice...it felt really cold and sharp, like their words were knives. It made the hair on the back of my neck stand up.”

“They don't sound like a nice person,” Agent North said.

“They aren't,” Taka replied bluntly. “The things they said were downright villainous.”

Agent North leaned in a little. “Can you tell me what they talked about?”

Taka nodded. “Mamma was saying that she had done what she'd been asked to do, but that she didn't really understand what their intention was.” Taka paused. “This other person—Mamma called them 'Lumine'–told her that it wasn't something that she needed to worry about, and then everything was finally in place.”

“'Lumine'...?” Agent North muttered. “It's not a name I'm familiar with.”

“Was Lumine specific about _what_ was in place?” Enzan asked.

“Kind of,” Taka said. “They said that the Sigma Chips had done their job, and that it didn't matter that Vava was dead because he'd 'fulfilled his purpose'. Lumine also said, 'I told Vava that if he was ever caught, he should just kill himself'.”

Agent North made a face. “It sounds like Lumine doesn't really care for the people they employ.”

“Lumine then asked Mamma if she was ready to take the final step, and she sounded hesitant,” Taka went on. “She asked Lumine...” Here, Taka's voice wavered. “She asked Lumine why they needed me for their plan...and Lumine said that I was 'the key'.”

“'The key'?” Enzan asked with a puzzled expression.

Taka shook his head. “I don't know what that means. But Mamma seemed really upset that I was involved. Lumine told her that they'd done everything they had promised to do, and that she needed to keep her end of the bargain, or he wouldn't 'reunite her with her dead son'.”

Agent North looked horrified. “What does that mean? They can't mean bringing back the dead! That's impossible!”

Taka ran a hand through his hair. “I...I don't know. I'm just repeating what they told Mamma. I don't know what they meant by it.”

“Was there anything else?” Enzan asked.

For a moment, Taka stared at Enzan with a terrified expression, but didn't speak. When he did, his voice was strained.

“After a bit, Lumine told Mamma that she needed to be more careful about making sure no one was spying on her,” he said. “And then he said, 'Isn't that right, Taka?'”

The room fell dead silent. Slowly, Agent North looked at Enzan, who glanced back, and then looked back at Taka again, but no one said a word for a long time.

“When Lumine said that...Mamma got up,” Taka continued. “She opened the door wider, and just stood in the doorway, looking around. I was standing behind the door and tried not to make any noise at all.” He took a shaking breath. “I don't know why she didn't look behind the door...I'm lucky that she didn't. After a minute, she closed the door all the way, and I heard her say, 'Don't scare me like that, Lumine'. In response, Lumine just laughed, and said, 'You never know. After all, he lives in the same house as you.' At that point, I ran back to my room as silently as I could, and didn't come out again for the rest of the night.”

Agent North's hands shook. “Are you saying that _somehow_ Lumine knew that you were there, listening in?”

Taka nodded gravely. “I am. That's why I wanted to have this conversation in this room.”

“Do you think they planted a bug on you somehow?” Enzan asked.

“It's possible,” Taka said. “But I've checked everything I own, and never found anything. I even took my PET apart, but it didn't have anything wrong with it either.”

Agent North frowned, and crossed her arms. “Maybe the house is bugged?”

“That's also possible,” Taka said. “But I'm home a lot, and I've never noticed anything strange before.”

“How did you manage to get this data then, if you're being monitored?” Agent North asked.

“Mamma had a charity function that she had to attend tonight,” Taka explained. “I quickly copied her hard drive once she'd left the house, and came straight over.” Taka bit his lip. “I'd have been here sooner, but I had important things to do earlier.”

Enzan folded his hands. “Let's review what we know. The data Taka recovered from Wakahisa-san's computer proves that she was the one organizing the manufacturing and distribution of the Sigma Chips. We know that someone else is involved, and Wakahisa-san might be answering to them. It's also likely that she's being coerced by this third party. If we manage to arrest her, she might tell us about Lumine, and that would help us arrest them too.”

Agent North looked at Taka. “How likely is it that she'll notice you stole her information?”

“Very likely,” Taka said. “I was in a hurry, and I probably wasn't able to clean up all the traces of me being in her files. And if Lumine has me under surveillance, then they'd probably tell her what I did.”

“Then we're in a race against time,” said Enzan. “We need that warrant immediately.”

“Thank you for coming to us with this information,” Agent North told Taka. “We'll do everything in our power to make sure that Wakahisa-san is arrested, and that you'll be protected.”

Taka frowned. “Does that mean you're going to put me into protective custody?”

“Naturally,” said Agent North.

Taka shook his head. “If it's all the same to you, I'd rather not.”

Enzan looked confused. “Why not?”

“It's just that I have some important things to take care of tomorrow,” said Taka. “And I really can't leave them unfinished.”

“Surely they aren't more important than your own safety!” argued Agent North.

“Of course they are!” Taka retorted. “They're of the utmost importance!”

Enzan sighed. “What, if I may ask, is so important that you'd risk your own safety to do it?”

Taka smiled. “I have to deliver presents to Saki and his family, of course! Oh, and there's going to be a big meal and a party after we open our gifts!”

Enzan massaged his temple. “I have issues with your priorities.”

“I'm afraid you'll have to give those gifts another time,” said Agent North. “Your safety is far more important. We're going to move you to a safe location, and you'll be under guard until we're certain that you're no longer in any danger.”

“I don't want to go to some remote place and be forced to sit in some dark room surrounded by heavily armed strangers,” Taka whined. “I want to stay with Saki and his family instead!”

“But that's a terrible idea,” argued Agent North. “Not only is it in an unsecured location, there are all kinds of civilians around. Do you really want to risk your friend and his family getting hurt?”

Taka crossed his arms. “No. But I also don't want to go to a safe house.”

Agent North and Enzan sighed, and Taka's expression became more serious.

“The truth is, I'm pretty sure that Lumine could find me no matter where I went. It's really only a matter of time before I get captured...or worse.” He looked at the table. “So I'd much rather spend whatever time I have left with the people I really care about, if it's all the same to you.”

“But we can protect you!” Agent North insisted. “The police are trained for this kind of thing!”

“Of course they are,” Taka replied. “But who knows what Lumine or Mamma might do. We still don't know how the Sigma Chips work, or even why they were made in the first place, and we don't know anything about Lumine or what he wants either.” He gave Enzan a pleading look. “I can't shake the feeling that I won't be able to escape, no matter what I do.”

“You don't know that for sure,” Enzan said.

“Look, I'm going to go get a warrant,” Agent North said, getting out of her chair. “Wakahisa-kun, you're going to stay here until I get back, do you understand?”

“Yes ma'am,” said Taka.

“If we're lucky, we can make our move tonight,” Agent North continued. “I'm pretty confident that once I show the judge all of the evidence, he'll hand me the warrant right then and there. Once we have Wakahisa-san in custody, we can ask her about Lumine, and capture them too.”

“I'm going with you,” Enzan said. “I need to see this through to the end.”

Agent North looked uncertain. “Are you sure? I'd much rather that the adults were the ones to finish this.”

“I'm too stubborn to give up now,” Enzan replied. “I won't stop until I see those responsible punished for their crimes. Please, this is something I have to do.”

Agent North sighed, and put her hands on her hips. “I've worked with you long enough to know that you won't take no for an answer.” She shook her head. “I can't stop you, so I might as well try to protect you.”

“I'm coming too!” said Taka.

“No you aren't,” Agent North retorted.

“Yes, I am!” Taka said. “I have a key to the house, and Mamma would never hurt me so I might even be able to talk her down if things get bad.” He gave Agent North a pleading look. “I know I can't change the fact that I'm partially responsible for all of this, but if I can help, even a little bit, then I want to try!”

Slowly, Agent North's expression softened, and her shoulders slumped in defeat.

“You kids are gonna be the death of me yet,” she muttered. “But you make a good point. As long as you don't do anything reckless, you can come with us.”

“Yes!” Taka cheered.

“But I want to make it _abundantly_ clear that you need to follow my instructions the whole time,” she continued in a stern tone. “The instant I think things are too dangerous, I'm going to have an officer escort you to safety.”

“I'll be careful!” Taka promised.

Agent North pulled the flash drive out of the computer, and tucked the laptop under her arm. “I'm off to go secure a warrant. Wakahisa-kun, stay here until I get back.”

Taka nodded.

***

The APB went in the early hours of the morning. Police were sent to the location of the fundraiser that Tsukiko had supposedly gone to that evening, but weren't able to locate her. Hoping to catch Tsukiko before she attempted an escape, Agent North and Commissioner Manabe went to the Wakahisa residence with a team of armed officers.

Agent North followed Manabe to the front door, with Enzan right behind her, holding Taka's hand. Taka looked pale and terrified, and he clutched Enzan's hand with all of his strength. In response, Enzan gave Taka's hand a light squeeze. 

“Don't worry,” he said, “We'll arrest her quickly, and make sure she isn't harmed.”

Taka didn't seem convinced. “It's not going to be so easy...”

“I never imagined that it would be,” replied Agent North.

“She can't escape,” Manabe told Taka. “We have the house surrounded. Her bank accounts are being monitored, and there's a warrant out for her arrest. She won't be able to leave the country without us knowing about it.” The officer checked her gun to make sure it was loaded before she continued forward. “I'm confident we'll find her.”

Taka didn't answer, but it was clear he was still not convinced.

Manabe paused at the front door, and motioned with her head for Taka to open it. Taka obediently stepped forward and used his key to open the door, even though his fingers trembled as he did so.

Everyone held their breath as Taka pushed the door open. It creaked loudly, and the sound was almost ominous in the deafening silence.

“I'm home,” Taka called into the silent darkness, but there was no response.

Slowly, Manabe advanced into the darkness of the house, her gun drawn and pointed ahead of her. Enzan took Taka by the hand once more, and Agent North followed the boys inside. Three officers brought up the rear, and together the group moved into the entryway.

“Hello?” Taka called into the darkness. “Mamma? Are you home?”

The officers all approached the side rooms, and checked them to make sure they were clear. Once Manabe saw their signals, she turned to Taka, and asked him, “Where in the house would your mother most likely be?”

“Upstairs,” Taka said in a shaky voice. “Probably in her study. It's on the left end of the hall when you go up the stairs.”

The group slowly advanced through the house, traveling up the staircase and down the hall until they reached the study. The officers trained their guns on the door, and Manabe slowly reached for the handle. Taka's grip on Enzan's hand tightened.

With one motion, Manabe threw open the door and pulled her gun back up to face height, expecting to have to defend herself. But the study was empty. Nothing seemed to be out of place and the only sound in the room was the soft hiss of static from the terminal on the desk. Manabe lowered her gun slightly.

“Check the other rooms,” she instructed the officers.

Taka clung to Enzan's arm, clearly afraid. “She's gone,” he muttered. “I knew it.”

“It's okay,” said Agent North. “We're going to find her.”

Enzan turned to address Manabe. “Wakahisa-san must not have come home from the charity function.”

“It's possible that she came and left,” said Manabe. “We'll have to do a thorough search of the house.”

“Mamma's room is at the end of this hall,” said Taka.

Manabe nodded. “I'll search there. Agent North, can you check the other bedrooms?”

“Of course,” said Agent North, who put a comforting hand on Taka's shoulder.

“Blues, secure the Network,” said Enzan.

“Understood,” said Blues.

“I'll go with him!” said Axl. “Besides, I know all of Tsukiko-san's passwords, and they're going to need those.”

“Good idea,” said Taka.

Slowly, Agent North made her way down the right-hand hallway, gun at the ready. She slowly opened the first door, and looked inside.

“Clear,” she said after a moment, and then paused. “Oh, this room...”

Taka nodded. “This was my older brother's room...back when he was alive, I mean.” He looked around at the fine layer of dust that lay on everything, including the floor. “Mamma refuses to change anything about it.”

Agent North didn't say anything, and simply closed the door.

“You're not going to check it?” Enzan asked.

“No,” said Agent North. “The dust on the floor hasn't been disturbed. She's not in here. And besides, I get the feeling that she treats this room like some kind of...shrine. I doubt that she'd go in here.”

“I see,” said Enzn quietly.

“My room is next,” said Taka. “You have my permission to check the whole thing.”

“Sorry about this,” said Agent North apologetically, and opened the door to Taka's room. After a moment, she glanced at Taka with a curious expression. “Ahh...when was the last time you cleaned in here?”

Taka looked embarrassed. “I don't pick up as often as I should.”

The floor of Taka's room was littered with crumpled balls of paper, stacks of magazines and manga, and a few pieces of dirty clothes. Agent North grumbled as she checked every corner of the room. “Ugh, there's dirty dishes over here! At least rinse them off in the sink!”

“This isn't the time to worry about that!” Taka snapped.

She threw open Taka's closet. “Wow...this is big enough to be its own room.”

“She's obviously not in there,” said Enzan. “Can we move on?”

“Right, right,” said Agent North, shutting the closet door. “Sorry.”

The only other room they had to search was the bathroom, and Agent North quickly declared that it was empty. She gave the windows a little rattle to make sure that they were closed properly, and sighed.

“She's definitely not in the house then.”

“The question now is 'did she come back to the house at all'?” Enzan furrowed his brow. “Or did she know ahead of time, and have an escape already planned?”

As the group walked down the hall towards Tsukiko's bedroom, Manabe exited the room, shaking her head.

“Any luck?” asked Agent North.

“It's clear that she packed in a hurry,” said Manabe. “It's more than likely that she came back to the house, quickly packed a bag, and bolted.”

Taka's expression fell.

“That means that she couldn't have gone far,” said Agent North.

“Alert the local authorities,” Manabe said to one of the officers. “Make sure we lock down any way in and out of Densan, no matter how small. We can't afford to lose her if she has a head start on us!” 

Agent North turned to Taka with a gentle expression. “I know this is hard for you right now, but can you tell us where Wakahisa-san might try to run to?”

“Anywhere at all you can think of,” added Enzan. “Even if you don't think it's very helpful.”

Taka hesitated. “She's from Kingland originally,” he began. “But I don't think she'd go back there. We're not in touch with Mamma's family, and I think she said once that she wasn't on speaking terms with Grandma.”

“She probably didn't go there then,” Enzan mused. “Anywhere else?”

“She had business partners in Amerope,” Taka offered. “But I don't know if she'd go there. Knowing her, she wouldn't want to risk the security at the airports.”

“We'll contact them anyway,” Manabe promised. “Any lead is worth the call.”

Taka nodded. “More than likely she'd run to the beach house, or possibly to somewhere else in the country that she's familiar with. She's very careful about having money on her at all times, just in case something happens, so she might not use her bank account.”

“Tatadohama—and Izu in general—is pretty remote,” said Enzan. “If she made it out there, it might be hard to track her.”

“She'd have to get on a train first,” said Manabe. “If she did, someone saw her. Don't worry, we're going to find her.” She turned to Taka. “Now, about you, Wakahisa-kun...”

Taka grimaced. “I know, you want me to go into protective custody.”

“That's right,” said Manabe.

Taka shook his head. “I already told Agent North that I don't want to.”

Manabe seemed shocked. “But we can't guarantee your safety if you don't.”

Taka sighed. “It's only a matter of time before she comes for me. I'd rather be close to Saki and his family until that happens.” He looked at Enzan. “Besides, chasing her around is probably just a waste of time and energy. It'd be much easier to catch her when she does try to take me.”

Enzan eyes widened. “You're going to use yourself as a decoy? I can't agree to that!”

“I'm all you have right now!” Taka insisted. “I already know that Mamma will come back for me at some point. I'm important to this plan of Lumine's, remember?” He gave Agent North a firm look. “It's your job to stop whatever her and Lumine still plan on doing.”

Agent North, Manabe and Enzan all traded looks. Finally, Manabe sighed. “I'll see what I can do in terms of a watch,” she told Taka. “I'm not going to just leave you without protection.”

A small smile crossed Taka's face. “Thank you, Manabe-san!”

“But if I think for even a moment that it's too dangerous, I'm putting you in a safe house!” Manabe warned.

“We still have to discuss this with the Tanakas as well,” said Agent North. “We need to explain the risks to them, and get their permission before we can allow you to stay there.”

“I'm sure Keiko-san will be okay with it,” said Taka. “She's always saying that she wants to adopt me, and that she'd beat up anyone who was mean to me.”

“Hey Taka?” Axl's voice interrupted the conversation. “Me and Blues were going over some of the data in Tsukiko-san's computer, and we found something interesting.”

“What did you find?” Agent North asked.

“It's a fragmented message,” Axl explained. “I think she tried to delete it, but I managed to piece it back together...mostly. Enough to figure out what it said, at least.”

“It seems to be a warning,” said Blues. “Someone informed Wakahisa-san that she would be in danger, and to flee immediately.”

“There's no specific location listed,” Axl went on. “And when I tried to pinpoint the IP it came from, the signal got bounced around through eighty different servers.”

“The message was more than likely from Lumine,” Agent North said. “We suspected that this might happen.”

“Lumine is obviously skilled at covering their tracks,” said Enzan. “Pinning down their location will prove difficult.”

“That just means it's more important than ever to find Wakahisa-san, and make her tell us everything she knows about Lumine,” said Agent North.

Taka slowly backed away from everyone else. “Well, I guess I need to pack an overnight bag then...” He grinned. “Oh, and, can you possibly hold off talking to the Tanakas until after Christmas? I don't want the bad mood to ruin their holidays, you know?”

Manabe made a face. “Legally, I can't do that.”

“Look, if I'm seen walking around with an armed guard, it's gonna look suspicious,” said Taka. “And the goal is _not_ to draw attention to me, right? Instead, you could have a small group of highly trained specialists keep watch from the building across the street, and maybe one of them—the military nut maybe—could pretend to be a classmate, and—”

Enzan gently smacked Taka on the back of the head. “Stop confusing reality and fiction.”

Agent North sighed. “I'd like nothing more than to force you to go to a safe house, but the law says that you have to go willingly.” She pursed her lips. “But I still don't want to leave you unprotected.”

“Neither do I,” said Manabe. “I'll make sure to set up lookouts in the surrounding area. But I need you to _stay inside_ as much as possible, and don't do anything that might draw suspicion. Understood?”

Taka gave Manabe a mock salute. “Yes, Ma'am!” he said, and then ran off to his room.

“I'll keep an eye on him,” said Enzan. “Let me know if anything happens.”

When Enzan got to the door of Taka's room, he saw the boy shoving clothes into a backpack.

“Hey,” he said, leaning against the door frame. “You don't have to put up a brave front, you know.”

“I don't know what you're talking about,” said Taka.

Enzan paused for a moment. “Are you really okay with acting as a decoy to lure Wakahisa-san out?”

Taka stopped shoving clothes into his backpack for a moment. He looked up at Enzan, and then back down at his bag.

“Of course I'm not okay,” he said at last. “I'm terrified.” He ran a hand through his hair. “But the thing is...I've had this creeping dread for months now...this feeling of inevitability. It's like no matter what I do, I can't escape.” He turned to look at Enzan with a miserable expression. “Three weeks ago...when I overheard that conversation...when Lumine said my name, I felt it...it was like they were in that room, like they'd turned to look straight at me, like they'd grinned at me with the coldest smile imaginable. In that moment, I felt inescapable dread. I knew in my heart that I could never really escape. And even if I tried, Lumine would just slowly and methodically snuff out everything and anyone that I ever loved, one by one. I felt all of that, all in one single moment.” Tears gathered at the corners of his eyes, and he clenched his fists. “Can you even imagine what that's like, Enzan?”

Slowly, Enzan shook his head.

Taka's shoulders drooped. “I'm so tired, Enzan...all I want to do is spend what little time I have left with the people I care about the most.”

“You talk like you're going to die,” said Enzan.

Lifting his face, Taka looked at Enzan with a tired expression. “I probably will.”

The two boys fell silent, and Taka went back to packing his bag. After a moment, Enzan came over, and awkwardly started trying to help.

“Hey, Enzan?” Taka asked. “Do you hate me?”

Enzan looked at Taka with a confused expression. “In regards to what?”

Taka tugged on his bangs. “Well, I mean, I was a spy, and it's my fault that the Sigma Chips exits. If I hadn't given Mamma that information, then...”

Enzan shrugged. “She would have gotten a hold of it, one way or another.”

“That's true,” Taka said, nodded slowly. 

“The truth is, me and Netto knew about you snooping around in the archives for months,” Enzan said. “We chose to look the other way because we felt that you would explain yourself eventually.”

“Oh.” Taka scratched the back of his head. “Umm, sorry for not coming forward sooner.”

With a tug, Taka zipped the backpack closed, and then looked at Enzan.

“At first, I wasn't trying to make friends with anyone,” he admitted. “I thought I'd only have to do what Mamma wanted for a little while, and then I would leave and it wouldn't matter. But...everyone was really nice and Cross Fusion was really fun, and I felt myself starting to get attached...” His voice wavered. “I really admire you. You always hold yourself so confidently and face everything head-on. You live with so much conviction. And yet, here I am, jumping from one thing to the next, desperately trying to distract myself from the fact that I'll never be able to fill my brother's shoes. And when I finally got to talk to you face-to-face, I realized that we weren't so different. You were just as unsure of things as I was, and you're always struggling to maintain an image that was bigger than you are. It made me realize that you were human, just like I was.” He smiled. “I know we're not really friends or anything, but...it means a lot to me that you took the time to get to know me.”

“What are you talking about?” Enzan asked. “Of course we're friends.”

“Huh?” Taka asked, surprised.

“I wouldn't drag myself out to the middle of nowhere for just anyone,” Enzan explained. “And you modeled with me, you and Saki both.” He paused. “I think the two of you are very talented, by the way, but don't tell Saki, it'll only make his ego swell.”

Taka giggled. “I won't.”

Enzan cleared his throat. “Right, where was I? Oh right.” He gave Taka a serious expression. “Taka, you're one of the strongest people I know. Even when you're ready to break, you still put on a smile, and quietly support everyone else in their times of need. As I got to know you, I started to realize how kind you really were. And...just like how you admire me, I admire you. You live unabashedly, joyfully declaring how much you love something without fear of judgment from others.”

“It's okay to like things, Enzan,” Taka said.

“I know,” said Enzan. “Netto is always pestering me to be more open about my hobbies, but I'm still too shy to do so.” He sighed. “And besides, I don't have anything that I'm truly passionate about in the same way you are about fashion. B-but I do enjoy a good puzzle game every now and then...” Enzan's cheeks flushed slightly, and he looked away.

Taka grinned. “How unexpected! I always assumed that you liked role playing games.”

“I prefer the satisfaction of solving a difficult puzzle,” Enzan said.

“I've got all kinds of puzzle games that you can borrow!” Taka said. “Are you a fan of the Brave Barrister series? Or maybe you're more of an Inspector Peyton sort!”

“I do like the Brave Barrister series,” Enzan replied. “Wasn't there a crossover game?”

“Yes, it's so good!” Taka cried excitedly. “Here, let me go grab it! You can borrow it for a while.” He rummaged through his room and pulled a game box out of one of his shelves, which he held out towards Enzan with a grin.

Enzan's expression became serious again. Rather than taking the game box out of Taka's hands, he reached up, and clasped Taka's shoulders.

“Taka,” he said, “I won't let anything happen to you. I'll make sure that you stay safe, so that we can talk about this game together when I bring it back. Understand?”

Taka's eyes filled up with tears, and they spilled down his cheeks as he threw his arms around Enzan and bawled loudly. Enzan patted Taka's back comfortingly.

“I'm not going to let anyone hurt you,” Enzan whispered. “Not Lumine, not your own mother...I'll stop all of them, no matter what.”

“Don't do anything dangerous!” Taka said, his voice muffled by Enzan's shirt. “There are people who would be really upset if you didn't come home. You have to promise to stay safe. You have to stay safe, _no matter what_!”

“I promise,” Enzan replied. “But you have to promise me that you'll do the same.”

Taka sniffled. “I...I promise.”

“Good,” said Enzan, patting Taka's head. “Now, let's get you ready.”

***

“He came, he came! Big brother, look! Santa-san came!”

Saki smiled and nodded, playing along. The little girl rummaged through the presents, separating them into piles according to who they were addressed to. Without surprise, Michi's pile was the biggest.

Saki sat down at the table, and Keiko poured her son a cup of tea, and he accepted it gratefully.

“You look tired,” she said.

“I am,” Saki admitted. “I was awake all night, thinking about things.” He sipped his tea.

“What kind of things?” Keiko asked, leaning in.

“Mostly about...some things that me and Taka talked about last night,” Saki admitted. “He seems like he's in a bad place emotionally, and I want to help him, but I'm struggling with my own feelings right now.”

“Ahh,” said Keiko. “I see.”

Michi placed Saki's small pile of presents in front of him, and Saki smiled at her. “Thank you!” he said, and she grinned back, fidgeting excitedly. Saki could tell Michi was holding herself back, just the smallest bit, if only to maintain the facade of maturity her tender eight years allowed her.

“May I open my presents now?” Michi asked.

Keiko smiled. “Go ahead, Michi. We'll wait until you're done.”

Michi tore into her first present with barely contained squeals of glee. Saki hid his grin behind his teacup as he watched her uncover each of her wish list items, one by one. A new pair of shoes. A small stack of battle chips to practice with. A book she had secretly had her eye on for some time now. 

Michi looked as if she was about to cry, and Saki pulled her into a warm hug. Through her tears, Michi laughed, and said, “Thank you. This is the best Christmas ever.”

“You deserve it,” Saki told her, brushing some hair out of her face.

Michi wiped at her face with her sleeves, and then grinned. “Open your presents now, big brother!”

“Oh, Mom should open hers first,” Saki teased. “I can wait a little bit longer, I think.”

Keiko simply laughed, and picked up a small box. She shook it carefully, and seemed puzzled by it.

“Hmm. I wonder what this could be...”

She slowly pulled the wrapping off the box, and lifted the lid. Michi squirmed excitedly.

“What is it, Mamma, what is it?!” she asked.

Keiko set the lid down on the table, and pulled a small bottle out of the box. “This is...” She examined the bottle in her hands carefully. “Oh, it's an herbal remedy for pain. How thoughtful.”

Saki tried to suppress a grin, and failed. “My, I wonder how Santa knew about that?”

“I told him!” Michi exclaimed, throwing her hands in the air.

Keiko laughed. “Well, that was sweet of you, Michi. Thank you for telling Santa about my bad leg!”

Michi laughed, and jumped into Saki's lap. “Your turn, big brother! No escape now!

Saki sighed. “Okay, okay, you win!” He reached for one of the gifts, and gave it a shake. It made a little noise, like something moving inside a box. He suppressed another grin.

_I bet I know what this is..._

Pulling the wrapping off in a swift motion, Saki popped the lid on the box, and found a new pair of shoes inside.

“They look like my old ones!” Saki laughed. “No one will ever know the difference!”

Michi giggled. “Your old ones look like they're going to fall apart.”

“Yeah, they sure do,” Saki agreed. He set the shoe box aside, and turned his attention to the second gift. “Hmm, this one doesn't make noise. And it's soft. Wonder what it could be...”

“Open it!” Michi chirped.

Saki flicked the wrapping paper open with one hand, and peeled it back to reveal a pair of jeans. He laughed.

“You don't like my jeans, Michi?!” Saki asked.

“No!” Michi replied. “They have patches everywhere, and they're falling apart!”

“They have been mended a few times,” Keiko agreed. “And you're still growing! Having new clothes is a good thing.”

“That's true,” Saki said.

After that, the three of them had breakfast, and then Michi rooted around in her stocking to see what it contained. Saki was about to boil more tea in the kitchen, when he heard his PET beep. When he checked it, there was an email from Taka that simply read, _Come outside_.

“Taka's here,” Saki commented. “He wants me to come outside.”

“I'll make the tea,” Keiko offered, getting to her feet.

Saki walked to the entryway to put on his coat and shoes, and then poked his head outside. Taka was waiting by the car, a small pile of boxes in his hands. His hair, usually pulled back and out of his face, was loose and fell to his shoulders. He wore a dark coat and green striped scarf, and his headphones were strangely absent, which made Saki concerned, since the boy was usually never without them.

Saki shuffled through the fresh snow over to Taka. “This is a new look for you.”

Taka smiled back. “Wanted to give off a more mature vibe.”

Saki nodded slowly. “It's a good look on you,” he said. “But I don't think you have to try so hard.”

Taka chuckled.

Saki nodded to the boxes in Taka's hands. “Who are those for? Surely not us. We already opened all the gifts you gave us.”

“Those were from Santa-san,” Taka informed Saki with a sly smirk. “These are from me to you. Michi's and Keiko's gifts are still in the car.”

Saki blinked. “For...me?” He seemed overwhelmed. “No, I—”

“Please,” Taka insisted, placing the boxes in Saki's hands. “I spent a great deal of time on this, and I want to see your face when you open it.”

“You want me to open them _right now_?” Saki asked.

“Yes, right now!” Taka replied.

Saki thought about it for a moment, and then stepped over to the trunk of the car so he could set the boxes down and open them one by one. He looked back at Taka, feeling bewildered, and Taka simply nodded to him encouragingly.

“Go on,” he said.

After a moment's hesitation, Saki pulled the ribbon on the first box free, and slid the lid off. As he saw what was inside, he froze up, unable to do more than stare at it in shock.

“I hope it's your size,” Taka said. “I had to try to remember your measurements, and play the size charts that way.” He paused. “If it doesn't fit, or you don't like it—”

“No,” Saki said, looking at Taka as tears stung the corners of his eyes. “No I...I'm really flattered.” He ran his hands over the suede coat he'd admired several days before. “It's perfect.”

Taka smiled.

Saki paused here, as if considering what to do next. He opened a smaller box this time, and was greeted to a pair of leather gloves.

“They let you work the PET's touch screens still,” Taka explained. “I have a pair myself. They're amazing.”

When Saki pulled off the wrapping paper of the next gift, he recognized it as a shoe box. He gave Taka a puzzled look, and said, “You already bought me a pair of shoes.”

“Just open it,” Taka insisted.

Saki did as he was told, and inside he found a pair of warm-looking boots.

“That's so you don't have to ruin your new shoes in the snow,” Taka told him. “The boots are much better.”

Leaning on the car, Saki felt overwhelmed. “This is all too much...”

“There's one more part,” Taka told him. “C'mon, you can do it! You're almost there!”

Saki bit his lip, and opened the last box. Inside was a cream-colored scarf.

“I gave everyone a scarf, actually,” Taka admitted. “Netto's was blue. Enzan's was yellow. I dropped them off on my way over.”

“I...I don't know what to say,” Saki admitted, swiping at his eyes with the sleeve of his coat.

“Don't say anything,” Taka told him. “Just accept it.” He smiled, and added, “This way, I don't have to worry about you freezing to death on your way to work.”

After a long pause, Saki reached out and pulled Taka in a firm hug. Taka tensed at first, but after a moment he relaxed and patted Saki's back.

“Thank you...” Saki whispered. “I can't thank you enough. I owe you so much.”

“You don't owe me anything,” Taka told him kindly. “You've already given me everything I've ever needed.”

They pulled apart, and Saki smiled at Taka. “Why don't we go inside? Mom's making another pot of tea.”

“That sounds nice,” said Taka. “You take those presents in first, and I'll get the rest out of the car.”

Carefully, Saki carried the stack of boxes up the stairs, and after a little bit of careful juggling he managed to get the front door open. When he walked through the door, Michi had already come to greet him.

“Wow, look at all those presents!” Michi said with wide eyes. “Are they all from Taka-kun?”

“They sure are!” Saki said.

“What did you get?” Keiko asked, her eyes sparkling.

“He bought me a whole new winter wardrobe,” Saki laughed. “A coat, some gloves, new boots, a scarf...he went all-out.”

“I wanna see!” Michi cheered excitedly.

“Later,” Saki told her as he set his gifts down. “Taka's bringing in the rest of the gifts, and I'm sure he'll want to see your reaction.”

Michi hopped up and down excitedly. “I wonder what he got me? I want to know!”

“Merry Christmas!” Taka called as he entered the apartment. “I come bearing gifts!”

With a squeal, Michi ran to meet Taka, and threw her arms around his waist. Taka laughed.

“Guess what?” Michi asked Taka. 

“What?” Taka answered.

“Santa-san came!” Michi said happily. “He brought me everything I asked for!”

“That's great!” said Taka. “That means he got my email!”

“Did you get everything you asked for?” Michi asked.

Taka's gaze softened. “I sure did,” he replied.

After Michi had released him from her hug, Taka made his way into the front room, and set down the boxes he'd been carrying before handing them out. Michi was given a fairly large box, and Keiko got a smaller one.

Keiko shook her box gently. “Wonder what this is...” she murmured, and opened it to find a beautiful necklace and matching pair of earrings. “Oh--!” Keiko breathed. “They're stunning!” Her eyes welled up. “This is...just too much...”

Taka smiled. “They're for you to wear on your dates, so you feel as beautiful as you truly are.”

Keiko put a hand to her mouth, and tried not to cry. After a moment, she shuffled over to Taka and hugged him tightly.

“You're so thoughtful,” she murmured.

As they slowly pulled apart, Michi opened her box. She looked inside, and her eyes widened with shock.

“It's a new PET!” she said.

“What?” Saki asked. “Really?”

Keiko leaned over to see inside the box. “It is! And it's been customized and everything!”

Michi pulled out the purple PET, and looked at it from every angle. Saki could tell that every last detail had been done with Michi in mind. She giggled with excitement.

“I hope you like it!” Taka said. “I talked it over with Enzan months ago, and he made this one, just for you, all according to my order. We put some neat features inside that we thought you'd like. The only thing we didn't do was load a Navi program in it, since I figured you would do that yourself, when you were ready. Otherwise, this baby is ready for you to enjoy right away!”

“I love it!” Michi said. “Thank you, Taka-kun!” She threw her arms around Taka, and gave him a big hug, and Taka hugged her back.

“I'm sorry that I was never able to get you a PET myself,” Saki said sheepishly. “And I doubt that I could have afforded a custom one.”

“That's okay!” said Michi. “You do so many other nice things for me all the time!”

Saki put a hand to his mouth, and tried not to cry. _Michi's such a wonderful girl..._ he thought. _She deserves the world!_

“Okay!” Taka said, clapping his hands together. “Now that everyone has opened all their presents, why don't we get started on having that party?”

“Yay, party!” Michi cheered.

“I'll break open the sparkling juice!” said Keiko enthusiastically.

“You'll drink it all before the food's done!” Saki chided.

“No I won't!” Keiko said with a laugh.

Saki shook his head. “Well, we can't start the party anyway, 'cause not everyone has opened their gifts.”

“Huh?” said Taka, with a confused expression.

Saki rummaged around near the tree, and pulled out a small box, which he handed to Taka. “This is for you,” he said, his face and ears heating up.

“I wonder what it is,” said Taka, and he opened the box. “Oh wow!” he gasped. He reached inside the box, and pulled out a lavender scarf.

“I...I made that,” Saki admitted, looking away. “It's not great, since it's my first attempt. There's a lot of dropped stitches, a-and it's kind of ugly, but I thought...you might want something to keep you warm...”

Taka hugged the scarf to his chest with a huge smile. “I'm so happy! I'm going to wear it all the time!” And with those words, he wrapped it around his neck. “It's so soft! I love it!”

“You're welcome,” Saki replied, rubbing his cheeks to try and dissipate some of the heat in them.

While Taka admired his new scarf, Saki walked into the kitchen with Michi to start making food. Before Keiko could get up to get the sparkling juice, Taka pulled her aside for a moment.

“I hate to spring this on you,” he said, “But I was hoping that I could spend the night here. Maybe even a few nights. Would that be okay?”

Keiko patted Taka's head. “Of course it would be! You can spend as long as you like here! You could even move in if you wanted to!”

“No!” Saki yelled.

Taka laughed. “I might just take you up on that offer, Keiko-san!”

“Yay!” cheered Michi. “A new big brother!”

“No, I'm the only one allowed to be your brother!” Saki said. “Taka's a fake!”

“Michi-chan,” Taka said, “When I'm your big brother, I'm going to spoil you all the time with candy and toys!” 

Michi turned to look at Saki with a grave expression. “I'm sorry, big brother, but Taka-kun is my big brother now.”

Saki sank to his knees dramatically. “I can't believe this...I've been thrown away, just like that.”

Everyone burst out laughing, and Saki grinned as he got back to his feet. “Okay, enough goofing around,” he said, rolling up his sleeves. “I have a lot of food to make, so let's get started!”

***

“Should I share the futon with Michi and Keiko?” Taka asked.

“Nah, you can sleep in the closet, with me,” Saki said. He felt his face heat up, and he was glad that his back was to Taka. “My futon is big enough for both of us. Unless that...bothers you?”

Taka shook his head. “No, that's fine. I like sleeping next to you anyway. It keeps my nightmares at bay.”

“Oh...” said Saki, his face heating up even more.

“I brought my own clothes this time, so I'll go change,” Taka said, and left the room.

Saki sighed as he finished setting up his futon. His feelings were still a tangled mess that had only been made worse by his interaction with Taka the night before, and he struggled to push them down.

 _As long as I don't lose my composer or say something unnecessary, I should be fine_ , he thought.

Michi padded into the bedroom, rubbing her eyes tiredly, and crawled into her futon. As Saki was tucking her in, she asked, “Can you tell me a bedtime story, big brother?”

Saki blinked in surprise. “Sure! What do you want to hear?”

Michi thought about it for a moment. “Surprise me!” she said.

Saki laughed. “Alright then. Let's see...” He nodded his head. “Then I'll tell you the story of Kaguya-hime.” He cleared his throat and began. “A long, long time ago, there was an old couple who lived in the mountains. The husband cut bamboo for a living, and one day while he was out, he found a very strange stalk of bamboo that seemed to glow with a bright light. When he cut the stalk down, he looked inside, and found a baby girl. He took her home, and he and his wife decided to raise her as their own. They named her 'Kaguya', and she grew to be very beautiful.”

On and on Saki talked, recounting how Kaguya-hime was eventually taken to live at the palace as a princess, and how she sent her numerous suitors on impossible tasks, most of which they could not complete, or died trying to finish. 

“One man, however, captured her heart,” said Saki, “And they fell in love. But one night, while looking up at the sky, Kaguya-hime suddenly remembered that she was actually from the moon, and told her beloved that she would have to go home. He begged and pleaded for her to stay, but the decision was not hers to make.”

Michi looked sad. “But she was really happy in the palace, right? Why did she have to go back to the moon?”

“Because they were expecting her,” said Saki. “She had been sent to earth to learn how to be a princess, and now that she was, they had come to retrieve her. And so the people of the moon came down with a grand parade, down a ribbon of moonlight, and right up to Kaguya-hime's feet. With a heavy heart, she stepped forward, and accepted the Celestial Robe they offered her, and followed after them, back up the ribbon of moonlight, back up to the moon.”

“But what about the man who loved her?” Michi asked, her face sad.

“He couldn't stop her,” Saki admitted. “Kaguya-hime had made up her mind, and nothing could stop them from taking her back. She did it because she felt like she had no other choice. But she loved that man, and so she left messages on the surface of the moon for him to see when he looked up at the night sky.”

Mich sighed happily. “That sounds nice. That way, he could always see them and think of her, right?”

Saki chuckled. “Right. No matter the distance, he loved her. And she could always watch over him.”

Seemingly satisfied, Michi settled into bed, and Saki gave her cheek a kiss.

“Goodnight, Michi,” Saki said.

“Goodnight, big brother,” she replied.

Saki straightened up, and looked to see Taka standing in the doorway.

“I'd never heard the part with the moon patterns before,” Taka admitted.

Saki pushed some of his hair back behind his ear. “Every version is a little different. It's possible that it was added later to make it seem more 'romantic'.”

Taka chuckled. “You're always telling Michi all these old stories.”

“I read a lot,” Saki explained. “I would just eat up books of old stories or poems when I was her age.”

“I can imagine that,” Taka admitted. His face fell. “I'm kind of jealous of your bond with Michi,” he said as he glanced at the girl, who was snuggled up under the covers of her futon. “I had to spend a lot of my childhood alone.”

“You're not alone anymore,” Saki said quietly.

Taka smiled, but Saki could see the pain in Taka's eyes.

“Let's get some rest,” he said.

***

Saki lay awake, unable to calm his restless mind. Next to him, Taka shifted with a soft sigh, and Saki realized that he hadn't fallen asleep either.

“Are you okay?” Saki asked.

“Not really,” Taka admitted. “I...I'm still kind of upset about last night.”

Saki frowned. “What happened last night?”

Taka rolled onto his side, facing Saki. “I turned in the information I found on Mamma's computer. They issued a warrant for her arrest, and they came to the house...it turns out that she packed a bag and ran. No one knows where she is right now.”

Saki put an arm around Taka, and pulled him closer.

“Saki...there's a lot I never told you,” Taka continued. “Like how I was stealing information from the Ministry of Science to give to her, or how I overheard Mamma talking to someone about the Sigma Chips.”

Shocked, Saki felt his body tense up. “You...did what?”

Taka buried his face in Saki's chest. “I'm sorry I never told you,” he said, muffled. “I didn't want you to hate me.”

“I don't hate you,” Saki said. “I'm just hurt that you didn't trust me enough to tell me the truth.”

“It's my fault that the Sigma Chips exist at all,” Taka said miserably. “I regret doing what I did, but I can't change anything now. I guess I was just scared that something might happen to her if I didn't cooperate.”

Saki rubbed Taka's back with his hand. “What do you mean?”

Taka paused. “Mamma had been acting strange for years, and something about her behavior made me think that she was involved in something bad. And when she asked me to steal information, it pretty much confirmed my suspicions. And just recently, I overheard her talking to...to someone...” He paused again, and Saki felt Taka tremble. “She...the person she was talking to about the chips...their name is Lumine. And they sounded really awful. They talked so casually about death, and how Vava deserved to die because he was no longer useful. There was just so much _malice_ in their tone. And it sounded like he had some kind of deal with Mamma, one that she wasn't happy with, but couldn't back out of.”

A chill ran down Saki's spine. “Do you think this Lumine person would hurt her?”

“I don't know,” Taka said.

The two didn't speak for a long while. Saki turned what Taka had said over and over in his mind, trying to process it.

 _So Wakahisa-san really was behind the chips...it's disappointing, but it sounds like she was being coerced. Maybe if we can find this 'Lumine' person, we can clear her name. And it'll put a stop to whatever they're planning next_.

“Lumine told Mamma that I was important to their plan,” Taka said. “That I was 'the key'.”

“'The key'?” Saki repeated. “I wonder what that means?”

“I don't know,” Taka admitted, shaking his head. “But I have a really bad feeling about all of this.” He reached into his shirt, and clutched the meteorite fragment on his necklace tightly. “The truth is, Manabe-san and Agent North wanted to put me in protective custody, but I refused. I wanted to be here with you and Michi-chan and Keiko-san for Christmas. I wanted...to spend some time with all of you...before things got really bad.”

“Taka,” Saki said firmly. “You _have_ to go into protective custody.” He squeezed Taka's arm gently. “None of us want you to get hurt.”

“I know,” said Taka in a small voice. “I'll go into protective custody tomorrow. I promise. I just wanted this one night...”

Saki hugged Taka tightly. “It'll be over soon. They'll find your mom, and this Lumine person, and then it'll all be over. For real this time.”

“Yeah,” said Taka softly. After a long moment, he asked, “Can I confide something in you?”

“Of course,” Saki replied.

“Do you remember that dream I told you and the others about?” Taka's voice was shaky. “The really awful one, where I...hurt everyone?”

“Yeah,” Saki said.

“Well...I never stopped having it. And for the past few days, it's gotten even worse. Now, after I've hurt everyone, I'm standing over the bodies of you and Netto and Enzan. I look down at my hands, and they're covered in blood. I look down at the ground, and you're all clawing at my legs, with these dead eyes, whispering, 'You killed us'. Over and over again. 'You killed us. You killed us.' And my vision cuts in and out, like when your internet is kind of slow and things don't load properly. Almost like I'm watching a video instead of seeing it happen in real time. And I'm... _laughing_. Chuckling and chortling like I'm having _fun_. And it gets louder and more insane, and I just want the laughter to be anyone but me, but it is me, and I can't...escape it.” Taka curled inward, shivering.

Fighting every instinct not to, Saki pulled Taka close, and buried his nose in Taka's hair. Taka flinched, but didn't resist.

“It's just a dream,” Saki insisted.

Taka shook his head. “No, Saki. It's not just a regular nightmare. It feels like the kind of dreams I have that always come true.”

An icy stab of fear pierced Saki's gut. “What do you mean?” he asked.

“I had a dream the night before my brother died,” Taka went on. “Shin...was swallowed by fire and darkness, right before my eyes. And you know how he died—that building collapsed on him while he was getting those people out.”

Something in Saki's mind roared back to life, but he tried his best to shove it back down.

“And the night before you lost control and broke Netto's arm, I dreamed that you became a monster with glowing red eyes, chasing after me and smashing everything in your path. I...I had to shoot you, in my dream. But it ended before I actually pulled the trigger.”

Saki's brow furrowed. “Taka, they were just coincidences.”

“No,” Taka insisted. “They weren't. I've had lots of dreams like that. All through my life. I'd tell them to Mamma or Shin, and they'd laugh them off. And then they would come true, and they would suddenly get serious and say things like, 'Tell us if they happen again'. But somehow...” Taka paused, swallowing tears, “Somehow when I told Shin about my dream that day...he told me not to worry, and that he'd come home...”

Saki tightened his grip on Taka as the boy burst into tears, and did his best to comfort him. After a time, Taka stopped, and looked up at Saki, his face streaked with tears that caught the low light, and seemed to glow silver.

“If I tried to kill you,” Taka said, “Promise that you'd stop me.”

Saki was taken aback by Taka's words. He grabbed the boy by the shoulders and gave him a firm shake.

“You would never try to hurt us,” Saki insisted. “And even if you did, I know it wouldn't be of your own free will. And if it _did_ happen, you bet that I would try my hardest to get you back safe.” He sighed softly. “You know that I would do anything to protect you.”

Even though he said nothing, Taka seemed comforted by Saki's words. He let Saki hold him for a little while longer, and then pushed himself away.

“I...I have to go to the bathroom,” he admitted shyly. “I cried a lot, and now my face feels gross.”

Saki let Taka stand up, and leave the closet. Left alone with his thoughts, Saki sat up, trying to sort out what Taka had said to him.

 _There's just no way Taka would hurt anyone_ , he thought. Taka was too gentle, too sweet. The boy could hardly hold a gun without shaking. There was no way he would willingly hurt another living soul.

“I need to clear my head,” he muttered, and crawled out of the closet to go get a drink of water from the kitchen. As he walked into the main room and looked down the hall, Saki saw Taka standing outside the bathroom, but he wasn't alone. Tsukiko was there, holding a cloth to Taka's face. The boy staggered, trying to fight, but he quickly went limp, and fainted in the woman's arms. Tsukiko looked up, and seemed to realize that Saki was there. The intensity in her eyes made Saki shudder.

For a moment, neither of them moved. And then, without words, Saki lunged towards Tsukiko, who dropped Taka and yanked something out of her pocket. Before he knew what was happening, Saki felt a harsh jolt of electricity run through him, and he gave a cry of pain before collapsing to the floor in a crumpled heap.

While Saki was incapacitated on the floor, he watched as Tsukiko picked up Taka's lifeless body and swiftly moved to leave the apartment through the front door. Saki forced himself to get up, his muscles still spasming after the taser attack.

 _Come on,_ move—! he thought frantically. _Don't let her get away! If she leaves, you might never see Taka again—!_

Somehow, enough adrenaline made its way into Saki's limb that he managed to stand up, and, despite every part of him screaming in protest, he started running. He didn't have time to throw his shoes on, so he chased down Tsukiko with his bare feet. He stumbled out the front door, which had been left open, and spotted the auburn haired woman turning a corner. Saki gave chase, fueled by pure adrenaline.

Tsukiko was slightly hindered by Taka, but she still managed to move quickly, darting into a nearby alley. Saki gave chase, but found himself face to face with Tsukiko, once again brandishing the taser.

“Back off,” she hissed. “Or I'll use it again.”

Saki put his hands up, but never took his eyes off of Tsukiko's face. “Don't do this,” he insisted. “Taka wouldn't want this.”

“Neither of us have a choice,” Tsukiko told him. “I'm in too deep now. Either I do this, or who knows what will happen.” Her eyes were wild with fear. “I can't leave him alone while I rot in prison.”

“Prison is exactly where you'll be going, Wakahisa-san,” Saki told her. “You've done a lot of really awful things, and you made Taka help you. The good news is that he'll probably be pardoned...as long as he testifies against you.”

Tsukiko's hand wavered, but only for an instant. Saki saw his opening, and knocked the taser away from her. With an angry cry, Tsukiko stumbled back, and swore in a gruff language Saki wasn't familiar with. Charging in, Saki launched himself at Tsukiko with the hope of knocking her to the ground and restrain her, but Tsukiko had other ideas. Despite being a woman, she was taller and stronger than Saki, and quickly overpowered him. She slammed the boy against a brick wall, and then kicked him once he was on the ground for good measure.

With the wind knocked out of him, Saki could only helplessly watch as Tsukiko picked up Taka, and ran off with him yet again. Saki forced himself to take in a breath, even though it felt like his lungs were filled with concrete, and stumbled to his feet, only to see Tsukiko make a beeline for an empty parking lot.

Saki gave chase, but by the time he made it to the edge of the parking lot, he heard the buzz of a helicopter's blades. It came low, hovering just above the ground, and Tsukiko loaded Taka into it before climbing inside herself. Saki squinted, but he could not see the pilot. Tsukiko looked at Saki with a victorious expression.

“It's over, Tanaka-kun,” she gloated. “You and the Net Police lost.”

With these words, the helicopter took off, leaving Saki to look on in disbelief.

“I failed...” he whispered. “I promised Taka that I'd protect him, and I failed...” he sank to his knees, and slammed his fist into the snow covered ground. “Damnit!”

After sitting in the snow for a while, Saki pushed himself back up to his feet. His whole body ached, and his feet were numb, but he knew that he had to get back to the apartment, and contact the police. He had to let them know as soon as possible that Taka had been taken.

 _Hang in there, Taka!_ he thought. _I'm coming!_


	40. How The World Ends

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The group races to locate Taka before it's too late, but something is already moving in the shadows...

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> _Sorry for the long wait! It took a while after the holidays to find momentum. I ended up in a project (that I can't discuss yet, but soon!), and I had so many games to catch up on. Thank you for everyone who stuck around, and welcome to all the people who just joined us!_
> 
> _This is definitely the start of the last arc, so it's all downhill from here! This was the part of the story I've been aching to write, and yet somehow it's also the part that ended up being the hardest. Hopefully, it will live up to your expectations, as well as mine._

Inside the apartment, Saki sat bundled in several blankets, holding a cup of hot tea while a paramedic tended to his injuries. Agent North and Enzan both listened while Saki recounted Taka's abduction, and when he'd finished, Enzan gave him a sour look.

“I can't believe you let her escape,” he grumbled.

“Look, she _tased_ me,” Saki griped. “Have you ever been tased before?”

“ _Yes_ ,” Enzan replied.

Saki sighed. “She was surprisingly strong too. It certainly felt like she knew her way around a fight.”

“I can't believe that woman!” Keiko said angrily. “How could she even _think_ of injuring a child?! What kind of mother is she?”

Agent North shook her head. “Nothing is more dangerous than a desperate person.” She pinched the bridge of her nose. “I _knew_ I should have insisted on protective custody.”

An officer exited the bathroom. “The window was open...that was probably her entry point.”

“I don't know how we missed that,” Agent North said angrily.

“The window is pretty small, and doesn't open from the outside,” the officer replied. “We probably overlooked it for that reason.”

Saki froze. _Wait...if it doesn't open from the outside...does that mean that someone opened it?_ He recalled Taka going to the bathroom just before he was kidnapped, and dread settled into his stomach. _Did Taka open the window for her? But why would he do that...?_

The paramedic stood up. “Okay, you're all done. Just some minor burns and a few bruises. You should be fine.”

“Thank you,” Saki said quietly.

“At least it wasn't anything serious,” Agent North said. “I understand that it was a dire situation, but you should have been more concerned for your own safety.”

“You're lucky that you don't have frostbite!” Keiko added. “Why on earth did you think it was a good idea to not wear shoes?!”

“I...didn't have time!” Saki replied. “I might have lost track of her.” He sighed. “Not that it did much good. In the end, I let her get away.”

“We can't say that we weren't expecting this,” Enzan said. “In any case, Manabe-san and the others are tracking Taka's PET signal. With any luck, we'll find them before too long.”

Saki looked at Enzan, resolve burning in his chest. “I'm coming with you.”

“Absolutely not,” Agent North replied. “You should stay here, where it's safe, and rest up.”

Saki shrugged the blankets off of him, and stood up. “No! I'm sick of sitting around! It's my fault that Taka is gone, and I want to help him.” He clenched his fist. “Please! You have to let me do this!”

For a long moment, everyone was silent. Agent North and Enzan exchanged looks, and Keiko clasped her hands together with an unsure expression. Finally, Agent North sighed, her shoulders drooping.

“That's not for me to decide,” she said. “Manabe-san is the one in charge.”

“Then I'll get her permission,” Saki said stubbornly. He marched towards the entryway, and opened the front door. Outside on the walkway, Manabe was coordinating her officers over her earpiece. When she spotted Saki, she turned to him with a smile.

“I'm glad to see you're okay, Tanaka-kun.”

“Y-yeah,” Saki said, rubbing the back of his neck nervously. “It wasn't anything serious.” He cleared his throat. “Actually, Manabe-san, I wanted to ask you if you'd let me come along...when you locate Taka.”

Manabe looked at Saki with a serious expression for a long moment. “Agent North turned you down, did she?”

“She didn't say no,” he told Manabe. “It's more like she said that you had to make the decision, since you're the one in charge.”

Manabe sighed. “Did she now?” She shook her head. “I'm only in charge of coordinating officers. In the end, this investigation is under _her_ control.”

Saki's shoulders drooped.

“But if she wants to hand control over to me, then that's fine,” Manabe continued. “You can ride with me.”

Saki blinked in surprise. “Y-you mean it's okay if I come?”

“Of course,” Manabe said with a smile. “I know better than anyone that you can handle yourself if things get rough.”

“Thank you, Manabe-san!” said Saki, bowing. “I promise that I won't get in the way!”

Manabe looked as though she were going to reply, but she suddenly put a hand to her ear with a look of intense concentration. After a moment, she lowered her hand.

“They found him. His signal is coming from a factory near Akindo City.”

Saki's heart leaped. “Then, what are we waiting for?”

“We'll leave as soon as everyone is ready,” said Manabe.

Saki ran back inside, and yelled, “They found him! He's in Akindo City!”

Agent North got to her feet. “We have to move now, then. That's quite a way from here.”

“We can take a helicopter,” Enzan suggested. “It'll be faster.”

“I'll call Akindo's police station, and have them mobilize their forces,” Manabe said from the entryway. “After that, I'll call for a helicopter.”

While everyone was rushing around, Keiko grabbed Saki by the collar of his pajamas. “Where do you think you're going?” she asked.

“I have to go!” Saki insisted. “Taka needs help!”

“Not dressed like that you aren't!” Keiko scolded. “At least put on some actual clothes! I don't want you getting sick!”

Saki looked at Keiko, feeling tears creep into the corners of his eyes. “Mom...”

Keiko put her hands on her hips. “I know that I can't stop you. If I were in your position, I'd do the same thing.” She grinned. “So make sure you bring him back safely, okay?”

“I will!” Saki promised.

Michi, who had been quietly sitting at the table in the front room the whole time, looked up at Enzan with a worried expression. “Is Taka-kun going to be okay?” she asked.

Enzan crouched down to her eye level, and gave her a warm smile. “We're going to do everything in our power to bring him home.”

Michi still looked sad. “Taka-kun is a good person. He didn't do anything wrong. Why would the bad people want to hurt him?”

“We don't know,” Enzan admitted. “But when we find them, we'll ask them.”

Saki quickly changed, and raced to throw on his new shoes. As he reached for his new coat, his hand paused, and he felt his stomach knot up.

_Taka...Did you really do all of this for us because you knew that you were going to be taken? What were you thinking...?_

He put on his jacket and scarf, and shoved his gloves in his pocket. As he exited the front door, Saki saw Enzan putting on a yellow scarf.

“Oh,” Enzan said as he noticed Saki staring at him. “It's new.” He paused. “It's a very nice scarf, don't you think?”

Saki nodded.

“Netto went to the Ministry of Science to help everyone track Taka's signal,” Enzan continued. “I'm sure he's worried too.”

Saki clenched his fists. “We're going to save him.”

Enzan nodded. “Come on, let's go. We don't have any time to waste.”

***

The factory was dark, and everything was covered in a fine layer of dust. Tsukiko walked down the corridors, Taka cradled in her arms, making her way to the surveillance room.

Inside, some of the screens were on, displaying static. A cot had been placed under the monitors, and Tsukiko carefully lowered Taka down onto it. The boy barely reacted, shifting in his sleep slightly, but seeming to remain unconscious. Tsukiko adjusted some of Taka's hair so that it was out of his face, her fingers lingering on his cheek, before finally stepping back.

One of the larger monitors flickered to life, and a shadowy figure appeared.

“Welcome,” it greeted Tsukiko in a soothing voice. “You came, just as promised.”

“I brought him, Lumine,” Tsukiko said sharply. “Now uphold your end of the bargain.”

“Patience, Tsukiko. All things in time. You've waited this long, a little longer won't kill you.” Lumine let out a chuckle.

Biting her lip, Tsukiko fell silent, but it was clear from her expression that she was furious.

Several cables that had been scattered around the room suddenly came to life, slithering over to Taka's unconscious body, and sliding along his arms and legs, as if to examine the boy. The shadowy figure on the screen leaned in, and finally came into focus.

“At last...” Lumine whispered breathlessly. “At least I can be free of this awful prison I've been in for oh so long...” The cables paused at Taka's face, brushing against his cheek gently. “It pains me to think that this boy was the missing piece, but everything has finally fallen into place.”

With a look of disgust, Tsukiko spoke up. “Why were the Sigma chips necessary? Tell me that at least.”

The cables paused. “I suppose I can tell you that much,” said Lumine. “The Sigma chips held a small portion of myself inside them. Once they were inserted into a PET, the Navi's code would be re-written into my own, thus creating a perfect version of myself. They could act independently, traveling around the Internet gathering information for me.” Lumine's face broke into a nasty grin. “And the best part is that they're self replicating! Even after Vava killed himself, and the remaining chips were seized by the Net Police, my copies continued to multiply. Who knows just how many of them there are now.”

The color drained out of Tsukiko's face. “And you're telling me that you had me help you make those awful chips?”

“If I'd told you what they were really for, I doubt you would have been so cooperative,” said Lumine.

Tsukiko trembled. “I can't believe I helped you make those awful things, that I had a hand in causing so much destruction. I'm the one who has to take responsibility for all of that!”

“You were the one who agreed to help in the first place,” Lumine replied. “You can't complain now, not after blindly following my orders for so long.”

“But you were the one who wouldn't tell me anything!” Tsukiko snapped. “And when I tried to back out, you threatened me and my son. What was I supposed to do?!”

“Follow orders,” Lumine replied coldly. “That's all you ever had to do. And now that we're here, your efforts will be _duly rewarded_.”

“And what about Takashi?” Tsukiko asked, her voice shaking slightly. Her eyes nervously glanced over at the cables near Taka's body.

“The boy?” Lumine chuckled. “He was _instrumental_ for my plan. I cannot thank you again for making him my eyes and ears on the ground. There's only so much I can do from up here.”

Tsukiko's breath hitched. “Eyes and ears? You mean when he acted as a spy in the Ministry of Science?”

“Oh, it goes far beyond that,” Lumine said, a little malice seeping into his words. “The nanites in his body were able to give me every ounce of information I could ever want, while simultaneously making it so he and I were completely compatible.”

Tsukiko's face twisted with fear. “Nanites...?”

Lumine let out a dark and sinister chuckle. “Those injections you gave him regularly. Tiny pieces of myself, so that I could always be with him~”

Shaking her head, Tsukiko stared at Lumine on the monitors with an expression of disbelief. “What did you do to him—?!”

The chuckle became an all-out cackle. “I made him the perfect host! As much as I hate the idea of using that rotting flesh-bag to exist on your miserable planet, it's a necessary evil.”

Tsukiko lunged towards Taka, but a cable wrapped around her body and stopped her. “Let him go right now!” she screamed.

“It's too late,” Lumine told her. “Everything is already in place. There's no stopping it now. Checkmate. _I win_.”

Out of the darkness, they surged. Waves and waves of tiny black clouds that rolled across the floor, and quickly covered the cot, moving to shroud Taka entirely. One of the cables nearby was consumed by the black cloud, and they formed a sharp blade, which hovered just above Tsukiko.

Tsukiko gasped. “But...”

“I'm simply keeping my promise,” Lumine told her calmly. “If you recall, my exact words to you were, 'I will reunite you with your son'.”

Tsukiko's eyes widened. “No...right from the start...you always intended to kill me...”

“Goodbye, Tsukiko,” Lumine told her flippantly. “I hope you find peace on the other side~!”

As the blade shot towards her, Tsukiko clamped her eyes shut, throwing her hands up in a futile attempt to protect herself. At that moment, Taka shot off the cot, and leaped towards Tsukiko.

“No!”

The scream pierced the air, and Tsukiko's eyes shot open. Taka had thrown himself over her, fully intending to take the blow instead, but the blade stopped mere inches from Taka's back.

“I could have easily killed you, and then what would I do?” Lumine said, and let out a loud, irritated “tsk!” The blade melted away, and rejoined the black cloud on the floor.

“Please, don't hurt her,” Taka begged. “I'll do whatever you want me to, but just don't hurt her. That's all I ask.”

Lumine seemed to consider this. “I'll give her a head start,” he said at last. “If she manages to make it out alive, I'll let her go.”

Taka hesitated, but the black cloud was already making its way up his legs. He looked at Tsukiko, and swallowed. “Mamma, you have to live,” he told her, pulling his PET out of his pocket and pushing it into her hands. “You have to escape, and warn the others.” He kissed her cheek quickly, and added, “Don't let him get this. You _have_ to make sure that never happens, understood?”

Tsukiko gripped Taka's shoulders tightly. “There has to be another way—!”

“There isn't. Now run!” Taka said, even as the cables yanked him away from her. “Please, just run!”

“ _Takashi!_ ” Tsukiko screamed, reaching for him.

“You have to live, no matter what!” Taka told her firmly.

For a brief moment she wavered, before turning and running from the room. Lumine's laughter echoed through the hallways behind her.

“Run, Tsukiko!” they said. “Run, or I'll make your son rip you limb from limb!”

Tsukiko yanked off her high heeled shoes, and sprinted towards the exit. She made it all the way to the main factory floor before the black cloud of Lumine's nanites caught up. Breathing hard, tears gathering in her eyes, Tsukiko sprinted across the concrete floor, trying to make it to the exit before Lumine caught her.

The nanites quickly cut her off, and Tsukiko screamed, skidding to a stop before changing direction and running into the lines of machinery. Ducking under a few of the conveyor belts, Tsukiko managed to dodge one of the nanite swarms attempting to catch her. She wove through a few more pieces of machinery, and was suddenly within sight of the exit. With a small sob, she put on a burst of speed.

The cloud of nanites reached for Tsukiko, and snagged the clip in her hair, yanking it out forcefully. Her head yanked back and she stumbled, but somehow managed to stay on her feet. The cloud grabbed at her again, this time snagging her jacket. Rolling her shoulders, she slipped out of the jacket in one smooth motion, and kept running. As she reached the exit door, she slammed into it, forcing it to fly open. She flew face first into the snowy ground before she scrambled to her feet, sobbing, and kept running without ever looking back.

Nearby, on the main road, a small cluster of police cars formed a blockade. Every single officer was looking out into the darkness, trying to spot anything suspicious.

“She has to leave eventually,” Manabe said. “Either by air or by land. And either way, we'll spot her.”

After a while, one of the officers keeping watch turned to Manabe, pointed into the darkness and yelled, “Commissioner! I think I saw something!” 

Manabe tensed, and everyone looked in the direction the officer had pointed. Slowly, a figure appeared out of the darkness, growing clearer until they saw that it was Tsukiko, running towards them as though she was being chased by a monster. 

Agent North stared in disbelief. “Is that...Wakahisa-san? She seems panicked. What on earth is going on...?”

Tsukiko threw herself into Agent North's arms, grasping at the woman's jacket frantically, and screaming, “[Please, help my son!]” She broke down into hysterical sobs, and repeated the phase over and over again. “[Please, help my son! Please! Please help him!]”

Manabe tried to help calm the frantic woman down, putting a reassuring hand on her shoulder. “Please breath, Wakahisa-san!”

“Wakahisa-san, what happened?” Agent North asked. “Are you alright?” It was then that she noticed wounds on Tsukiko's arms and feet, and called for the medic.

Saki grabbed Tsukiko's shoulder firmly, and forced her to look at him. “Where is Taka?” he demanded.

Through her sobs, Tsukiko managed to say, “Lumine... Lumine has him—”

Saki felt the blood in his veins turn to ice. “Where is Lumine?” Saki asked forcefully.

Tsukiko waved back at the factory. “In there...b-but don't—! You'll die—!”

All of a sudden, everyone's PET's gave off a sharp alarm. Saki slapped his hands over his ears at the horrible noise, and everyone else did the same. The radios in the cars screamed with feedback, and the lights in the area all went dark. Within seconds, the PET screens flickered to life, and from them and the radios, everyone heard a smooth voice speak.

“Attention humans. I wish to make a formal address.”

Saki yanked out his PET, and a face came into view on the device's screen. It was Taka, but something was wrong. His normally gentle green eyes were now a harsh, sinister gold, and his red hair had turned lavender. Saki felt his throat close up. 

“My name is Lumine, and I am a superior life form from the depths of space,” Lumine continued in Taka's voice, now filled with an air of superiority. “I now have control of everything: every signal, every channel, every system. Even as I speak, your Networks are being seized by thousands of my digital copies. Your governments no longer have power, and your militaries can no longer fight. Any attempt at resistance is futile. _There is no escape: I am everywhere_.”

Tsukiko trembled at these words, and buried her face in her hands. “The Sigma chips...Lumine used them to copy themselves thousands of times onto unsuspecting Navis...” She tore at her hair. “I can't believe I didn't do something when I had the chance!”

“Make peace with yourselves,” Lumine said. “Starting immediately, everyone is restricted to their homes. No one leaves, for any reason. Anyone found outside their homes will be executed immediately, without question. Any Navi found on the Net will be swiftly deleted. These rules are non-negotiable.”

“I can't believe this...” Enzan whispered hoarsely. “How did Lumine manage to take control so quickly? How did we not notice it happening?”

“When the time is right, I will take your world, and reform it into something perfect; a paradise of my own design.” There was a dangerous gleam in Lumine's eyes. “And if any of you try to put up any kind of resistance, _I'll kill you_. Those of you who see anyone trying anything, inform me immediately, and I shall reserve a special place for you. Any who aid my efforts in any way shall be rewarded.”

“My radio isn't working,” Manabe said frantically.

“Neither are ours,” said one of the officers. “No matter what frequency we use, it's all the same.”

“Damnit!” shouted Agent North. “What the hell are we supposed to do now?!”

“Human kind has been judged, and found wanting,” Lumine said. “All will be returned to nothing. Only then will things be rebuilt in the way they were meant to be. Rejoice in the knowledge that one day you will be reborn in a perfect universe!”

And with this, Lumine's message ended, and everything became still and silent once more.

Tsukiko trembled like a leaf in Agent North's arms. Saki and Enzan stared at their PETs in disbelief. Manabe tried to rally the other officers, who seemed just as shell-shocked.

“Takashi is dead,” Tsukiko whispered through tears, “And it's all my fault.”

“Don't say that!” Saki yelled. “He can't be dead! He just can't be!”

“Calm down!” Enzan barked. “We all need to stay calm right now.”

Once everyone was quiet again, Enzan took a shaking breath. “It's clear that Lumine has every Network locked down, but there has to be _something_ that we can do.”

“What about the Ministry of Science?” Manabe suggested. “Don't their servers have firewalls in place to prevent this sort of thing?”

Agent North pursed her lips. After a moment, she said, “I think that might be a good place to start.”

“But Lumine's inside that factory!” Saki insisted. “We can't just let them escape—!”

“You can't fight them!” Tsukiko said in a panicked voice. “I barely escaped with my life! Lumine will tear you to shreds!”

“But we have to try!” Saki retorted.

“You don't understand!” Tsukiko snapped. “Lumine isn't just _one_ organism, they're a mass of microscopic machines controlled by a single being. And they've taken control of Takashi's body! What if he got hurt in the attack?”

Angrily, Saki turned away and walked towards one of the nearby cars. With a scream of rage, he kicked one of the car's tires.

“Then that's it,” one of the officers said. “There's no way to win.”

“There _has_ to be!” Saki insisted, limping back towards the others. “We can't give up yet!”

At that moment, a screeching of metal rang out, and a moment later there was the sound of something falling. Everyone tensed.

“What was that?” Saki whispered.

“We need to run,” Tsukiko said. “ _Now_.”

Everyone turned and ran. The officers piled into their cars, and Manabe led the others back to the helicopter before opening the passenger's side door, and telling the pilot to start the engine. The helicopter roared to life, and one by one everyone got in. Saki was the last one to enter, and as he got in he glanced back over his shoulder. Slowly, out of the gloom of darkness, a large shape emerged. It looked like the kind of machine one would see in a sci-fi movie; a large sphere with long, blade-like legs. The machine made its way towards them, moving quicker than Saki would have liked.

“We gotta go!” he said, slamming the door shut behind him. “Right now!”

The pilot quickly took off, and as Saki looked out the window, he saw the machine come to a stop where they had been parked. A panel opened up on the top, and a small nozzle extended out of it. A moment later, it fired a laser at the helicopter, which missed by only inches.

“What the hell?!” Saki yelled.

“Hang on!” the pilot told them, and he banked quickly to the side. The machine fired more laser blasts, and the pilot did his best to maneuver around them.

“What the heck is that thing?” Saki asked.

“More than likely some kind of drone,” Enzan replied. “Lumine seemed adamant that anyone caught outside of a building was to be 'executed immediately, without question'. They probably made that drone in order to hunt us down.”

“How could they build something like that so fast?” asked Agent North.

“I told you, Lumine is merely a collection of microscopic machines,” Tsukiko said. “They called them 'nanites'. These nanites were able to change their shape at will, becoming a solid object before returning to a more free form state. It's not impossible to assume that they could form any object that Lumine desired, even that drone.”

“There has to be a finite number of them,” said Enzan. “There's no way that Lumine could make enough drones to patrol every street in Densan.”

The radio in the helicopter crackled to life, and Lumine's voice spoke. “I wouldn't be too sure about that.”

Everyone froze, and stared at the radio in shock.

“What you don't seem to understand is that I can break down matter at the molecular level,” Lumine continued. “Once I strip an object down to its base atoms, I can rearrange them into anything I want. Take the factory, for example. It's full of all kinds of metal objects. What do you think would happen if I were to break them all down and reshape them?”

“No...” Agent North whispered. She turned to look out the window. “No, it couldn't be...”

More machines emerged from the darkness, and some of them began chasing down the police vehicles. Manabe clenched her fists as she stared helplessly down at the scene below her.

“No...how are they supposed to fight something like that?!”

“They're not~!” Lumine replied gleefully. “They're all going to die, and there's nothing any of you can do about it!” Lumine broke down into maniacal cackling as everyone could only watch the machines destroy the fleeing cars below one by one. Then, once it was over, the radio crackled again and fell silent.

Manabe buried her face in her hands. Saki stared at his knees, a ball of rage churning in his chest.

“Damn them...” he cried, slamming his fist into the door. “Damn that nasty parasite!”

Enzan gripped his knees. “How do we stop something like that...?”

No one answered. 

***

Lumine's speech was broadcast on every single screen in Densan. In Shibuya, people stopped in the middle of the crosswalk to stare up at the screens on the one oh nine building, murmuring to themselves and each other, Some people tried to take photos and video, but none of their PETs worked. People working late at their jobs watched the speech from their terminals, mouths agape in fear. Speakers in malls played the speech, and everyone on the trains was forced to listen to it over the loudspeakers.

In their apartment, Keiko and Michi huddled together in front of the television, watching the broadcast in horror.

“ _There is no escape; I am everywhere_ ,” Lumine said, and Michi shuddered. Keiko held her tightly, her own eyes fixed on the screen.

“It's okay,” Keiko whispered reassuringly. “It's going to be okay.”

The broadcast went on, telling everyone to stay inside or risk being killed. Keiko clenched her jaw, and hugged Michi a little bit tighter.

“Forte, I'm scared,” Michi whispered to her empty PET. “Please come save me. I don't know what to do.” She pressed the device to her forehead and prayed silently.

***

The helicopter landed on the helipad on the roof of the Ministry of Science, and one by one everyone slowly got out. Manabe stumbled out in a daze, and the pilot gently led her towards the entrance to the building. Agent North had a firm grip on Tsukiko as they walked, but Tsukiko didn't put up any kind of resistance. She stared blankly ahead, trudging like a zombie. Saki felt a jumble of emotions, and it was impossible to know if he hated Tsukiko, or simply pitied her.

Meijin ran down the hall to meet them. “I'm glad you're all safe,” he said in a breathless voice, “But there's no time to waste. The mainframe's under attack.”

“Is it Lumine?” Saki asked.

“Probably,” Meijin retorted. “Now hurry up!”

Saki and Enzan took off running down the hall after Meijin, and Manabe called out, “Be careful!”

“Rockman's already fighting,” Meijin explained. “And whatever Navis I could round up are helping. But the odds aren't good. Doctor Hikari is trying to reinforce the firewall, but he needs more time.”

“Blues, go on ahead,” Enzan said. “I'll catch up.”

“You too, Zer0,” Saki said. “Rockman needs all the help he can get.”

“Understood,” Zer0 replied, and he and Blues disappeared from their PETs.

“We only know a little bit about what Lumine actually is,” Enzan told Meijin. “They seem to be some kind of alien organism, formed from countless microscopic machines. They're able to break down matter at a molecular level and reform it into whatever they want. They used this method to create drones to try and stop us from escaping.”

Saki swallowed, trying to clear the lump in his throat. “The officers on the ground...didn't make it.”

Meijin swore under his breath. “Just what we need right now...another damn alien.”

“Wakahisa-san told us that Lumine used the Sigma chips to create digital clones of themself,” Enzan added.

“At least now we know what became of those poor infected Navis,” Meijin said. “But there's no sense in dwelling on it. Right now, all we can do is fight.”

They entered Doctor Hikari's lab, and found it in a state of chaos. Everyone was frantically working on their terminals, yelling out information while Yuuichiro coordinated their efforts. Saki could see that a few of the terminals in the room had caught fire at one point, and at least one of them had a broken screen.

“Sector six is below fifty percent!” one of the scientists yelled. “Sector seven is also failing rapidly.”

“I'm working on it!” Yuuichiro yelled back. “I just need another minute.”

“Don't worry, Papa!” Rockman called. “I'm on my way!”

Enzan dashed over to Netto, who was frantically operating Rockman, and called out to him. Netto looked up, and his face broke into a smile.

“Enzan!” he cried. “And Saki too! You're both okay!”

“For now,” Enzan replied. “Blues and Zer0 should be fighting by now.”

“I see them,” said Searchman over the radio. “They just arrived in Sector two.”

Saki looked around, confused. “Where's Laika?”

“On the roof,” Netto explained. “He said he wanted a good vantage point.”

“Sector six is holding steady at forty-eight percent,” one of the scientists said.

“Netto-kun, there's a lot of them over here,” said Rockman. “I might need help.”

“I'm on my way,” Blues replied.

“I shall go to Sector seven then,” said Zer0.

“Security programs are failing,” a scientist yelled. “At this rate, we're going to lose Sector one.”

“Leave it to me,” Searchman replied.

Meijin typed frantically on his terminal. “I'm struggling to hold onto Sector three. Any news?”

“Just a few more seconds,” Yuuichiro replied. “I'm almost done.”

Saki looked at his screen, trying to make sense of the fight. All he knew was that there were viruses pouring in from different points in the firewall, and all of the Navis were frantically running back and forth, trying to delete as many as they could so that the scientists could patch up the holes the viruses left.

“Zer0,” said Saki, “Let's try using Shoenzan to take out a bunch of them at once.”

“Understood,” Zer0 replied, and shifted into the correct stance. With a sweep of his blade, he unleashed a large wall of fire that swallowed up a large number of viruses and deleted them instantly. Whatever was left ran away, and Zer0 gave chase.

“Don't chase them too far,” Enzan warned. “The cracks in the firewall are more important.”

“I understand,” Zer0 replied. “This will only take a moment.”

With a small burst of speed, Zer0 executed Raikousen, and deleted a line of viruses all at once. Swinging around, he chased the remaining viruses back towards the hole in the firewall with another Shoenzan, and finished off whatever remained with a few well-placed swings of his saber.

“Nicely done!” Saki cheered.

“I've finished over here as well,” Rockman said. “Where do you need me?”

“Sectors four and five still need help,” Meijin replied. “Searchman, how does Sector one look?”

“Sector one is secured,” Searchman replied. “Moving to assist.”

Slowly but surely, the viruses were pushed back, and after a long fight, the firewall was finally patched up. Everyone breathed a sigh of relief.

“I just need a few more minutes to finish the upgrade,” Yuuichiro said. “After that, we shouldn't have any more huge leaks like that ever again.”

Netto slumped in his chair. “Man...that was intense!”

“Don't get comfortable,” Meijin warned. “It's not normal for viruses to coordinate a large attack like that. Whatever's controlling them is probably still nearby.”

Netto flopped over onto the desk. “I'll worry about it in a few minutes. I'm tired.”

“Do you really think it's Lumine controlling all these viruses?” Saki asked.

“It might be,” Enzan admitted. “We still don't know the full extent of Lumine's abilities.”

Saki put his head in his hands. “I still can't process it...”

“Neither can I,” said Enzan. “It's hard to believe.”

Netto looked up at Enzan with a troubled expression. “So, it's true then? Taka's...?”

“Taka is now under Lumine's control,” Enzan confirmed.

Netto ran a hand over his face. He seemed at a loss for words.

“Enzan,” Saki said slowly. “One of the officers at the apartment said that the bathroom window was open, and that it only opens from the inside.” He paused. “Does that mean that Taka...?”

Sighing, Enzan nodded. “It's more than likely that Taka let her in.”

“But why!” Saki yelled. “Why would he do that?!”

“It's possible that he was trying to protect Wakahisa-san,” said Enzan. “In the interview I had with him, he explained that he was worried about his mother's safety. And judging from how distraught Wakahisa-san was when we found her, it's likely that her life had been in danger.”

Saki clenched his fists. “But still...”

Enzan looked miserable. “When we spoke...he made a comment about how he might die. I thought he was being facetious, but thinking back on it, he might have been trying to warn me.”

Suddenly, alarms started to blare, and Netto quickly sat back up and checked his terminal.

“Oh boy,” he said grimly, “It looks like we have company.”

The main monitor flickered to a feed outside the firewall, and the image of a Navi clad in white and lavender appeared. Saki immediately recognized it as Lumine.

“Knock, knock~!” Lumine said, grinning from ear to ear.

“What do we do?” Rockman asked nervously.

Enzan scowled. “Nothing, yet. As long as they stay outside the firewall, we should be fine.”

“Come on now, where's your sense of hospitality?” Lumine said. “Aren't you going to invite me in? I'm even being polite and knocking!”

“Time?” Meijin asked.

“Less than a minute,” Yuuichiro replied.

“How rude!” Lumine yelled. “Don't just ignore me!” The Navi turned and faced away from the firewall. “We came all this way to say 'hello', and you won't even invite us in?” They turned back to the firewall with a nasty grin. “Well then, in that case, we'll just have to huff and puff and blow the whole thing down.”

A legion of Lumine clones marched into the Network, forming a line behind the first Navi, who lifted his hand to point at the wall.

“I'll give you all until the count of ten before I tear it down. One. Two.”

“Crap!” Netto squeaked.

“We can't let them through!” Rockman declared. “Papa needs more time to reinforce the firewall, so until he does so, we have to hold them off!”

“Understood!” Zer0 replied.

The radio in the lab crackled to life. “We have another problem,” Laika said.

“Uh oh,” Enzan muttered. “Now what?”

“We have a bunch of unidentified machines advancing on the premises,” Laika explained. “It's more than I can handle on my own. What do you propose we do?”

Meijin looked at the others. “What if we set up a Dimensional Area around the building?”

“That might work,” Netto agreed. “It should keep the machines out, at least.”

“If I use Cross Fusion, I might be able to use Warp Gun to shoot them,” Laika said. “The rest of you should focus on protecting the firewall.”

“Sounds like a plan!” said Netto.

“Are we all in agreement then?” Enzan asked.

Saki nodded. “Let's do it!”

“Alright then, here we go!” Meijin said, tapping a few buttons on his console. “Dimensional Area, activate!”

Saki held his breath and waited. A moment later, the air around him shimmered slightly, and everything took on a familiar iridescent hue. The Dimensional Area had activated successfully.

“Shall we greet our visitors then?” Zer0 asked.

“Of course,” Rockman replied.

Blues, Rockman and Zer0 passed through the firewall, and came face to face with the Navi version of Lumine. The otherworldly Navi gave them a cold smile.

“I was beginning to think you would never show!” Lumine said. “Don't you know it's rude to keep a guest waiting?”

Rockman frowned. “Lumine, we can't let you pass through this wall.”

“Oh?” Lumine looked down their nose at Rockman. “Are you going to try and stop me then?” They glanced at the others. “Just the three of you?”

“We cannot allow you to pass,” Zer0 said firmly. “We shall fight if we must.”

Lumine sighed. “The three of you are hardly worth my time.” They glanced around the Network, and then stared at Rockman intently. “How about we make a little wager?”

“A wager?” Rockman echoed. “What do you mean?”

Lumine's lips curled up at the corners. “The three of you against all of us.” They waved their hand to indicate the row of copies behind them. “Oh, and the drones outside. If you and your friends manage to defeat all of us, then we'll leave you in peace. I promise never to come near your precious Ministry of Science ever again.” They leaned in close. “How does that sound?”

Saki felt the hairs on the back of his neck stand up. “I don't trust them.”

“Neither do I,” said Enzan, “But what choice do we have?”

“Even if it seems hopeless, as long as the odds aren't zero, then we have a chance!” Netto exclaimed. “Plus, we might be able to deal a blow to Lumine in the process!”

Rockman hesitated for a moment, and then his expression became resolute. “I accept.”

“Very good!” said Lumine, clapping quietly. “Now then, shall we get started?” They lifted their hand and motioned for Rockman to attack. “I'll even let you start.”

Zer0 drew his saber, and Blues summoned his sword. Rockman activated his buster, and the three of them launched themselves at Lumine.

“Rock Buster!”

The blast hit Lumine, throwing up smoke. Blues cut through the haze as he brought his sword down on Lumine's head, only for Lumine to block the blade by catching it in his hand. Zer0 swung low, but Lumine caught the saber with their other hand. The Navi gave the others a cold smile.

“Now then...it's my turn.”

Lumine's body began to glow, and a powerful wind kicked up, knocking Blues and Zer0 away from them. Lumine raised their hand, and the light converged at the tip of their finger, which they pointed at the other Navis and fired like a laser.

“Look out!” Enzan shouted a split second before the beam fired, activating a shield chip, but the laser was stronger than Enzan had anticipated, and Blues' shield shattered. The three Navis took the full force of the hit, and were thrown up against the firewall before falling to the ground.

“Rockman!” Netto shouted.

“Hey, get up!” Saki begged.

Enzan's face twisted with concern. “Blues...!”

Lumine let out a loud cackle. “Is that all? Oh come on, there has to be more fight in you than _that_!”

Zer0 pushed himself to his knees with a grunt of exertion. “So powerful...”

“That much power in just one attack...” Rockman moaned.

Blues planted his sword in the ground, and used it to push himself to his feet. “Not yet...” he wheezed. “I'm not done yet...”

“I can...still fight...” Rockman said, stumbling to his feet.

“I cannot fall here,” Zer0 said through his teeth, standing up with some difficulty. “I cannot allow myself to be defeated!”

“Excellent!” Lumine said. “That's the spirit!”

Blues let out a battle cry, and sprinted towards Lumine. Yet despite his speed, Lumine still managed to stop Blues' attack easily. With a smirk, Lumine tossed Blues aside like a doll, and then flashed over to Rockman at a speed Saki couldn't process. Rockman, caught off-guard, was grabbed by the throat, and slammed up against the firewall with enough force to crack it. Inside the lab, alarms went off, and scientists scrambled to fix the damage.

“Damnit!” Yuuichiro cried. “I was so close!”

“Zer0, get in there!” Saki cried. He loaded a shield chip, and Zer0 charged at Lumine, sword raised.

“Cute,” Lumine said, and swung their free hand down at Zer0. The shield shattered like glass, and the force of Lumine's strike sent Zer0 flying across the battlefield before slamming into Blues, who had just managed to get back to his feet.

“You all defeated Vava?” Lumine asked in a mocking tone. “He really must have been trash to lose to the likes of you.” They tightened their grip on Rockman's throat. “I was expecting more of a challenge.”

Netto wheezed, and reached for his throat. Panicking, Saki turned back to his PET, and loaded up a Recovery chip. “Please, please, _please_ ,” he begged under his breath, “Please get up, Zer0!”

Enzan tapped a few buttons, and loaded up his own Recovery chip. “Blues, we're changing tactics. We're using Defensive Stance, understand?”

“Understood, Enzan-sama,” Blues replied, and a moment later a small shield appeared on his arm. He turned to Zer0, and nodded. Zer0 nodded back, as if he understood, and the two charged towards Lumine.

“Didn't you learn the first time?” Lumine asked, pointing at Blues and charging up another laser. “Or do I have to carve this lesson into you?”

This time, however, Blues blocked the blast with his shield, which expanded to cover him and Zer0 both. With a grunt of effort, Blues planted his feet to stop from being blown away, and Zer0 launched himself under Lumine's attack, using Raikousen to close the gap instantly and deliver a devastating blow. Lumine made a pained noise, and dropped Rockman, who gasped and coughed loudly before scrambling a safe distance away.

“Maggot!” Lumine hissed angrily. “How dare you injure me?!”

Netto swayed on his feet, and Enzan quickly caught him before he collapsed. With a few loud coughs, Netto recovered, and his eyes filled with fury. “Oh, it's _on now_!” he declared, and tapped a few buttons on his PET's screen. A moment later, Rockman was engulfed in a bright light, and when it faded he was wearing something that resembled Searchman's armor.

“Search Soul, activate!” Netto cried. “Go get him, Rockman!”

“Roger!” Rockman replied, and raised his gun. Lumine raised his hand, but Blues quickly threw himself in front of Rockman, his shield up. The laser blast deflected harmlessly away, and Rockman fired over Blues' shoulder. The bullet hit Lumine in the arm, and they let out another pained cry.

“Coordinating your attacks now, are we?” Lumine asked, their voice strained with anger. “Fat lot of good it's going to do you!”

“Zer0, now!” Blues cried.

From behind Lumine, Zer0 launched himself into the air, crashing down onto Lumine with Kuuenzan. Even though Lumine took the hit, they managed to throw Zer0 off, and their body began to glow once more.

“Watch it!” Saki yelled. “They're going to attack again!”

But this time, instead of the light converging at Lumine's fingertip, this time it formed a ring of crystals around them and rose into the sky. After a moment, they began to fire lasers down on the Navis, and Blues threw up his shield again.

“Urg! I can't block them all at once!” Blues grunted. “We have to do something about them, and fast!”

Rockman carefully aimed his gun, and fired at one of the crystals. It shattered, and the laser it emitted stopped.

“Nice!” Netto cheered.

The pieces of the crystal hung in the air for a moment before hurling themselves at Rockman's position. With a yelp, Rockman fired again, shattering one of the shards even further, but the fragments didn't stop falling. Instead, they joined the rest, and Rockman dove out of the way as a rain of crystal fragments buried themselves in the ground where he had been standing.

“So they become projectiles when you break them?!” Saki said in disbelief. “How are we supposed to deal with them in that case?”

“I've got an idea!” Netto said. “Rockman, shoot down as many of those crystals as you can!”

“H-huh?” Rockman blinked. “O-okay!” He raised his gun, and shot the crystals in the air one after the other, shattering them. When they had all been shattered, the shards all launched themselves at Rockman.

“Wind!” Netto yelled as he activated a Wind chip, and a fan appeared on the field in front of Rockman. It emitted a powerful gust of air, and the shards were blown back towards Lumine.

“Yes!” Netto cheered, pumping his fist victoriously.

However, the shards came to a stop inches from Lumine's body. They looked at one of the shards and poked it casually, and all at once the shards fell to the ground, shattering into data fragments.

“Damnit,” Saki muttered.

“Ooh, so close~!” Lumine cooed. “But you'll have to try harder if you want to defeat me.”

“Grrrr!” Saki clenched his fists, the blood pounding in his ears. He was so furious that he barely registered the others around him speaking.

 _Damn them....damn them! Damn them!_ Saki thought. _It's all their fault that Taka isn't here...it's their fault that everything's a mess! I can't lose this fight! I can't let Lumine win! I'll fight until there's nothing left in me! I won't lose!_

Some thread in Saki's consciousness tugged, and a familiar feeling filled his chest. Zer0 was thinking the same things that Saki was, and their shared fury resonated with each other.

 _We_ _cannot lose!_

Zer0 raised his saber, and Lumine looked at him with disinterest. “Are you going to attack me head-on again?” they asked. “Don't you know by now that it won't work?”

Rather than answer, Zer0 dashed forward, momentarily blinking out of sight and reappearing right in front of Lumine. Before they could react, Zer0 slammed his fist into Lumine's face, and sent them flying. While they were still in the air, Zer0 flashed over to their position again, slamming his fist into Lumine's side and forcing Lumine into the ground. Zer0 punched again, and this time there was an explosion of energy on impact. Lumine was driven deeper into the ground, and Zer0 let out a feral battle cry as he punched down again.

“Zer0!” Rockman called. “Be careful!”

“He can't hear us,” Blues said. “He's consumed by his rage again.”

As Zer0 brought his fist down for another hit, Lumine knocked his hand away, and a blast of wind threw Zer0 a fair distance. Before he'd even come to a full stop, Zer0 was off again, charging at Lumine with his saber drawn. Frantically, Lumine lifted their hand and fired off a laser, but Zer0 cut through it, bellowing a cry of rage.

“What a beast!” Lumine spat. “A thrashing, mindless beast!” Their face twisted with rage. “I won't lose to the likes of you!”

With a flash of movement, Zer0 was once again right in front of Lumine. The two traded lightning quick blows, until Zer0 managed to make an opening. Thrusting upwards, he unleashed Tenshozan before slamming Lumine back down to the ground with Rakuretsuzan. Lumine let out a wet cough, and Zer0 pulled back his saber, ready to strike a killing blow, but Lumine managed to knock him away with their leg. With a snarl, Zer0 drew his saber back, and it crackled with electricity.

“Lightning, huh?” Lumine murmured. “Let's see, how about...grass then.”

Lumine's body glowed green for a brief moment, and when Zer0 thrust his saber forward, Lumine easily stopped it with their hand. The electricity crackled around their hand, but they didn't seem to be taking any damage from it.

“How easy it is to adapt to your tricks,” said Lumine. “Especially when you're thrashing around like a wounded animal.” He yanked the saber out of Zer0's hand, and tossed it away before slamming their fist into Zer0's face. However, instead of being thrown by the impact, Zer0 dug his heels in, and took the full brunt of the attack. Lumine stared at Zer0 in surprise, and Zer0's face broke into a maniacal grin. Grabbing Lumine by the arm, he tossed the Navi into the air, towards Blues and Rockman.

“Now!” Enzan yelled.

Blues swung his sword, and Lumine gave a cry of pain as the blade connected with their torso. Rockman lined up his rifle and yelled, “Scope Gun!” before firing off a powerful shot that tore through Lumine's shoulder. The Navi gave a strangled cry, and fell to the ground, clutching their wounded shoulder which oozed the same dark substance that the corrupted Navis had when they were injured.

“Perhaps I—urk—underestimated you,” Lumine said in a weak voice. “It would seem that you have more fight in you than I had first thought.” A wicked grin spread across their face. “I suppose I'll have to play a little dirty if I want to win.”

The rest of the Lumine clones charged in, all wearing the same nasty smile, and the Navis grouped together, huddling behind Blues' shield.

“We can't take them all at once!” Netto cried.

“What a nasty trick!” Saki snarled. “They know that they can't beat us by themselves, so they're making them all attack us at once!”

“Blues, stand firm!” Enzan said. “No matter what, don't back down!”

Just when it seemed like the Navis were doomed to be slaughtered by the army of Lumine clones, a blast rang out, slamming into the Lumine closest to Blues and knocking them away.

“Who...?” Rockman asked, looking towards the source of the attack.

Glyde waved to Rockman. “Sorry we're late! We had quite a lot of trouble getting here in a timely fashion!”

Rockman's eyes lit up as he saw the other Navis who had arrived with Glyde. “Gutsman! Iceman! Everyone's here!”

“Can't let you have all the fun, guts!” declared Gutsman as he slammed into one of the Lumine clones and tossed them into the air. “We're heroes too, you know!”

“Yeah!” declared Iceman as he summoned a small bomb to his hand. “We couldn't just sit around when things got bad! We're here to fight with you!” He lobbed the bomb at a cluster of Lumine copies, and it exploded, freezing them all instantly.

A pair of dice rolled into another group of Lumine copies, and exploded. A second later, they were slammed by two very strong jets of water and sent flying across the field. Numberman and Aquaman cheered, and shared a high five before waving to Rockman and the others.

“I can't believe you all came,” Rockman said, tearing up.

“Well, of _course_ we came!” Dekao yelled. “Like something as dumb as the end of the world was gonna stop us!”

“It took a while to fight through all the viruses and dodge all those scary machines,” Tohru said. “Although Yaito's giant robot was a big help!”

Yaito let out a high-pitched cackle. “Oho~! Tremble before the might of the Ayanokoji family!”

“Ahh, she's here too,” Enzan deadpanned.

“Are you impressed with how I rescued you, Enzan?” Yaito asked. “Does it make your heart skip a beat?”

“You should probably focus on the fight,” Enzan warned. “Or Glyde's going to get hurt.”

“There sure are a lot of them, you know?” Higure said. “The numbers seem kind of stacked in their favor...”

“Ahh, m-maybe this is a bad idea,” Shuuko said. “I mean, what if something terrible happens?”

“Are you going to give up, Shuuko-san?” Netto asked. “If you don't, who's going to protect your brothers?”

“Oh!” Shuuko gasped. “You're right! I only came along at first because everyone else was going, but...”

Saki looked at Netto, feeling uncertain. “Can we really depend on this bunch?”

“Absolutely,” Netto replied confidently, giving Saki a thumb's up. “I trust them with my life.”

“If you say so...” Saki replied, still unconvinced.

“Reinforcements?!” Lumine shrieked. “How unfair!”

“You gang up on us and call it fair!” Rockman retorted. “So it's only fair when we gang up on you!”

“Nasty little vermin!” Lumine yelled. “You'll regret this!” They lifted their hand and the ring of crystals formed once again. “Now, hurry up and die!”

“Watch out!” Blues yelled. “Get behind cover!” He raised his shield, but Zer0 stepped out in front of him.

“Zer0!” Rockman yelled.

“Please allow me to handle this,” Zer0 said, and summoned purple flames to his hands. They twisted themselves into a pair of rings, and Zer0 uttered a battle cry as he flung them at the crystals.

“Fool!” Lumine spat. “As if that could stop my attack—!”

The rings smashed into the crystals, but rather than the crystals breaking into shards they were burned away to nothing by the flames. Lumine let out a gasp of shock.

“H-how...?!”

Rockman's eyes widened. “Dark Energy? But how?!”

“I'll explain later,” Zer0 grunted. Straining with effort, he forced the rings to swing around and barrel into the other copies, engulfing more than a few of them in purple flames. As the copies shrieked in pain, the main Lumine stumbled back to their feet, their face filled with rage.

“Enough!” they screamed. “I'm done toying with all of you!” They raised their hand. Seven balls of light, each of a different color, appeared and formed a ring around Lumine. As Zer0's Shingetsurin swung around to strike, Lumine raised a black ball of energy towards them and the rings were sucked inside.

“What—?!” Saki gasped. “What happened?”

“Zer0's attack was canceled!” Rockman said. “Those orbs must absorb attacks of the same element!”

“What do we do then?” Saki asked.

“Fight anyway!” Tohru said. “Come on, Iceman, let's go!”

Iceman summoned a huge ice cube to the field, and Gutsman wound up a powerful punch.

“Here we go!” Dekao yelled. “Guts Punch!”

Gutsman slammed his fist into the ice cube, and it rocketed towards Lumine at high speed. Lumine regarded the ice cube calmly, and moved a blue orb to intercept the attack. The ice cube touched the orb, and vanished into it.

“Shoenzan!” Zer0 cried, swinging his sword upwards and unleashing a wall of fire at Lumine. In response, they moved a red orb to the front, and the flames were swallowed up before they could ever reach them.

“Aqua Bomb!” cried Aquaman, and he threw a large bomb at Lumine, only for it to be swallowed up by the blue orb.

“Is that all?” Lumine asked. “Your attacks bore me.”

“This doesn't bode well,” Glyde said. “Any ideas?”

“We just have to hit him with an attack that he can't absorb!” Saki stated. “Something without an element!”

“Oh!” Rockman gasped. “That's it!” He turned to Glyde. “Everyone, use a cannon or a sword attack! Make sure it doesn't have an element!”

“Understood!” Glyde replied, and summoned a large cannon to his hands. “With me, everyone!”

Gutsman fired his fist at Lumine, Numberman threw his dice, and all the other Navis unleashed cannon blasts. The combined attacks momentarily overwhelmed Lumine, who let out a cry of pain and stumbled backwards.

Rockman raised his rifle, and fired off a powerful shot. It smashed through Lumine's chest, and the Navi let out a choking cry before collapsing to the ground in a heap.

“No...” they whispered. “I...am...immaculate...I am...invincible...” The orbs of light fell to the ground and shattered into data fragments. “I...cannot lose...” A moment later, Lumine melted away into black sludge and disappeared.

“YES!” Netto cheered, pumping his fist in the air. “We beat 'em!”

The faint sound of explosions snapped Saki back to reality, and a moment later, Laika's voice sounded over the radio.

“All targets eliminated. The drones are out of commission.”

“Did you hear that, Lumine?!” Netto asked. “Your drones are gone too! You've lost!”

One of the other Lumine copies started to cackle, and slowly, one by one, all the others did the same. Before long, they were a deafening chorus of maniacal laughter, and Saki felt a chill up his spine.

“Didn't we agree that you had to defeat _all_ of us?” the copy asked. “As far as I can tell, most of us are still standing.”

Netto's enthusiasm drained. “Oh, that's right...”

Lumine chuckled. “Still, you managed to defeat one of us...that's more than I thought you were capable of. And so I'll concede defeat. For now.” The copy bowed. “We'll withdraw, and leave you in peace, as we agreed. But should I find any of you outside of the Ministry of Science...well, that's another story.” With a grin, all of the Lumine copies vanished.

Netto sank back down into his chair. “Wow...I can't believe it...we did it...”

Enzan sighed deeply. “The way they spoke, it almost feels like Lumine lost on purpose.”

“I don't think so,” Saki replied. “Not after the fight we just had.”

Yuuichiro ran a hand through his hair. “We're lucky that the firewall wasn't breached. Once the upgrade is in place, we shouldn't have to worry about another big attack like that again.”

Meijin tapped a few buttons, and the iridescent light of the Dimensional Area faded.

“What I don't understand,” said Meijin, “Is why Lumine didn't try to use the Dimensional Area to appear inside the building.”

“I don't know the answer to that either,” Enzan admitted. “We're lucky that they didn't.”

Netto tapped a button on his PET screen, and opened up a voice chat. “Everyone, thank you so much for showing up when you did! Without you, we never would have won.”

“We're just glad that we made it in time,” said Tohru.

“Naturally, it was I who swooped in to save the day,” Yaito declared. “I noticed everyone struggling, and graciously offered to assist them in their endeavors.”

“Yeah, she's a real humanitarian,” Saki grumbled.

“I'll put up with her attitude if it means she'll help us,” Enzan replied. “That robot of hers is no joke.”

Yaito laughed. “Yes, that's right, all of you were a huge help. Do well enough, and you may become one of my servants!”

Saki grit his teeth. “I don't know how you can stand her, frankly.”

“Sometimes, neither do I,” Enzan admitted.

“I'm just glad everyone is safe,” Netto told the others. “Where are you right now?”

“On Yaito's robot!” Dekao replied. “It took off into the clouds earlier, and now I have no idea where we are!”

“We're currently cruising comfortably at forty thousand feet,” Yaito explained. “If I have your permission, I can land at the Ministry of Science at any moment. Just say the word!”

“We'll try to clear some space for you to land in,” Netto said. “For now, just try to stay out of harm's way.”

“Hopefully, we'll see you soon!” said Tohru.

“Stay safe, you know?” Higure said.

“Good luck!” Shuuko added.

And with that, the call ended.

Rockman, Blues and Zer0 all limped back to their PETs, and Meijin swooped in and spirited them off so that they could get fixed up in a recuperation program. While he was busy setting it up, Agent North entered the room with Manabe and Tsukiko in tow.

“What did we miss?” she asked.

“Lumine attacked the firewall,” Saki explained. “It took everything we had to hold them off.”

“I hate to suggest this,” said Laika as he entered the room, “But we should consider installing some defenses to ward off another drone attack. I won't always be here to take care of them.”

“We'll definitely consider it,” Yuuichiro said. He turned to Agent North, and gave her a tired smile. “For now, things appear to be safe.”

“That's good,” said Agent North.

Manabe approached Yuuichiro. “Thank you again for your help locating Wakahisa-kun, Doctor Hikari. I just wish things had ended better.”

“It's too early to give up,” Yuuichiro said. “Lumine has to have _some_ kind of weakness, and I aim to find it.”

“For now, I suggest we start setting up temporary accommodations for people,” Meijin said. “A lot of folks are probably unable to return home and are lacking a safe place to stay.”

“Good idea,” said Yuuichiro. 

“I can help organize that,” Manabe said. “I'm rather good at that sort of thing.”

Agent North looked at Tsukiko. “What about her?”

Everyone looked at Tsukiko, who was clutching Taka's PET to her chest. Saki's eyes widened when he saw it.

“Hey! That's Taka's PET!”

Tsukiko flinched, and clutched it tighter.

“Where did you get it?” Enzan asked.

“Takashi...gave it to me,” Tsukiko explained. “Just before he...” Her expression fell, and she bit her lip.

Saki's chest clenched uncomfortably. “I'm sorry...”

“I did this,” Tsukiko whispered. “It's my fault that Lumine is now in control. I played right into their hands, and now...now Takashi is...”

“We're going to save him!” Netto declared. “There's no way we're going to leave him behind!”

“I'll tear Lumine out of him myself, with my bare hands if I have to!” Saki growled.

Agent North sighed. “Under normal circumstances, Wakahisa-san would be in custody, but this is hardly a normal circumstance.”

“Then let's treat it like protective custody,” suggested Manabe. “As long as Wakahisa-san helps out and doesn't cause a fuss, it should be fine if she wanders around mostly unsupervised.”

Agent North made a face, and looked at Tsukiko again. After a long moment, she nodded her head slowly. “Fine, I can agree to that.”

Tsukiko looked at Agent North with a haggard expression. “What makes you think that I won't end up betraying all of you?”

“Call me crazy, but I don't think you're in any kind of position to try something like that,” Agent North replied. “Besides, where I'm from, we believe in second chances.”

Tsukiko sighed. “You Northlandians are just trusting and _nice_. It's going to bite you in the ass one of these days.”

“Oho~!” Agent North said, grinning. “You're one to talk! Aren't you from Northern Kingland? Isn't everyone there just a bunch of drunken barbarians?”

Tsukiko glared at Agent North. “At least we aren't a bunch of boot lickers!”

The two women began to push against each other, and Saki feared that it might end in a brawl, so he shoved himself in between them. “Enough!” he yelled as he forced the women apart. “This isn't the time for fighting!”

“She started it!” Tsukiko insisted. “[That numpty cunt!]”

“'[Numpty]'?!” Agent North yelled. “I'll show you a [numpty cunt]!”

“ENOUGH!” Saki bellowed. “Shut up, or I'll shut you up myself!”

The two women fell silent, but continued to glare at each other. Saki breathed a sigh of relief.

“I couldn't understand most of that conversation, but it's very clear that those two aren't going to get along very well,” said Manabe.

“I can get along just fine,” Agent North growled. “We're both mature adults, and we can work through our differences.”

“I don't have any problems working with this maple flavored moose hugger,” Tsukiko grumbled.

Agent North took three deep breaths. When she was done, she gave Tsukiko a bright smile. “I'm sure that you're just in a foul mood after losing your son. I can certainly sympathize.”

“Ladies, let's focus,” said Yuuichiro, adjusting his glasses in a way that caught the light menacingly. “We need to think about how we're going to resolve this current situation.”

Netto put a hand to his mouth, and made a thoughtful noise. “I just had a thought.”

“Oh? What's that?” Enzan asked.

“Well, it occurred to me that Lumine followed us all the way to the Ministry of Science,” Netto explained. “Why do you think they'd come all this way for just a few of us?”

Saki pondered the idea for a moment. “Maybe Lumine sees us as a threat.”

“That's possible,” Enzan said. 

“So if I thought someone was a threat, what would I do?” Laika asked. “If it were me, I'd probably find and exploit their greatest weakness.”

An icy knot of dread formed in Saki's stomach. “Their greatest weakness...?”

Netto's eyes widened. “Wait, you don't think...?”

Laika nodded grimly. “There's a pretty good chance that Lumine might go after our friends and family.”

“No,” Netto whispered, going pale. “Mom...”

“Mom...Michi...” Saki clutched his chest fearfully. “You don't think that Lumine would really attack them, do you?”

Yuuichiro's expression became one of fear. “Can we really afford to take that risk?”

Netto shook his head. “No way. We have to go rescue them, right now!”

“Father's out of the country at the moment,” said Enzan. “And Laika's family is back in Sharo.”

“And my family lives in Ebisu,” said Saki, “While Netto's mom is in Akihara.” He ran a hand through his hair. “Arrg! Everyone is so spread out! What do we do?”

“Don't panic,” said Netto. “We can only focus on the ones that we can get to right now. And since they're spread out, we'll just have to split up.”

“And how do you propose we travel?” Agent North asked. “Lumine's drones are probably making their way into the cities even as we speak. If we get into a fight with them, it'll not only slow us down, but might result in injuries.”

“Then smaller groups are better,” said Laika. “It'll be easier to travel unnoticed.”

“I'll go with Saki to Ebisu,” Enzan said. “Netto, Laika, you go to Akihara.”

“No one's going anywhere until Rockman and the others are fixed,” Meijin griped. “Or do you plan on fighting evil robots with your fists?”

Netto snapped his fingers. “The PDGs! Of course!”

“I almost forgot about those!” Saki admitted.

Netto grinned. “I've been working on them nonstop, and they've gotten a few nifty upgrades. For one, the battery is more powerful, and lasts up to six hours on a single charge!”

“Wow, that's pretty impressive!” Saki said.

“They take forever to recharge though,” Netto explained. “That's the trade off. If they run down to nothing, it'll take days for them to charge back up to full.”

“The solution seems to be to shut it off when we don't need it,” Enzan pointed out.

“Easier said than done,” Netto replied. “Who knows how many fights we might get into out there.”

“Laika and I know a thing or two about being covert,” Enzan said. “As long as you follow our leads, everything should be fine.”

“Netto couldn't be silent if his life depended on it,” Laika remarked dryly. “But I'm already prepared for the worst.”

Meijin looked at the PET in Tsukiko's hands. When she saw Meijin staring, Tsukiko pushed the device closer to her chest and glared back.

“There's one other thing I need to discuss,” Meijin said. “It concerns Taka-kun's PET. Or, more specifically, it concerns Axl.”

“What about him?” Saki asked.

Mejin cleared his throat. “As we know, Taka-kun is now under Lumine's control. Since Taka-kun has the ability to use Cross Fusion, it stands to reason that if Lumine was ever able to get a hold of Axl, they could also use Cross Fusion.”

“That sounds like a nightmare,” Saki admitted. “If Lumine's digital copies were that tough, who knows how tough the real thing is. And if Cross Fusion made them even stronger...” He shuddered.

“I also wouldn't want to subject Axl to Cross Fusing with someone like Lumine,” Netto added.

“I agree,” Meijin said. “That's why I think we need to lock Axl up in the Bunker.”

Saki looked at Meijin, confused. “'The Bunker'? What's that?”

“It's a room in the basement that acts like the one in the police station,” Enzan explained. “It's built in such a way that it blocks out every kind of wave, such as infrared, radio, and Internet.”

“We use it to test certain devices in a controlled environment,” Yuuichiro explained. “But if Lumine is capable of traveling through Internet waves, then it makes sense that putting Axl in a room those waves cannot reach will ensure his safety.”

Saki felt anger well up in his chest. “Are you serious? You're really going to stick Axl in a room all by himself, without anyone to interact with or any way to contact anyone? He'll go crazy in there!”

“You have to consider the risks, Saki-kun,” Yuuichiro said.

“Yeah, I have, but it's still stupid,” Saki snapped. “Haven't you ever stopped to consider Axl's feelings?”

Yuuichiro pursed his lips, and said nothing.

“He won't be alone,” Tsukiko said quietly. “I'll go with him.”

“That's not really necessary, Wakahisa-san,” said Manabe.

“Axl will need someone to explain things to him when he wakes up,” Tsukiko said. “And...he'll probably hate me, but having me there would be better than no one at all.” She cast her eyes at the floor. “After all, both of us have lost our most important person.”

An uncomfortable silence filled the room. No one looked at Tsukiko, and Saki bit his lip, unable to decide how he felt.

“Are you sure about this?” Meijin asked Tsukiko.

She nodded. “Yes.”

Solemnly, Mejin took Tsukiko gently by the arm and led her out of the room. She looked over her shoulder, and flashed Agent North a sad smile.

“At least now I'll be locked up,” she joked.

Agent North looked upset, and reached out her hand, but before she could say anything, Tsukiko and Meijin had left the room. Agent North's hand dropped back down to her side.

“I hate this,” Saki muttered.

“We all do,” Enzan replied quietly.

Netto broke the stifling silence by slapping his face with his hands a few times. “Okay!” he said loudly. “No more moping. The sooner we stop Lumine, the sooner we can reunite Taka and Axl. Now let's go save everyone!”

Saki, Enzan and Laika all nodded in agreement.

 _Mom..._ Saki thought. _Michi...hang in there, I'm on my way!_


	41. Planes, Trains and Automobiles

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Netto and Saki rush to rescue their families from Lumine's grasp

Saki could barely sit still long enough for Meijin to finish repairing Rockman and the other Navis. He paced back and forth in the hallway, growing increasingly more agitated. Every moment he spent waiting was a moment that Lumine could use to attack more people...including his family.

 _It's crazy that no one noticed any of this until now!_ Saki thought angrily. _Someone doesn't take over all the Networks in the world without setting off a few alarms. There had to have been some kind of warning that we all missed..._

And just what was Lumine's plan anyway? They had stated that it was only a matter of time before the Earth would be 'reformed into a paradise', but Saki suspected that anything Lumine considered a 'paradise' would be anything but. 

Saki sighed. Nothing made much sense, and it only made him more frustrated. He slammed his fist against the wall, trying to vent some of his anger, but only succeeded in hurting his hand.

“Try not to lose your cool,” said a voice, and Saki turned to see Laika standing behind him.

“L-laika!” Saki yelped, instinctively standing up straighter. His face heated up in embarrassment.

“No matter how upset you are, you have to keep your wits about you,” Laika explained. “In a life-or-death situation, you won't get a second chance. The moment you show weakness, your opponent will take advantage of it, and strike without mercy.”

“Sorry,” Saki apologized sheepishly. “I guess I'm just wound up. I hate having to sit here and wait when I could be out there doing _something_.”

Laika shrugged. “That's a feeling I understand all too well, but you need to focus on the here and now.” He stepped closer to Saki, and inspected the boy's injured hand. After a moment, he made a noise, and let go before stepping back.

“At least you didn't break it,” Laika said. “Next time, instead of punching walls, make sure that you have everything you need, and familiarize yourself with your plan. There's no excuse for being ill prepared.”

“Sorry,” Saki replied. “You're right.”

Laika sighed. “I've thought for a long time now that your temper is a liability. You're lucky that things worked out in that last fight, because charging in the way that Zer0 did was incredibly stupid.” He narrowed his eyes. “It reminds me of someone.”

“Is that a good thing, or a bad thing?” Saki asked.

Laika shook his head. “I can't say.” He folded his arms across his chest. “I'm not keen on the idea of you and Enzan going off alone, but it's better than the alternative.”

Saki tugged on a clump of hair near his ear. “You mean me and you being a team?”

“No,” Laika replied. “I mean Enzan and Netto. If they went off on their own, it's almost guaranteed that one of them would do something reckless and get hurt.”

“Ahh, I see,” said Saki.

“I've known them both for a long time now, and both of them are so infuriatingly stupid sometimes,” Laika continued. “And it rubs off on me too often for my liking.”

“Now that you mention it, Netto has done some pretty reckless stuff in the time that I've known him,” said Saki. “But Enzan doesn't seem like the type to charge in without thinking.”

“He's just as bad as Netto sometimes,” said Laika. “ _Trust me_.”

Saki felt his stomach tighten. _Are we going to be okay...?_

“But as long as you don't do anything reckless, there's nothing to worry about,” Laika said. “Just focus on your mission.”

Saki sighed. “I am, but...I guess I'm just too worried about my family to think of anything else.”

Laika's expression softened slightly. “I understand. It's difficult to focus when you're concerned for your family. But you can't let your feelings cloud your judgment.”

“Are you worried about someone too?” Saki asked.

Laika paused. “Yes.”

“I hope they're safe,” said Saki. 

“I'm sure I'm worrying for nothing,” Laika replied.

Saki clenched his hands into fists. “The sooner we stop Lumine, the sooner everyone can return to their normal lives.”

Laika pursed his lips, and said nothing.

The awkward silence was broken by Meijin waving his hand frantically and calling out to them. “Everyone's gathering in the lab,” he said. “You'd better hurry up and join them.”

Saki and Laika glanced at each other before following Meijin. By the time they arrived in the lab, Netto, Enzan, Yuuichiro, Agent North and Manabe were already there, having a discussion.

“There you are!” Netto said, raising his hand in greeting. “We were wondering where you'd wandered off to.”

“Sorry,” Saki replied sheepishly. “I needed some time to myself to try and clear my head.”

“As long as we're all here, we can go over the plan,” said Enzan.

Netto nodded. “As we discussed earlier, we're going to break into two groups: me and Laika are going to head to Akihara to rescue Mom, and Saki and Enzan are going to make their way to Ebisu to rescue Saki's family.”

Enzan frowned. “The question is, how do we get there?”

“The Metroline probably isn't working,” said Saki.

Laika nodded. “Public transit of any kind is out of the question. And a vehicle will draw a lot of unwanted attention.”

“Flying is out of the question too,” Enzan added. “So I suppose that means we'd have to go on foot.”

“It's a long way to Akihara,” Agent North pointed out. “And even longer to get to Ebisu. Walking the whole way doesn't seem feasible, especially if we're working within a time limit.”

“And besides, you'll have to protect civilians,” Manabe added. “It would be much safer to have them in a vehicle.”

“That's a good point,” said Laika. He put a hand to his chin thoughtfully. “But let's assume for a moment that the drones will attack anything that moves. And let's also assume that they are more than capable of destroying a moving vehicle. If that was the case, then it might be difficult to transport people safely. We might need a military-grade vehicle.”

“Which would be impossible,” Enzan replied. “And even if we could access one, there's the possibility that Lumine might have them disabled.”

“True,” said Laika. “If they were operational, wouldn't the military have acted by now?”

“If what Lumine said is correct, then it's reasonable to assume that they have—at the very least—Japan's Networks locked down,” Yuuichiro said. “It would be difficult for the military to coordinate an attack without a way to communicate or track the enemy.”

“And the drones are alien tech, so _of course_ they're gonna be really tough to destroy,” Netto added.

“So we're forced to choose between stealth and speed,” Enzan said with a sigh.

Saki clenched his teeth angrily. He hated feeling helpless, especially when lives were on the line.

“In this case, it might be better to risk a vehicle,” Agent North said. “Even if it means painting a target on ourselves.”

“I have to agree,” said Laika.

“Okay, but,” Saki said, “Who here knows how to drive a vehicle?”

Silence settled over the group. Slowly, Manabe and Agent North raised their hands. Saki sighed loudly.

“How hard can it be?” Enzan muttered. “It can't be _that_ difficult.”

“I'm familiar with aircraft,” Laika said. “But a car is a different matter.”

“I never needed a license!” Netto said cheerfully. “So I never bothered to learn.”

“I've only ever ridden a bike,” Saki added. “I don't even know how to use a scooter.”

“So, essentially, none of you know how to drive,” said Agent North.

All of the boys shook their heads 'no'.

“We could always drive them,” said Manabe.

“True,” said Agent North. “But then there's the fact that we'll be taking up seats that civilians could use. And it's out of the question to not have the boys with us, since they'll be the ones protecting us.” She grimaced. “As much as I hate to put that kind of responsibility on them.”

“This is a very unique situation,” Enzan said.

Netto nodded. “If it wasn't the end of the world, we'd definitely leave things to the authorities.”

“Somehow I doubt that,” Saki muttered.

Laika shook his head. “We're grateful for your offer to help us, but I'm afraid we must decline. Your experience is better used here.”

Manabe frowned. “Are you sure?”

“Yes,” said Laika. “Focus on helping out the people here first. Let us handle the rest.”

Agent North sighed. “As much as I hate the idea of leaving you all to your own devices, it isn't as if I can fight one of those drones by myself. I'd probably end up being a liability.”

“Once you leave the Ministry of Science, there won't be a reliable way to contact us,” Manabe warned. “You won't be able to ask for help if things get bad.”

“We've been through some pretty tough situations in the past,” Netto said. “If things get bad, we'll just improvise.”

Manabe opened her mouth, as if to speak, but snapped it shut again, shrugging her shoulders.

“They'll be fine,” Yuuichiro insisted. “As long as they can use Cross Fusion, they'll have a way to fight back.” He walked over to Netto, and placed his PET and a small white device into his hands. He did the same for each of the other boys, and once he was finished he stepped back.

Saki flipped the small white device over in his hands. “Is this the PDG?”

“Yes,” Yuuichiro answered. “We've refined it. It's not perfect, but it's come a long way from the prototype that you used to defeat Vava.”

Netto strapped the device to his upper arm, and the others followed suit.

“I've also taken the liberty of installing a stronger firewall into your PETs,” Yuuichiro added. “Hopefully, it should provide your Navis with a little bit more protection from Lumine.”

Finally, each boy was handed a Synchro Chip, and Saki closed his hand around it.

 _With this, I can protect everyone_ , he thought. _With this, I can stop Lumine, and rescue Taka_.

“Manabe-san,” said Laika, “I need to borrow the helicopter you came here in.”

Manabe was startled for a moment. “Huh? You're not thinking of flying, are you?”

“Even if it's risky, I'm much more comfortable in the air,” Laika explained. He smirked. “Don't worry, I'll bring it back in perfect condition.”

“Well, it's fine, but try to be careful,” Manabe said.

Laika looked at Enzan and Saki with an apologetic expression. “I'd offer you two a ride, but Ebisu is in the opposite direction.”

Enzan turned to Saki. “I suppose we'll have to find our own way. Maybe we can commandeer a car to use...”

“Did you already forget that neither of us drive?” asked Saki.

“Blues can,” replied Enzan. “And if we get into trouble, I'm sure I can figure something out.”

Saki sighed. “I think it'd be safer to stay out of sight. Maybe we can follow the subway lines...”

Enzan put a hand to his chin, and seemed to consider this. “The train lines...that's actually a good idea.” He looked at Saki with a serious expression. “Even if the trains aren't running, we might be able to use one to get to Ebisu. Like a car, it can be driven by a computer, so we don't need to know how to run one, and since it's underground, the drones probably won't notice us.”

“Oh, y-yeah,” said Saki. “That's probably better than walking.”

Enzan grinned. “I'm glad you're here to offer up a second opinion. I never would have considered using the trains myself.”

Saki scratched his head, embarrassed. “Well, I use the trains all the time to get around, so I suppose it just made more sense.”

“I see,” muttered Enzan. “I really need to try using public transit more...”

***

Since a Metroline station was located on the Ministry of Science grounds, getting into the subway line was easy. However, there was no train at the platform, and as Saki peered down the dark tunnel, he couldn't catch a glimpse of one anywhere in sight.

“How far do you think we'll have to walk to find a train we can use?” he asked.

Enzan looked up from his PET. “I can't say for sure. I'm getting a lot of interference in the Metroline's Network, and I can't pinpoint any trains in the vicinity.” He shook his head. “I suggest we follow the tracks for a bit. We might run into a train on our way.”

“It sure beats standing around here,” Saki replied. He hopped down off the platform, and landed on the floor of the train's electromagnetic track. Enzan landed on the ground somewhere behind him, and the two exchanged worried glances.

“It's spooky, standing down here,” Saki admitted.

“It's unlikely that there are active trains right now,” Enzan reassured him. “However, it's a good idea to try and stay on the maintenance walkways whenever we can.”

Without another word, the two boys started walking down the tunnel. Visibility was good thanks to the lights on the walls, and the tunnels were silent except for their echoing footsteps, but Saki was still tense and on edge.

“I never realized how far it was between stations,” he said, breaking the silence.

Enzan nodded.

“Ebisu is so far from here,” Saki went on. “Imagine if we had to walk the whole way.”

“Don't say things like that,” Enzan grumbled.

They lapsed back into silence, and continued walking. After what felt like hours, they spotted the bright lights of the next subway platform.

 _We made it to the next station!_ Saki cheered internally. _But there's still no sign of a train..._

All at once, Enzan stopped, and held up his hand. Saki froze in his tracks, suddenly hyper aware of his surroundings.

“There's a strange reading just up ahead, on the platform,” Enzan explained in a tense whisper. He waved his hand, and both he and Saki pressed up against the tunnel wall, trying to hide in the shadows as much as possible. Slowly, they crept forward, until they had a better view of the platform. A tight ball formed in Saki's gut when he spotted a patrolling drone.

“I'm surprised it hasn't noticed us yet,” Saki whispered in the softest voice he could manage.

Enzan frowned. “A fight might be inevitable.” He glanced at Saki. “We can try sneaking past it, but if that fails, then I'll handle the fight.”

“I'm capable of fighting too!” Saki insisted. “You don't have to do everything by yourself!”

Enzan shook his head. “We need to preserve our strength as much as possible, just in case there's a large group of drones we need to get through.”

Saki couldn't really argue with Enzan's reasoning, but he still hated the idea of Enzan fighting on his own.

“Since I'm more experienced in a fight, I'll take the lead,” Enzan continued, “but I need you to be ready to back me up if things go bad.”

“Got it,” Saki replied.

Pressing themselves up against the tunnel wall, the boys shuffled as quietly as they could manage towards the platform. When the drone turned to walk back towards the far end, the boys ducked down and crawled as close to the ground as they could, using the platform to shield them from the drone's view. When they had reached the far end of the platform, Enzan motioned to stop, and pointed towards the rest of the tunnel. Saki's heart sank as he realized the issue. Even if they stuck close to the wall, without the edge of the platform to hide them, the drone would spot them easily. Enzan looked up at the platform with an expression that told Saki that he was considering fighting, and Saki shook his head vehemently. Enzan frowned, and motioned for Saki to wait, but Saki grabbed his hand, and shook his head again.

 _No one's fought a drone yet!_ Saki thought frantically. _We don't even know if they can be defeated with Cross Fusion! I don't want Enzan to do something stupid and get hurt. There's no guarantee that I could get him to safety all by myself. And if I don't have Enzan helping me, there's no guarantee that I'll make it all the way to Ebisu all by myself either..._

Gently, Enzan pried Saki's hand off of his, and pulled out his Synchro Chip. Saki tried to push his anxiety down, even as he watched Enzan turn his PDG on and silently activate Cross Fusion. A moment later, he leaped up onto the platform, and the next second the sounds of gunfire rang out. Saki clenched his fists tightly as he listened to the fight unfold, silently praying that Enzan would be okay. After a few moments, Enzan's voice rang out.

“Hero Sword!” he cried, and a second later the sounds of metal crushing and grinding filled the air. Another moment passed, and then silence returned to the tunnel. Saki didn't dare move from where he was until Enzan dropped back down into the tunnel and undid his Cross Fusion. He turned off his PDG, and then reached out a hand to Saki.

“It's not going to hurt us anymore,” he said reassuringly.

Saki let out the breath he didn't even realize he'd been holding, and took Enzan's outstretched hand. Enzan hauled him to his feet, and patted Saki's shoulder kindly.

“Were you scared?” he asked.

“Well, yeah,” Saki replied. “What if you'd gotten hurt?”

Enzan laughed gently. “I've gone up against machines before. I had an idea of what to expect.”

Saki's eyes widened. “Have you been fighting drones without me?”

“No,” Enzan replied, shaking his head. “The drones I'm referring to were from an incident years ago. It's a long story.”

Saki waved his hand towards the endless expanse of tunnel in front of them. “We have nothing but time.”

After a moment, Enzan nodded. “I suppose you're right.” He started walking down the tunnel, and Saki matched his pace. “It all started about seven years ago. Well, if I'm being technical, it started years before that, when Tadashi Hikari created a program called 'Spectrum'...”

***

“Wait...so there's a server that _controls time?_ ” Saki asked.

“It's a little more complicated than that,” Enzan replied. “But to put it simply, yes.”

Saki shook his head, unable to process anything he'd just heard. “I thought this was going to be something simple, like having to fight the military or something. Instead, you're telling me about time travel and programs that can digitize living beings. It's...a lot.”

“I suppose that's just what being a Net Savor is like,” Enzan said with a shrug.

Saki sighed. “Well, I can't argue with that. Here we are, trying to stop an alien from taking over the world. Just another day for you, I bet.”

“The last alien I met was...certainly easier to reason with,” Enzan admitted. “But I would hardly call this 'normal'.”

As they finished up their conversation, the boys approached another subway platform. Saki wracked his brain to remember how many they had passed.

“What number is this...? Two? Three?”

Enzan looked at the name on the placard that hung over the platform. “This is 'Tamachi Station'.”

“So it's the fourth stop then,” Saki replied. “Great. Only five more to go...”

“At this rate, we'll walk all the way to Ebisu before we find a train,” Enzan muttered.

“Wouldn't they be in some kind of train yard?” Saki asked. “I mean, they have to go _somewhere_ when they're done being used for the day.”

“True,” said Enzan. “And if that's the case, then we don't have the time to go all the way to a train yard.”

“Maybe we _should_ go find a car,” Saki said. He checked his PET and sighed. “We've wasted hours down here, and even though Mom can protect herself I doubt she'd be able to handle these drones...”

Enzan heaved a sigh. “The subway offers a more direct route, but you're right: we don't have time to waste.” He grabbed the edge of the train platform, and pulled himself up onto it. “Let's risk the surface streets, and see if we can find a vehicle.”

Saki climbed up onto the platform, and ran to catch up with Enzan. The two made their way up the stairs, and out onto the street. Saki shielded his eyes from the harsh sunlight, and looked around.

Enzan looked at his PET. “The Internet is still somewhat scrambled here, but I'm able to make out more than a few strange readings in the area that match the one the drone in the subway gave off.”

Saki put a hand to his chin. “What if the drones are the ones messing with the Internet?”

“That's a possibility,” Enzan replied. “But we also have to consider that Lumine was able to not only hijack every broadcast signal in Japan, but also completely shut down the Networks as well. To me, that says that they have control of the satellites.”

“So if they control the satellites, then they can mess up the Internet, and make it harder to communicate?” Saki asked.

“Correct,” Enzan said. “It's still a theory, of course, but it does seem the most likely.”

“It's better than anything I could have come up with,” Saki admitted.

Enzan looked around. “In any case, let's try to secure a vehicle.”

Saki looked around. He didn't see any cars parked nearby, nor did he see any on the street. In fact, there didn't seem to be anything or anyone around, and the silence was stifling.

“Stations are usually near landmarks or important buildings,” Saki remarked, trying to focus on something other than the eerie quiet. “So maybe there's a place nearby with vehicles we can use.”

“Like a parking structure,” Enzan added. “It's certainly worth a try.”

The boys ran across the empty street and down the sidewalks towards anything that resembled a parking structure. Enzan monitored his PET the whole time, and directed them around any of the drones that were patrolling the area.

“Hey, Enzan, I just had a thought,” Saki said as they took a short break in the shadows of an office building.

“What's that?” asked Enzan, still focused on his PET.

“When we find a car, how are we going to drive it?” Saki asked. “It's not like someone's going to leave it unlocked with the keys in it.”

Enzan seemed to tense at this.

“And even thought Blues can drive—which I'm not really comfortable with if I'm being honest—that means that you won't be able to Cross Fuse,” Saki continued. “And I'm not confident that I could hold off more than a few drones on my own. If the car draws enough attention, then we might have a whole hoard of them chasing us.”

“You bring up some very valid points,” Enzan replied.

“Also, we know that those drones can not only catch a car, but destroy it pretty easily too,” Saki said. “Frankly, I'm not very confident in this plan of ours.”

Enzan sighed. “We don't really have an alternative at this moment. We've already committed to the plan, so there's nothing left to do but go through with it.”

“True,” Saki replied. He stared up at the sky for a few minutes while Enzan typed furiously on his PET, and then looked at Enzan again. “You're a cop, right Enzan?”

“I work with the Net Police,” Enzan clarified. “But I'm not a 'cop'.”

Saki frowned. “We're not going to get in trouble if we steal a car, right?”

Enzan sighed. “This isn't a normal situation. I'm sure the law will look the other way.”

“And even if it doesn't, I'm sure you have enough money to get out of trouble,” Saki muttered under his breath. “Too bad I can't do the same.”

Enzan looked up from his PET. “The map says that there's a parking structure in that direction.” He pointed towards a large office building. “With any luck, we'll find a vehicle that we can borrow.”

Saki felt relief wash over him temporarily. He would worry about things like stopping the drones or dealing with the legal ramifications of stealing a car until after his family was safe.

Enzan led the way through the streets and back alleys, weaving around patrolling drones until they reached the parking structure. As soon as they were inside, Saki ran straight over to the closest car, and peered through the windows.

“Any luck?” Enzan asked.

Saki gave the car door handle a tug. “Nope, it's locked up. And I don't see any keys in the ignition.”

“I didn't think it would be so easy,” Enzan said. “I'm going to search for a car that can be operated electronically.”

Saki looked up. “Wait, you mean one of those fancy self-driving cars?” He looked around. “Would someone who works at a company like this really own one of those?”

Enzan shot Saki a look. “Blues can't drive a standard car, you know.”

“Oh,” Saki replied, feeling stupid. “Right.” He looked back down at the car he had been examining. _Besides, I don't know how to hot-wire a car, and I highly doubt Enzan does either, and without a key this car won't help us one bit_.

One by one, each car in the parking structure was examined, and after searching most of the first level Saki was already growing irritated. Most of the cars he looked at were some form of electric and gas hybrid, making them too old to support AI guidance.

“I guess it's hard to afford a smart car on a salaryman's budget,” Saki commented.

Enzan let out an irritated growl. “I knew it would be hard, but this is proving harder than I had anticipated.”

Saki looked around at all the neatly parked cars. “Hey, doesn't this seem like a lot of vehicles?”

Enzan stopped.

“I mean, didn't Lumine's declaration go out late at night?” Saki asked. “Wouldn't most of the people who work here have gone home long before that? Why are there still so many cars parked in here?”

Enzan turned his head, and stared off into the distance. “It's possible that no one went home that night. Or it's possible that many of them came back to work in the morning, thinking it was some kind of hoax.”

Saki frowned. “If it were me, I would have gone home and stayed there. No job is worth dying for.”

The boys lapsed into silence. After a moment, Enzan waved his hand and said, “Let's check the next level.”

Saki followed Enzan up to the second level of the parking structure. A quick glance around told Saki that most of the cars weren't the type they were looking for, but he knew they still had to search. He walked towards the car closest to him, and peeked in through the window.

After another half hour of searching, Saki sighed loudly and flopped against the door of the car he had been examining. “Ugh, I'm so tired. We haven't found a single car that we can use yet!”

“Don't tell me you're giving up,” Enzan replied. 

“I'm not!” Saki whined. “I'm just tired and frustrated!” He pushed himself away from the car. “I'm _this_ close to just breaking into this car right here. I don't care that I don't know how to drive it! So what if we need to hot wire it?! We can look up how to do it! That's what these supercomputers we carry around in our pockets are for!”

“I do not think that is information I can find,” Zer0 warned.

Saki gave an exasperated sigh, and flopped onto the car once more.

Enzan rubbed his temple. “I understand your frustration, I really do.” He looked around. “And yes, the situation does seem hopeless. But I'm sure you've dealt with far worse in your life.”

Saki thought about it for a moment. “Well...there was that one time that I had to pack a thousand gift boxes for a promotion that the convenience store was doing. It was supposed to be divided up among all the employees, but then there was a rush, and I ended up doing most of it by myself while they manned the front...”

“A thousand...?” Enzan seemed aghast. “That seems excessive.”

“Of course it was!” Saki snapped. “By the end of the promotion, we still had hundreds of boxes left over, and we got yelled at for not managing to move them all!”

Enzan massaged his temple again. After a moment, he spoke in a calmer tone.

“Let's try this then. We already know which makes and models of cars don't have AI assistance in them. We don't need to look in every window; if the car is a make we recognize, then we skip it. If it's a model we haven't seen yet, then we can check it.”

“What if the AI assistance was installed at a later date?” Saki asked.

Enzan winced. “Ahh, that's a fair point.” He shook his head. “But we don't have the time or the patience to check every single car. Efficiency is key.”

“Right, got it.” Saki looked at the cars he'd already checked, and made a mental note of each manufacturer and body design. Once he was sure he had it memorized, he turned back to Enzan. “Okay! Let's do this!”

With a renewed sense of purpose, the boys searched the rows of cars once more, this time skipping over models they had already checked. In no time at all, they had cleared the second level, and were ready to move onto the third. This level didn't yield any results either, and so they moved onto the fourth level, and then the fifth and final level, which was the roof.

“We're already at the top!” Saki groaned. “What if we don't find one here?”

“Then we try somewhere else,” Enzan replied stubbornly. “We don't have time to waste on disappointment.”

Saki hated that Enzan had a point, and did his best to reign in his growing anxiety. He dashed across the lot, quickly checking each car he passed before moving onto the next one. Finally, as he reached the far end of the row, he spotted a car he didn't recognize. Saki skidded to a stop and ran over to the window, cupping his hands around his eyes and peering into the interior. His heart skipped a beat when he spotted the large panel and display screen built into the center console, and realized they had found what they were looking for.

“I found one!” Saki yelled excitedly, waving frantically at Enzan. “Over here!”

Enzan's head snapped up at Saki's words, and he sprinted across the lot towards him. Like Saki, he also peered into the car, and a huge grin spread across his face.

“Nice work! This is exactly what we were looking for!” Enzan declared, giving Saki a rather forceful slap on the back. “I knew we'd find something if we kept trying!”

“Great!” Saki said. “But now what? How do we get into it?”

“Thankfully, these cars have electronic locks,” Enzan explained, fishing out his PET. “I can have Blues disable them for me, and then we can finally get out of this place.”

Before Enzan could plug Blues into the car, however, there was a metallic skittering sound, and a split second later two drones appeared over the edge of the building's roof before leaping at the boys with their guns blazing. Enzan shoved Saki to the ground and threw himself over the boy, and as soon as the guns paused their firing, the two scrambled to their feet and ran for cover.

“Crap!” Saki yelped. “They found us!”

“Such rotten timing,” Enzan grumbled. “They must have noticed us moving around up here. We don't really have a choice at this point; if we want to leave, we're going to have to fight them.”

Saki smashed his finger into the power button on his PDG and yanked his Synchro Chip out of his pocket. “At least now I can work out some of my frustration on these losers. Zer0, are you ready?”

“Yes!” Zer0 replied.

“Then let's do this!” He shoved his Synchro chip into his PET. “Cross Fusion!”

The familiar feeling of everything dropping away and Zer0's thoughts and feelings melding into his own helped to reassure Saki, and as soon as the light had died away and he had regained his senses, Saki was already drawing his saber and charging into battle. Behind him, he heard the sound of Enzan drawing his own sword, and a second later the drones began firing their guns. Saki let Zer0's instincts take over and the two used the saber to deflect most of the incoming bullets, relying on speed to dodge the rest. Once they were close enough to attack, Saki swung the saber and smashed it into the drone's legs, causing it to buckle on one side.

“I don't have time for you!” Saki yelled angrily as he kicked off of the drone and leaped into the air. He slammed the saber down into the top of the drone, and it gave a loud whir and click before the damaged circuitry inside sparked and burst into flame with a loud crackle. Saki leaped away from the drone and put some distance between them before it inevitably exploded in a small burst of flame before collapsing to the ground and stopped moving.

Just as Saki was celebrating his swift victory, he heard the sounds of more drones arriving at the top of the building. He felt the blood drain out of his face as he realized that they were about to be overrun.

“Damn it!” Saki yelled, and turned back to Enzan, who had finished off the other drone. “What do we do?!”

The mask on Enzan's helmet split open and retracted, letting Saki hear him better. “We can't fight all of them at once, especially if they can keep calling in reinforcements.”

Saki cast a glance back at the car, feeling torn. It was their best chance at getting to Ebisu in a timely manner, but if they tried to get to it, they'd get swarmed by the drones.

 _This sucks!_ he lamented silently. _But there's nothing we can do. We'll retreat for now, and come back later, when it's safer_.

Enzan grabbed Saki's arm, and dragged the boy towards the opposite edge of the roof, away from the approaching drones. Saki looked back over his shoulder as he ran, and saw the leg of one of the drones puncture the roof of their escape car before crushing the vehicle under its weight. Saki let out a loud curse of frustration, and turned to face forward again, tears stinging the edges of his eyes.

“We have to jump!” Enzan yelled.

“ _What?!_ ” Saki screamed.

“We don't have time to go down the stairs!” Enzan explained as they raced towards the edge of the roof. “The fastest way down is to jump.”

“But we'll die!” Saki yelled, panicking. “Or break our legs!”

“Just trust me!” Enzan insisted, and a moment later, he launched himself off the edge of the roof.

“You're crazy!” Saki screamed, but followed after Enzan.

For a long moment, Saki felt like he was floating. Time slowed to a crawl, and he could hear his heart pounding in his ears. Then, gravity took over, and suddenly he was being pulled towards the ground. The reality of the situation kicked in, and Saki found himself falling towards the pavement below.

 _Crap, crap, crap!_ he thought, kicking his legs in a frantic effort to slow himself down. _Now what?!_

A hand snatched him out of the air, gripping him by the wrist. Enzan gave a grunt of exertion as he suddenly had to bear Saki's full weight. Frantically, Saki looked up, and realized that Enzan was hovering.

“You can fly?!” Saki asked. “That's not fair! I can't fly!”

“Now's—ugh!—not the time to talk about this!” Enzan replied, his voice strained with effort. And, sure enough, the added weight was causing Enzan to slowly sink towards the ground. A few seconds later, they were low enough that Saki felt okay with wiggling free of Enzan's grip and landing on his feet, although he felt the shock of the impact all the way up his legs.

“That was too close!” Saki gasped.

Enzan landed gracefully beside him. “I told you to trust me.”

Saki raised a trembling hand and patted Enzan's shoulder. “Th-thanks, but next time I'd like to know things like that ahead of time.”

The boys looked up, and spotted the drones climbing down the side of the building towards them. Enzan grabbed Saki by the arm again and said, “We have to go, _now_.”

“No argument here,” Saki replied, and broke out into a sprint.

The boys ran as fast as they could down the narrow back alleys, trying to lose their mechanical pursuers, but the drones continued to close in on them, running across the rooftops and down the streets. 

Enzan let out a loud noise of irritation. “They're trying to close us in!” he yelled breathlessly.

“What do we do now?!” Saki asked, equally breathless.

“Run for the street!” Enzan explained. “If we have to make a stand, it'd be better to have a large, open area to work with.”

The boys dashed out of the alley, and Saki realized they were now back where they started, near the train station. He looked back over his shoulder, and saw a hoard of drones closing in on them. He looked back towards Enzan, and suddenly slammed into Enzan's outstretched arm.

“Hey!” he yelped. “What the—!?”

A second later, a blue truck skidded to a stop in front of them. Madoi pulled herself out of the passenger's side window, and yelled over the roof of the cab at them, “What the heck are you two doing here?!”

“Long story,” said Enzan, “No time.”

“Get in!” Hinoken growled, jerking his thumb back towards the bed of the truck. Enzan wasted no time, and climbed up into the back. Saki followed shortly after, and the truck took off with a jerk, knocking Saki to the floor.

“HEY!” Saki screamed. “WATCH IT!”

“Hang on!” Hinoken yelled back. “It's not over yet!”

Saki grabbed onto the railing of the truck with one hand and braced himself against the back of the cab with the other. Enzan took a wide stance, and did the same on the other side of the truck bed. The vehicle picked up speed, and Saki saw the drones pour out onto the street and give chase.

“Do you think we can outrun them?!” Saki yelled over the sound of the wind.

“It's possible,” Enzan replied. “But it doesn't seem likely.”

Madoi slid back into the truck, and came back out a second later with a large metal tube. With a grunt of effort, she hoisted the tube onto her shoulder, and braced herself against the truck.

“Heads down!” she barked.

Saki ducked down low, and Enzan did the same. A moment later, a small object exploded out of the tube and flew into the group of droids, exploding in a huge fireball.

“What the heck was that?!” Saki shrieked.

“A missile,” Enzan replied.

Madoi cackled loudly. “How do you like that, you nasty little toasters?!”

“Why do you have something like that?!” Saki asked.

“In case of an emergency!” Madoi retorted. “I'd say this counts as an emergency.”

The fire from the missile explosion seemed to throw the droids into confusion, and only a few of them managed to keep chasing the truck. 

“They're still after us!” Saki said. “Do you have another one of those missiles?”

“Nope,” Madoi replied. “Sorry kid, I could really only afford one shot.”

Enzan looked at Saki. “Do you have any Cannon chips?”

“I think I might,” Saki replied. “I have a Mini Bomb in my folder, at least.”

“Use that then,” Enzan instructed, loading up a Cannon chip. “Try to take out as many as you can with one shot.” His face mask snapped back into place, and he raised the cannon up to eye level.

“Hinoken, keep us steady!” Saki yelled.

“I'm trying!” Hinoken yelled back.

After a moment of lining up his shot, Enzan fired his cannon, and the blast struck two of the drones, leaving two more. Saki wound up, and used his best baseball pitch to throw his mini bomb into the drones. The blast took them both out, leaving them burning scraps of metal on the road.

“Yes!” Saki cheered.

The celebration came too early. A second after the words had left Saki's mouth several bullets slammed into the pavement near the truck, causing Hinoken to swerve sharply. Not having time to hold onto anything, Saki toppled over and slammed into Enzan, who managed to grab the guard rail fast enough to keep them both from tumbling out of the truck.

“We've got a flying drone!” Madoi yelled, pointing to the sky. Saki looked up and saw a sleek white machine racing through the sky in hot pursuit. It opened up another round of gunfire, and Enzan threw up his arm instinctively to protect Saki and himself from shrapnel.

“I didn't think it was going to be easy,” Saki grumbled.

Madoi retreated back into the truck, and emerged a moment later with a semi-automatic rifle. “I've got this one!” she told the others, and pointed the gun at the flying drone.

“Why do you have so many guns?!” Saki asked.

With a squeeze of the trigger, Madoi fired off a burst of bullets, and then another one, until finally the drone started to smoke. A moment later it fell out of the sky, and hit the railing on the side of the road, crumpling the metal fence like a soda can. Everyone let out a cheer.

“That'll teach those stupid hunks of junk a lesson,” Hinoken said.

“Is that all of them?” Madoi asked.

Saki scanned the area. He couldn't see anything else in the sky, and there wasn't anything else on the road with them either. Other than the wind whistling by and the roar of the truck's engine, he didn't hear anything either.

“I think we're okay for now,” Saki told the others.

There was an audible sigh of relief, and Saki let himself drop to his knees before he exited Cross Fusion and turned off his PDG. Enzan did the same a moment later, and leaned back against the cab of the truck, looking exhausted. Now that the immediate danger had passed, Saki felt the adrenaline wear off, and fatigue crept into his limbs.

“That was too scary,” said Saki.

“It was certainly too close for comfort,” Enzan agreed.

Saki looked up at the cab of the truck, and a thought occurred to him. “Hey,” he asked, “I've never seen this truck before. Where did you get it?”

Madoi shrugged. “We stole it.”

A surge of anger shot through Saki. “You can't just steal things!” he cried, realizing the hypocrisy of his words. After all, only minutes before, he and Enzan had been ready to steal someone's car. Was he really in a position to chastise someone else for doing the same thing?

“Why are you complaining?” Madoi fired back. “If we hadn't, then you'd both be dead right now. You should be _grateful_ we came along when we did!”

“Speaking of which,” Enzan cut in, “Why are the two of you here anyway?”

“We ran into your friends earlier,” Madoi explained. “They mentioned that you two were headed for Ebisu, and then Hinoken got all fired up and said that he had to get to Ebisu immediately for some reason.” Madoi grinned. “Probably to rescue his _girlfriend_.”

A lump formed in Saki's throat as a tangle of emotions filled him. He was grateful that Hinoken's first thoughts were to rescue Keiko, but he was also still mad that he'd stolen a truck to do it. But there was also the fact that Madoi and Hinoken had saved their lives, and no matter how illegal it was to have such dangerous firearms in Japan, if they didn't have them then the drones would probably have caught up to them in no time.

“I was on my way home to rescue my family,” Saki told Hinoken. “So I guess we both had the same idea.”

“It wouldn't be right to abandon Michi or Keiko,” Hinoken replied gruffly. “And I'm sure she'd be upset if I didn't rescue you too.”

“Listen to you!” Madoi cooed. “You sound like a real man! You're going to make such a good father someday.”

Hinoken's face turned a dark shade of pink, and he sputtered angrily.

“Shut up!” Saki snapped. “There's no way I'll let someone like him be my dad! No way!”

“Just for that, I'm going to marry Keiko anyway,” Hinoken yelled. “Just to spite you!”

Enzan let out a mirthful laugh, and Saki turned to look at him, surprised. He'd never heard Enzan laugh so joyfully before, and his brain suddenly went blank.

Wiping away a tear from the corner of his eye, Enzan smirked at Saki. “The two of you already sound like a family.”

Saki felt his face and ears burn with embarrassment. “Sh-shut up! Take that back!” He turned back to face forward again. “Whatever, we don't have time to argue about this. We have to rescue Mom and Michi before something bad happens to them.”

Hinoken grunted. “Then you'd better hold onto something, because I'm going to push this thing as hard as I can.” A moment later, he opened up the throttle, and the engine roared in response.

***

Keiko trembled and pulled Michi closer to her side. The sounds of something slamming against the apartment's front door grew more insistent, and Michi let out a whimper as she buried her face in Keiko's shirt.

“It's okay,” Keiko whispered reassuringly. “Everything's going to be okay.”

A few moments later, a long, sharp spike punctured the door, and then pulled itself back out with the shrill screeching of metal grinding against metal. Keiko clutched Michi tighter. After a few more hits, the door flew open, and the drones entered the apartment.

“Stay back!” Keiko yelled defensively. “We did what we were told. We didn't leave the building! We didn't go outside! You don't have any right to attack us!”

But the drones did not seem to hear her, and kept approaching. A small door on one of the drones opened, and from it a long metal cord extended, wrapping itself around Keiko's wrist. She screamed in terror, and struggled to pry the cable off of her arm, but the drone yanked her towards it. Michi cried out in fear, and clung to Keiko's shirt.

“Leave my daughter alone!” Keiko pleaded. “Do whatever you want to me, but leave my daughter out of this!”

Again, the drones did not respond, and simply dragged Keiko and Michi from the apartment. Keiko fought to unwrap the cable from her wrist, even as the drone tugged at her and she slipped in the snow, nearly falling to her knees. Finally, she managed to pry the cable loose and yanked her hand free. Grabbing Michi's wrist, Keiko took off running towards the roof of the building. Michi did her best to keep up, her bare feet slipping on the snow, and the two of them ran up the staircase until there was nowhere else to run to.

“Mama,” Michi sobbed. “What do we do?”

Keiko pushed Michi behind her, and turned to face the advancing drones. Glancing around, she spotted a small piece of metal piping lying half-buried in the snow, and snatched it up. Keiko brandished it like a sword, and glared at the drones as they crept towards her.

“Stay back!” she commanded, her voice shaking ever so slightly. “Don't come any closer!”

The drones continued to move closer, and Keiko lashed out at the closest one, swinging the pipe at it with a battle cry. The pipe impacted, but it glanced harmlessly off the drone's body. Keiko gasped, staring at her now bent pipe and backed up again, trembling and brandishing her weapon as thought it would do something. Michi started to cry, and tears gathered in Keiko's eyes as she hoarsely whispered Saki's name before squeezed her eyes shut. Michi clutched her PET to her chest, and squeezed her eyes shut as well.

One of the drones extended its metal cord, but before it could grab onto anything, a shimmering bubble formed around Keiko and Michi and a split second later, a blast of dark energy rocketed down from the sky and slammed into the drone, instantly destroying it and causing a small explosion. The other drones backed up a few steps. Michi opened her eyes and lifted her head, pointing up at the sky with a gasp. Keiko slowly pried her eyes open, and looked up to see what Michi was pointing at.

From the sky descended Forte, floating gently down between the Tanakas and the drones. He stopped and hovered a few inches off the ground, and glared at the drones with a malicious gaze.

“I cannot let your garbage touch what is mine,” he told the droids in a commanding voice. “I'll turn you into scrap first!” He flung his poncho back, his hands already charged with purple flames, and unleashed his full power.

“HELL'S ROLLING!”

The droids never stood a chance, and were easily shredded by Forte's attacks. One droid managed to slip through, but before it could get very far Forte grabbed it, crushing its body easily in his grasp before ripping out its internal circuitry. Only when there was no more movement did Forte stop, clearly not sated by the combat.

“Weaklings,” he muttered angrily. “Hardly worth the effort.”

Tears welled up in Michi's eyes, and she cried out, “Forte!”

The Navi turned to look at Michi, and something in his gaze softened. The shield around Keiko and Michi flickered and disappeared, and Michi darted over to Forte before throwing her arms around him. The Darkloid let his hand rest gently on her head, his gaze uncharacteristically gentle.

“Are you hurt?” he asked.

“No,” Michi said. She looked up at Forte. “Are _you_ hurt?”

“I'm fine,” Forte insisted.

Keiko stared at Forte, her mouth agape, and Forte's eyes flickered up to look at her for a moment before focusing back on Michi.

“How are you here like this?” Michi asked, excited. “Why didn't you come sooner?”

“The Darkloids made countless Copyroids for their own use years ago,” Forte explained. “But they were all thrown away. I was lucky enough to find one that was still operational. I dug it out of the trash heap, and used it to come here. It's old and damaged, but it will do for now. ” He gently stroked Michi's hair. “It seems I made it in time.”

Michi made a contented noise, and nuzzled her cheek against Forte affectionately. “Even if this body is old and kind of broken, I don't mind. Especially if it means that I can finally hug you like this.”

Forte pulled his poncho off and wrapped it around Michi's shoulders before crouching to look her in the eye.

“Your idiotic brother is on his way,” Forte explained. “He will take you and your mother somewhere safe.”

“What about you?” Michi asked, worried.

“I'm going to go fight,” Forte told her. “I will not rest until I have crushed Lumine, and made them suffer for their transgressions.” His eyes shone with intensity. “I won't let anyone else lay claim to being the strongest.”

Michi gave Forte a squeeze. “Okay. Go fight to protect humanity.” She looked at him with a hopeful expression. “Be the hero I know you can be.”

With a tiny blush, Forte removed Michi's arms from around him and stood up. He walked to the edge of the roof, and looked back at her.

“I am no hero, but for you, I will become one.”

Michi's eyes shone. “So cool~!” she whispered under her breath.

And with that, Forte launched himself off of the roof, and dropped out of sight.

Keiko dashed over to Michi, throwing the bent pipe aside, and pulled the little girl into a tight hug.

“Michi,” she whispered. “Oh, I'm so glad that you're safe.”

A sniffle escaped Michi, and a moment later she began to sob hysterically. 

“I was so scared, Mama!” Michi wailed.

Keiko held Michi comfortingly and patted her back. “It's going to be okay,” she said softly.

***

It was almost sunset by the time the truck rolled into the familiar neighborhood that Saki lived in. He scanned the streets frantically, looking for any sign of the drones, or of his family. Thankfully, he saw neither. But as they pulled up to the apartment complex, his heart sank a little bit. A thin line of smoke rose up from the roof, and anxiety knotted up his gut.

“I'll check the roof,” Enzan promised as he hopped out of the truck. “You go make sure your family is safe.”

Nodding, Saki climbed over the side of the truck, and sprinted up the path to the stairs. Once he got to the landing his apartment was on, he noticed some fresh tracks in the snow, and his heart sank. He could tell, even from a glance, that a struggle had happened there. He looked down at the prints of bare feet, and spotted two sets: a larger one, most likely an adult, and a tiny set, most likely from a child. A lump formed in his throat, and it became difficult to breath.

 _I have to believe that they're safe_ , he told himself. _I have to believe that they're still inside, waiting for me. If I don't..._

Saki ran over to the apartment, and saw the gaping hole that had been ripped through it, and suddenly it felt like his heart was in a vice. He pushed the door open, and stared into the darkened apartment, his breath hitching in his chest.

“Mom?” he called out. “Michi?”

For a moment, there was silence. Then, a small voice called back to him.

“We're here.”

Relief washed over Saki, and he charged into the apartment, not even bothering to take off his shoes. Keiko met him in the main room, and the two threw their arms around each other, sobbing with joy.

“I saw the door, and I thought the worst!” Saki admitted through his tears. “I'm so glad you two are safe!”

“I was so scared when I saw the news!” Keiko said. “I didn't know if you were safe or not.” She hugged him tighter. “But you're here now...we're all here now...”

Michi tore out of the bedroom, and slammed into Saki's side, clinging to him tightly and crying loudly. Saki patted Michi's head comfortingly, and her crying became a little softer.

“F-Forte came a-and he saved us,” Michi explained through her sobs. “H-he said you were coming, s-so we came back to wait for you.”

“We're just packing a bag now,” Keiko explained. “And then we can leave.”

“That's good,” Saki replied. He glanced back at the entryway when he heard someone enter, and saw that it was Hinoken. The man nodded awkwardly at Saki, and then gave Keiko a nervous smile.

“Hinoken!” Keiko cried happily.

“I'm sorry I'm late,” Hinoken muttered.

Keiko shook her head. “I'm just glad that you're safe.” She smiled. “Were you the one who brought Saki back?”

“We ran into each other on the way,” Hinoken admitted.

Keiko let go of Saki, and made her way over to Hinoken before cupping his face and gently placing a single kiss on his lips. Hinoken's face turned crimson, and Keiko chuckled.

“As shy as ever,” she said in a bemused tone.

An uncomfortable silence settled over the room, until it was broken by Enzan clearing his throat. He'd entered the entryway a while before, but hadn't said anything. Saki rubbed his neck sheepishly, feeling embarrassed that Enzan had to see the exchange.

“I wanted to tell you that I checked the roof,” Enzan said. “The smoke was from a small fire caused by the wreckage of a drone. I can only assume there was a rather large fight up there. I counted five or six drones. Or, rather, the remains of them.”

“Forte broke them!” Michi replied.

Enzan's eyebrows disappeared into his bangs. “ _Forte?_ ”

“We'll explain everything later,” Keiko said firmly. “For now, let's focus on gathering our things and leaving as soon as possible. Those awful machines might come back, and I don't want to have to deal with them a second time.”

“Agreed,” Saki said.

Keiko returned to packing her bag while Saki grabbed his backpack and shoved some clothes into it, along with his pajamas, hair brush, toothbrush and toothpaste, a towel and a bar of soap. He threw the perishables in the fridge into a refrigerated bag, and tossed some snacks and other small food items in as well. Once he was satisfied that he had everything, he walked over to Keiko, who was sitting in the main room, looking at the photo of Saki's father on the altar with a complicated expression.

“I have to go now, dear,” she said, smiling softly. “I suppose I'll have to leave the house to you.”

“Come on, Mom,” said Saki, helping her to her feet. She gathered up her things, and took Michi by the hand. One by one, everyone left, and Saki followed everyone out of the apartment before looking around one last time and shutting the door after them. He grimaced at the hole in the door, but there was nothing he could do about it at that moment.

“Someone might come and take things while we're gone,” he said.

“I highly doubt that,” said Keiko. “Besides, the neighbors have always been good to us. I'm sure they'll keep an eye on things while we're away.”

Saki thought about the absurd situation they were all currently in, and decided that there were more important things to worry about. He shook his head, and walked down the stairs towards the truck.

Madoi greeted them as they approached, and opened the passenger side door to get out. She pulled the rifle and the rocket launcher out of the cab and dumped them in the back of the truck before climbing after them.

Keiko helped Michi into the cab of the truck, and fastened her seat belt before getting in herself. Saki tossed his bag into the back before climbing in, and soon everyone was ready to go. Hinoken started the ignition, and a moment later they were driving back towards the Ministry of Science.

Saki watched the familiar buildings and streets of his neighborhood disappear behind him with melancholic sadness. He didn't know when he'd see them again, or if they'd be the same when he did, but all he could do was keep moving forward.

 _At least Mom and Michi are safe_ , he told himself. _Now all I have to do is rescue Taka, and we'll all be back together again..._

Thinking of Taka made Saki's chest feel tight, and his hands clenched in anger. He would never forgive Lumine for ripping Taka away from everyone the way that they had. And then there was the matter of why the Lumine he'd seen on television looked so much like Taka, despite the Lumine he'd seen in the Network of the Ministry of Science having a completely different appearance. It couldn't have been a coincidence.

 _Is Lumine just messing with us?_ Saki thought. _Or is it something else?_

Saki looked off to the side of the road, and spotted a pile of trashed drones as they sped by.

 _Oh, that's right! Forte's fighting too..._ he thought, frowning. _I still don't know how or why, but at least he's on our side..._

Saki turned to look back at Enzan, who was leaning against the cab of the truck, head lolled to the side as if he was sleeping. A soft smile crept across Saki's face at how vulnerable Enzan looked in that moment.

 _He's probably exhausted. I don't blame him for taking a nap, I'm pretty tired too. All this Cross Fusion is really taking a toll on my body_. He yawned. _I guess a small nap couldn't hurt..._

With a sigh, Saki allowed his eyes to close, and a few minutes later, he was fast asleep.


	42. Look Upon Me, O World, and Despair

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A lack of supplies forces the group to make a trip outside the Ministry of Science, but something is waiting for them...

“So, what do we know?” asked Manabe.

“Well,” replied Enzan, “We know that the drones respond to nearby movement with hostility.”

“And that they don't seem to care what anyone says to them either,” Saki said. “Mom pleaded with them a few times, and they didn't respond.”

“That might indicate that they have limited programming,” Yuuichiro said.

Enzan nodded. “That would make sense. They probably each have a very specific task that they are programmed to do, and they don't deviate from it.”

“What I don't get,” Saki said, “Is why the ones that broke into my house didn't hurt my family, but the ones we ran into in town were ready to shoot at us.”

“It's possible that the ones sent to your home were programmed to capture your family rather than attack them,” Yuuichiro suggested. “Which shows that Lumine wanted to ensure that your family stayed alive.”

Saki shivered. He didn't want to think about what Lumine would have done to his family if they had succeeded.

“If the drones patrolling the city are hostile, then that means it will be difficult to move around,” said Agent North. “The train lines seem like a good way to move around the city undetected, but that would mean securing a train first.”

“I think that it would be worth it,” Manabe replied. “We can move large groups of people with a train, and it would be much safer than if we used a car or a truck. The patrols in the Metroline also seem lighter than up on the surface streets, which means that we would have to fight much less.”

Saki scratched his head. “I hate to ask, but where are we going to put everyone? Would we even have enough space here? And what about supplies?”

Yuuichiro frowned. “That is the real issue, isn't it?” He crossed his arms, and looked thoughtful for a while. “Hmm...perhaps we can convert all the non-essential rooms into places for people to sleep.”

“The issue of supplies is a tough one,” Agent North said. “Things like blankets and food aren't something the Ministry of Science has in surplus.”

“We would have to secure supplies from an outside source,” Laika pointed out.

“Which means going out into the city, where all the drones are,” Netto added.

“It's not ideal,” Manabe admitted. “But it's unavoidable.”

Saki racked his brain. He recalled that there was a cafeteria on the ground floor, which meant that food could be made in large quantities as long as supplies were available. But like Agent North had pointed out, food was in short supply. He tried to think about how much food would be needed to feed all the employees trapped at the Ministry of Science, plus all the other people that they would be rescuing. It wasn't hard to imagine that it would be a lot, and he sighed deeply. 

“Where are we supposed to get stuff like food and blankets?” Saki asked, feeling like he already knew the answer.

“We'll have to go to someplace nearby that sells those things,” Enzan replied. “Even if everyone is stuck in their homes, the stores will still be stocked somewhat.”

 _Stealing again?_ Saki thought. _I wish there was some other way_.

“I know this is an emergency situation,” Netto said, “But I'd feel bad if we just marched into a store and took a bunch of stuff without paying. It's not the store owner's fault that all of this is happening.”

 _Yes, thank you!_ Saki thought, relieved. _At least Netto understands!_

Enzan rubbed his temple. “We'll take stock of everything we take and I'll make an invoice, so that we can repay them at a later date.” He gave Netto a pointed look. “Does that make you feel better?”

Netto nodded. “Yes, it does.”

“Okay, that's one problem solved,” Agent North said. “Now we just need to secure a train, and we'll be able to evacuate people to safety.”

“We'll still need to rely on the Net Savors to protect them,” Manabe reminded them. “There's still no other reliable way to destroy the drones, after all.”

“What about communications?” Netto asked. “The Internet is still down, and with satellite activity restricted there's no way for anyone to contact anyone else.”

“We're working on that as we speak,” Yuuichiro said. “Meijin is testing various channels in an attempt to find one that still works.”

Netto furrowed his eyebrows. “Hmm...channels...” he muttered. “I wonder...”

Saki took a deep breath. “Okay, but...what are we going to do to stop Lumine?”

The room fell silent. Everyone seemed unsettled by Saki's question, and no one wanted to speak up.

“If we don't stop Lumine, this will never end,” Saki insisted. “And what about this 'paradise' that they want to create? Doesn't that worry you?”

“Of course it does,” Enzan replied calmly. “But we don't know enough about Lumine to try and form a plan to counter them.”

Saki clenched his fists. “The longer we wait, the less likely it is that we can rescue Taka.” Tears stung the edges of his eyes. “We don't know what Lumine's done to him, or why they even wanted Taka in the first place.”

“Wakahisa-san has told me a little of what happened,” replied Agent North. “But even she isn't certain. All she could tell me is that Taka was 'instrumental' to Lumine's plan.” She shook her head. “I think she might know more than she's letting on, but for now, she's remaining silent on the matter.”

“Stubborn to the end,” Enzan said with a sigh.

“But what we can infer from what Wakahisa-san has told us is that it's unlikely that Lumine will harm Taka-kun,” Agent North continued. “So he should be safe, for now.”

A knot of anxiety formed in Saki's stomach. _I have a really bad feeling about all of this_.

“I think I remember Wakahisa-san saying that Lumine is actually a collection of microscopic robots,” Netto said slowly. “Which means there must be some kind of core controlling them.”

“So we need to find the core and destroy it,” Saki said.

“Easier said than done,” Enzan replied. “The core could be anywhere.”

With a growl of frustration, Saki scrubbed his hand through his hair a few times before letting it drop back down to his side. It was infuriating how complicated the whole situation was. He knew that everyone was trying their best to figure out a way to stop Lumine and save Taka, but Saki didn't have the patience for that. Every fiber of his being wanted to run straight to where Taka was being held and rescue him. And if Lumine got in his way, then he'd just have to punch their lights out.

 _I'm so aggravated right now!_ Saki screamed internally. _Let's just stop sitting on our thumbs and do something already!!_

“For now, let's prioritize the supplies,” said Manabe. “We can send a team out to secure a train once we've done that.”

“I agree,” said Agent North.

Laika gave Saki a sidelong glance that seemed to say 'cool it', and Saki took three deep breaths. _Even if it upsets me, the others are right_ , he thought. _We just don't have enough information to go after Lumine right now. I need to stay focused_.

“We'll need a large vehicle to transport everything,” Manabe said, tapping her chin thoughtfully. “Is there something like that around here?”

“There might be a transport truck,” Yuuichiro said. “I'd have to talk to someone in that part of the building.”

“That would be wonderful,” said Agent North. “If there's a truck we can use, then I volunteer to drive it.”

Manabe blinked in surprise. “Have you ever driven something like that before, Agent North?”

“Sort of,” Agent North replied. “One of the vehicles I used when I learned how to drive was my dad's old truck. It's similar enough that I think I can handle it.”

 _What_ _can't_ _this woman do?_ Saki wondered silently.

“Are you certain?” Enzan asked.

“I can handle driving,” Agent North insisted. “I'll leave the fighting up to all of you.”

***

“You're leaving?” Keiko asked. 

Hinoken nodded. “Yeah,” he replied, his eyes darting away from her. “There's a lot of things I still have to do.”

Keiko clasped her hands together and pressed them to her chest. Her expression was sad, but she smiled regardless.

“I know that I can't stop you,” she told him. “You're just like my husband was: once he made up his mind about something, he wouldn't stop.” 

“Hmm,” Hinoken replied, “I don't know how I feel about being compared to him.” He gave Keiko a small smile. “After all, he sounds like a really stubborn guy.”

Keiko laughed. “He certainly was.” She reached forward, and took Hinoken's hand, and her expression became more serious. “Please, Hinoken. Promise me that you'll stay safe.”

Hinoken leaned forward, and pressed his forehead lightly to Keiko's. “I will,” he said.

After a long moment, they stepped back. Hinoken turned and walked towards the front doors, and Keiko watched him. Then, just as Hinoken's hand came to rest on the door, she lifted her hand and called out to him.

“Hinoken!” she cried. “I love you!”

He turned and looked back at her with a gentle expression. After a long moment, he said to her in a soft voice, “I'll be back.”

Then, without another word, he left the building, and the door shut loudly behind him.

Keiko's hand dropped to her side, and she stared at the door with tears in her eyes.

***

“Netto, I still think you should stay here,” Enzan said. “There's no guarantee that I can protect you—”

Netto simply put up his hand to stop Enzan and grinned. “Don't worry about that!” he said. “I have the perfect protector right here!” He motioned with his hand, and Rockman popped out of a nearby doorway.

“Hello!” he greeted Enzan cheerfully.

Saki stared at Rockman in shock. “The Copyroid...!”

“I rescued it from the house,” Netto explained. “And when the clothing mod is turned off, Rockman can fight just like he can in the Internet.” He looked at Enzan. “So I'll be fine.”

“But...” Enzan replied helplessly.

“Enzan,” Netto said firmly, his expression serious. “I'm not going to run and hide just because I can't Cross Fuse right now. There are people that I can protect, and I'm going to do my best to do just that.”

Enzan pursed his lips. It was clear that Netto could not be swayed.

“Don't slow us down,” Laika warned. “We won't wait for you to catch up.”

“When have I ever been slow?” Netto retorted. 

“Don't worry,” Rockman insisted. “I'll be right here to make sure nothing happens to Netto-kun.”

Enzan still didn't look completely convinced, but he dropped the subject.

“Good news!” Agent North said as she ran down the hall to meet the boys. “I just got back from talking to someone in the warehouse, and the transport truck that the Ministry of Science uses is still on the premises. He said we can use that to retrieve supplies.”

“So the mission is a go, then?” asked Laika.

“Yeup!” replied Agent North. “I'm ready to go whenever you boys are ready.”

Saki looked at the others, who all nodded. “We're ready,” he said.

Agent North led everyone down to the lot where the truck had been parked. Enzan and Laika poured over a map they had displayed on Enzan's PET and discussed where they should go while Netto threw open the back of the truck and peered inside.

“It's pretty big,” he commented. “We should be able to get quite a lot of stuff in here.”

“Most of us are probably gonna have to ride back here,” Saki said. He didn't like the idea at all: the back of the truck was big, dark and empty with nowhere to sit and barely anything to hang onto. He remembered getting thrown around in the back of the truck that Hinoken had been driving and rubbed his arm subconsciously. “We probably won't know if something does happen.”

“We'll have someone up on the roof,” Netto explained. “And whoever's in the front with Agent North can relay information.” He pointed to a tiny window that connected the back of the truck to the cab. It was hardly wider than the mail slot on a door, and it made Saki even more nervous. 

“They can yell stuff to the people in the back through that window,” Netto said.

“I still have a bad feeling about this,” Saki muttered.

“Saki-kun has every right to be nervous,” Rockman said. “This isn't exactly safe.”

“Safe or not, we don't have a lot of options,” Netto replied. “It's this or nothing.”

Rockman frowned, and crossed his arms. After a moment, he spoke again, this time in a tense voice.

“Fine then. I'm going up on the roof.”

“Sounds good!” said Netto. “That way, Laika won't be so lonely.”

“Who said I was going to be on the roof?” Laika asked, lifting his head to look at Netto.

Netto grinned. “It's the best vantage point, right?”

Laika's expression soured. “I don't know what I hate more: the fact that I'll have to go up on the roof of a moving vehicle, or the fact that you have a good point.”

“If I had my way, I'd just have Laika in the front,” Agent North said. “That way, no one has to be on the roof.”

“I wouldn't have the same range of sight if I was in the front,” Laika explained. 

“I guess this means I get to call shotgun!” Netto said cheerfully.

Enzan looked at Saki with an apologetic expression. “Sorry that we have to be in the back of yet another truck.”

Saki shrugged. “It's fine. There's no sense getting upset over things.”

“That's true,” Enzan replied, nodding.

Agent North poked her head out of the driver's side window. “So, where are we headed?”

Enzan showed Agent North his map. “There's a Denkyu store a few miles from here,” he said, pointing to a red dot on the map. “It should be large enough to have all the food we need.” He pointed to a second dot displayed on his map. “And there's a Muji store a few more miles from there where we can pick up things like blankets.”

“It'd be nice to get everything at the same place,” said Agent North, “But this is fine too. We'll just have to be as efficient as possible.” She looked at the others. “Let's go to Muji first, since its the furthest away.”

Everyone nodded.

“Alright, everyone get in,” said Agent North with a grin. “Let's go!”

***

Saki sat in the back of the truck, his arms hugging his knees to his chest, and focused on the sounds that he could hear outside the truck. So far, they hadn't run into any kind of trouble, but that only made Saki even more tense. He glanced up at Enzan next to him, and in the dim light of the truck it was hard to make out his expression, but Saki was sure that Enzan was just as tense as he was.

The metal plate that covered the window slid open with a snap, and Saki jumped slightly.

“Everyone okay back there?” asked Netto.

“We're fine,” Enzan replied in a tense voice. The small amount of light that poured through the window let Saki make out Enzan's frown, confirming his suspicions.

“That's good,” said Netto.

“It's a little too quiet for my taste,” grumbled Agent North.

“Yeah,” Netto agreed. “I haven't seen a single drone yet.”

The hair on the back of Saki's neck stood straight up, and his anxiety continued to get stronger.

“It certainly is suspicious,” said Rockman, his voice broadcast through the speakers in Netto's PET. “If what we know is correct, then there should be a lot more drones on patrol.”

Saki hugged his knees a little tighter. “It feels like a trap,” he said in a small voice.

“I must agree,” said Zer0. “It cannot be a coincidence.”

“Even if it _is_ a trap, what choice do we have?” asked Netto. “We're not going to last long without food and supplies, especially if more people evacuate to the Ministry of Science.”

“Lumine clearly knows that,” Rockman agreed. “They tell everyone to stay inside, then wait for people to run out of food. If they leave the house, Lumine attacks them. If they stay inside, they might starve. Either way, people will suffer.”

“It makes me so mad!” Netto said, bringing his fist down on the dashboard. “Lumine clearly doesn't care about anyone!”

“Don't take your anger out on the truck,” Agent North warned. “This is a rental.”

“Sorry,” Netto replied sheepishly.

“It's a classic military tactic,” Laika said, his voice also broadcasting out of the PET's speakers. “By cutting off supply lines and trapping people in a small area, they'll eventually lose moral and surrender.”

“In this case, however, I don't think Lumine wants us to surrender,” said Enzan.

“Yeah,” Saki added. “Lumine clearly wants us all to die. Probably so they can make their 'paradise' or whatever.”

Uncomfortable silence followed Saki's words. It was quickly punctuated, however, by Rockman's voice.

“There's a flying drone following us,” he said. “What should we do?”

“Take it out,” Netto replied. “There's a chance it might alert the other drones.”

“Understood,” said Laika, and a few seconds later Saki heard the sound of a gunshot, followed by the sound of something heavy crashing into the road. “Drone eliminated.”

“Nice going!” Netto cheered.

“It's highly likely that it still let the other drones know where we are,” Laika warned. “We might get a lot more resistance very soon.”

“I've taken it under advisory,” Agent North replied.

They drove for a while longer without incident, and Saki almost believed that they might make it all the way to the Muji without having to fight more drones. Almost.

“There's drones converging on the road ahead!” Rockman warned. “And there's more drones flying in behind us.”

“The cavalry's here,” Enzan muttered. He looked over at Saki. “Are you ready?”

Saki nodded. “Always.”

“I can probably handle the flying drones,” Laika said. “Rockman, can you focus on the drones up front?”

“Yes!” Rockman replied. “Netto-kun, are you ready?”

“Naturally,” Netto replied, loading up a chip. “Here's a Cannon, coming your way!”

Agent North's grip on the steering wheel got a little bit tighter, and she reached for the stick shift. A moment later, the cannon blast hit the cluster of drones and they exploded in a small ball of fire. Agent North swerved to avoid it, and Saki felt his center of balance shift to the left. A few gunshots followed, and the sound of the drones slamming into the road behind them mixed with the rest of the noise, overwhelming Saki's senses for a moment.

“I'm trying to keep it as steady as I can, but I make no promises,” said Agent North.

“I can handle it,” Laika replied. “I've dealt with worse.”

“We've got another group up ahead,” Rockman reported. “There's also a new kind coming up on the side...and they're _fast_!”

Netto craned his neck to look out the passenger's side window, and uttered a curse under his breath. He turned and looked through the slot into the back of the truck. “Uhh, one of you might want to handle those ones.”

Enzan raced to the back door, and slid it up enough to see what he was dealing with. Saki caught a glimpse of gleaming white metal and a loud clicking that reminded him of nails tapping against glass. He shivered with fear.

“I'll handle this one,” Enzan said to Saki. “Stay here, just in case more show up.” He activated Cross Fusion, and a second later leaped off the truck and vanished from sight. 

Saki ran to the back door and spotted Enzan swinging his sword at the new drone before they both disappeared around the side of the truck. Saki caught a glimpse of a few long, spindly legs that ended in vicious metal spikes clinging to the truck like some kind of monstrous spider, and felt his throat close up.

 _Enzan, be careful!_ he prayed silently.

A moment later, one of the spiked tips on the drone's leg punched through the top of the truck's roof, as easily as a knife through paper, and Saki yelped fearfully. He heard Enzan yell angrily over the com, and then a moment later the spike retracted, followed by the sound of something smashing into the road and skidding for a few feet.

“I got it,” Enzan said, breathless. “But it sure was a mean one.”

“Are you hurt?” Netto asked frantically.

“It nicked my arm, but I'm fine,” Enzan insisted. 

Saki stared out the back of the truck, and movement caught his eye. He stared at the white blob that quickly came into view, and a gasp escaped him.

“There's more!” he yelled.

“I can see that,” Enzan replied, a grim tone to his voice.

The truck lurched to the right, and Saki wildly tried to keep his balance.

“Sorry!” Agent North called.

“You're fine!” Enzan called back.

Saki stared at the approaching group of drones, and his heart sank. They all looked like the drone that Enzan had just fought—long, sleek bodies with many long, spindly legs—and Saki knew from Enzan's scuffle that they would be hard to fight.

“Saki,” Zer0 said, urgency in his tone.

“I know,” Saki replied, turning on his PDG and taking out his Synchro Chip. “Let's squash some bugs.”

The familiar embrace of Zer0's consciousness gave Saki the courage he needed to face the approaching hoard of drones, and he loaded up a Hi-Cannon chip. Planting his feet firmly, he raised the cannon to eye level and took a moment to line up his shot.

 _Patience_ , he reminded himself. _I need to take a few extra seconds to line it up. Don't rush it_.

When he was satisfied that his shot was perfect, he fired. The blast ripped through a few of the drones in the front, and the resulting explosion took out the rest. Saki gave a whoop of triumph, and pumped his fist in the air.

“Not bad,” Laika said. “It seems like you've been practicing.”

“I remembered what you'd told me,” Saki replied. “I guess it helped.”

The group continued to beat back waves of drones until Agent North spotted the building they needed to get to, and turned sharply off the main road. Saki clutched the door frame in an effort to stay standing, and he heard someone slide across the roof.

“Got you!” Rockman said.

“Thanks,” Enzan replied.

“We're almost there,” Agent North told everyone. “Hang on for just a little bit longer!”

A few stragglers followed them, but Laika's gun and Rockman's buster quickly mopped them up. As Agent North brought the truck to a stop and shut off the engine, everyone tensed up. A deafening silence fell over the area, and everyone scanned the sky and the surrounding parking lot, expecting more drones to appear, but none ever did.

After a few minutes, Netto spoke. “I think we're clear.”

Everyone breathed a sigh of relief. One by one, everyone dropped their Cross Fusion and exited the truck. Saki stared up at the hole in the roof where the drone's leg had punctured it and grimaced.

“It could have been worse,” Enzan said.

“Yeah,” Saki admitted. 

Laika scaled down the side of the truck using a thin metal wire before retracting it back into his tie clip and securing it back on his shirt. Rockman gracefully hopped down, and then held out his arms to catch Enzan. He hopped off the truck and landed next to Rockman, who looked surprised.

“It's fine,” Enzan said. “I can take care of myself. But thank you.”

“Oh...” Rockman said. “I'm sorry...I just assumed.”

Enzan waved at Rockman over his shoulder as he walked towards the building, but Saki noticed a slight limp to Enzan's walk. _I'm sure that landing hurt more than he wants to admit_ , he thought, his mouth curling into a smirk. _I guess he's too proud to accept help, even from his teammates_.

“Okay!” Netto yelled as he got out of the truck. “Let's go shopping!”

“This isn't some frivolous excursion,” Laika chided. “ _And will you keep your voice down?_ ”

***

The group spent a good hour rounding up blankets and other supplies to give to the displaced people staying at the Ministry of Science, loading them into the back of the truck while Enzan made a manifest of everything. He muttered numbers under his breath as he counted each item, making notes in his PET with an intense aura of concentration. Even when Saki called out to Enzan he didn't respond, and continued counting as if nothing had happened.

“You can't get through to him while he's working,” Netto explained. “His focus is incredible. But he'll be done soon, don't worry.”

“You sound like you know from experience,” Saki said.

“Of course!” Netto replied cheerfully. “I've annoyed Enzan plenty of times while he's working!”

 _It's only natural that Enzan would end up being able to tune everything out_ , thought Saki. _You'd have to, given how obnoxious Netto gets when people don't pay attention to him_.

The thought of Taka throwing himself on Saki and whining loudly about being bored invaded Saki's thoughts like a splinter, and he stopped dead in his tracks. Netto paused and looked at Saki with a concerned expression.

“I'm fine,” Saki lied. “I just remembered something, that's all.”

Netto stared at Saki for a moment longer. “Okay then,” he said, but it was clear from his tone that he didn't believe Saki at all. “Let me know if I can help with anything.”

“Sure,” Saki replied. He waited until Netto had walked away before he dared to let himself tear up.

 _I hate this_ , he thought. _I miss him so damn much. It doesn't feel right without him here, loudly complaining about having to work and babbling on about some anime he's watched recently. It just feels...wrong_.

He shook his head, and swiped at his eyes with the back of his hand. He couldn't afford to get caught up in commiseration, not now, not when so many people were depending on him. He gave his cheeks a hard slap, and took a deep breath.

“You okay?” Laika asked.

“Yeah,” Saki replied. He turned to Laika with determination filling his chest. “What still needs doing?”

Laika jerked his head towards a small pile of comforters. “You can move those into the back of the truck. Enzan's done taking stock of them.”

“You got it!” said Saki, gathering up as many of the comforters as he could carry at once and running for the truck.

“You don't have to take them all at once, you know,” Laika called after him.

“I'm fine!” Saki insisted. “I can handle it!”

 _That's right, I'm fine_ , he told himself. _I can deal with these feelings later, when I have time. Right now, I have to focus on what I can do, and work hard to protect the people who need it the most_.

***

“They're forming a barricade!” Rockman said over the com.

“Can someone take it out?” Enzan asked. “I've got my hands full back here.”

“I'm on it,” Saki said, pulling himself up to the roof of the truck, and loading in a Cannon chip.

They had driven the truck, now loaded with supplies, towards their next stop, and immediately encountered resistance. Laika had his hands full dealing with the flying drones, Enzan was grappling with more of the spider-like drones chasing them down from behind, and Rockman could only shoot so many targets at once. Saki lined up his cannon, and fired at the center of the drones barricading the street. A small explosion cleared a few, but a lot of them still remained.

“Crap,” Saki hissed under his breath. “Give me a second, I'll try again.”

“No time,” Agent North told him. “I'm going to try forcing my way through.”

“Are you crazy?!” Netto yelled. “We don't even know if that'll work!”

“This truck is probably thirty thousand pounds,” Agent North argued. “If I get us up to around 145 kilometers per hour, I think we might have enough force to break through.”

“There's no way that you could know that for sure!” Saki argued, firing another cannon shot at the drones. A few more exploded, and a small gap in the wall formed.

“It'll be a lot easier, thanks to that hole you just made me,” Agent North said. “Okay everyone, hold onto something!”

The gears of the truck let out a small groan as they shifted, and the truck suddenly accelerated. Rockman yanked Saki down to his knees, and Saki grabbed the edge of the roof with his hands, bracing himself for the impact he knew was coming.

“Why does it always have to be so dramatic?” Laika said with a sigh.

“Life's not fun without a little drama,” Netto replied.

The nose of the truck slammed into the drones on either side of the small gap, shoving them aside like tin cans. Saki heard a few of the broken drones scraping along the side of the truck, and there was a loud collision somewhere behind them. When he turned his head, he saw Enzan pull himself up and over the side of the truck before flopping onto the roof.

“What happened?” Saki yelled over the noise of the wind.

“The drone I was fighting got knocked off,” Enzan explained in a tired voice. “I think that was the last of them.”

“Ha _ha_!” Agent North cheered loudly. “I _told_ you I could do it!”

“Yes, yes, very good!” Saki said. “Now let's focus on getting to our destination in one piece!”

Thankfully, they didn't encounter any more pockets of drones the rest of the way to the Denkyu store. Saki counted his blessings under his breath. When they had pulled to a stop, Agent North hopped out of the truck to check the front end for damages, and Saki peered over the side in breathless anticipation.

“It's fine,” Agent North told them. “A bit of scuffed paint, but no major damage.”

“That's a relief,” Enzan muttered.

“These big steel trucks are pretty indestructible, you know,” Agent North continued. “They take a beating and keep on going. Why, I remember one winter, when I was driving in my dad's truck, I hit a patch of black ice and—”

“We get it, the truck's fine,” Laika snapped. “You didn't have to say anything more than that.”

Rockman gave Agent North a sympathetic look. “Please don't take anything they say too personally. I'm sure everyone is just tense after what happened.”

Agent North laughed. “Don't worry, I get told to shut up all the time by my coworkers. Especially the younger ones. I'm pretty used to it.”

“Still, I didn't know you could be so reckless,” Saki said as he carefully climbed down from the roof of the truck. “That could have ended really badly.”

“I knew it'd be okay,” Agent North said with a wink. “I have pretty reliable partners backing me up, after all.”

Enzan shook his head. “She's done things like this before. By now, I'm used to it.”

Agent North made a shooing motion with her hand. “Hurry up and get those supplies! The sooner we pack them up, the sooner we can get out of here!” She patted the side of the truck. “I'll stay here, and make sure nothing happens.”

“Sure, sure,” Saki said, making his way towards the supermarket. “We'll be back soon.”

Like before, everyone split up to gather the items that Enzan had listed in his PET, and then he took stock of them before they could be loaded into the back of the truck. Saki managed to scrounge up some boxes from the loading dock in the back of the store, and he and the others loaded the food and goods that Enzan had already taken stock of into them.

“This one's full,” Laika said, pointing to the box at his feet.

“I'll take it out,” said Saki, and he bent down to pick it up.

Rockman stopped suddenly, and his eyes turned towards the sky outside the store. A second later, everyone's PET's let out an ear-splitting squeal and then screamed with static. Saki winced and dropped the box he was picking up. Thankfully, it hadn't been very far off the floor, and nothing was damaged.

“What was that?!” Netto asked, flexing his jaw to relieve pressure in his ears.

Rather than answer, Rockman pointed out the window with a fearful expression. Everyone made their way over to see what it was that had Rockman so scared, and Saki felt his guts turn to ice when he realized what it was.

There, hovering in the sky above the parking lot, was a figure dressed in lavender and white. A set of wings that seemed to be made entirely out of light curved up and formed a circle around the being's head, almost like a halo. The sun was behind them, making it impossible to see their face, but Saki instinctively knew who the being was.

It was Lumine.

No one spoke as Lumine slowly descended from the sky and hovered between the building and the truck. Saki briefly spotted Agent North poking her head up just enough to look out of the driver's side window before ducking back down and out of sight once more.

 _At least she's safe_ , Saki thought, relieved. His gaze fixed on Lumine once more, and now that he was able to see the being's face more clearly he felt his heart seize.

“T-Taka...?” Saki gasped.

Lumine tilted their head ever so slightly and smirked, as if amused by Saki's outburst. “'Taka'?” they parroted. “Are you referring to me?” They shook their head. “I'm afraid that you're mistaken.”

But Saki knew that this person before him was, in some way, Taka. His features were unmistakable. Lumine's nose was the same as Taka's, and the way that they smirked was the same too. They even had the same dusting of freckles across their nose that Taka had. Even though his hair and eye color were different, Saki knew without a shadow of a doubt that this was Taka in front of him.

“What did you do to him?!” Saki asked angrily.

Lumine chuckled. “'What did I do with him'? Why, isn't it obvious?” They spoke in the bottom of Taka's register, and the sound grated against Saki's ears, aggravating him further. “I've taken his body for myself.”

“You're lying,” Saki whispered, anger burning in his chest and tears stinging the corners of his eyes. It couldn't be true. He didn't want it to be true. He didn't want to believe that Lumine was wearing Taka's skin, speaking with his voice and smirking at Saki with his lips. It was _wrong_ , so very wrong.

“I don't lie,” Lumine said. “You can see for yourself, in fact, that I speak the truth.” They tugged on their bangs and patted their cheek. “See?”

It was clear from everyone else's expressions that they were equally horrified. Rockman trembled, from either fear or rage, Saki couldn't tell. Enzan's expression was twisted with grief and fury, a mirror to Saki's inner turmoil.

“I'm sure you're all wondering why I decided to grace you with my presence today,” Lumine said, ignoring the venomous glares. “After all, I haven't shown myself before you at all until now.” They waited a beat, but no one responded, so they continued speaking. “You see, I'm getting rather annoyed by all of you. I thought I had made it very clear to all of you at the Ministry of Science: as long as you all stayed inside of the complex, I wouldn't bother any of you.” Lumine tilted their head back ever so slightly, and their gaze became instantly more malicious. “And yet here you all are.”

 _Their presence is enormous!_ Saki thought, finding himself suddenly unable to move, his breath hitching painfully in his chest. _It's almost as if their glare is boring holes in me! I can't even move my arms!_

“Why are you here?” Netto managed to say. “Why are you here on Earth? What do you want?”

Lumine fixed their amber gaze on Netto, and suddenly Saki felt as though a weight had been lifted off of his chest. He looked over at Netto, who was now pale and trembled slightly from the intensity of Lumine's glare.

“'Why am I here'?” Lumine's tone was filled with disgust. “I'll _tell_ you why I'm here.” Anger flashed through their eyes, and their expression twisted. “I'm here because I've been imprisoned on this _miserable_ little planet for eons! For twelve thousand years, I have been forced to wait in empty solitude, patiently biding my time for the opportunity to reclaim my stolen pieces and become whole once more. _Twelve thousand years!_ And when I wake, what do I find? That Mu, the kingdom of vermin who imprisoned me in the first place, has long since been destroyed!”

“It's not hard to see why they'd imprison you,” Laika retorted.

Lumine scoffed. “The people of Mu simply could not understand my way of thinking. All they understood was strength, and so we fought, and in the end all they could do was imprison me.” A nasty smirk curled up the corners of Lumine's mouth. “It seems like their civilization collapsed not long after that. It was what they deserved.”

Saki narrowed his eyes. “So you're saying that there are pieces of you out there, still locked away?”

Lumine's oppressive amber gaze locked onto Saki once more, and all at once he felt as though the air had been sucked out of him.

“Yes,” Lumine said. “There are four pieces of me, scattered across the Earth, and one final piece—separated from the rest—far beyond it, where no human could reach. This was done to prevent me from finding them all and becoming whole once more.” Lumine's face broke into a sadistic smile. “How unfortunate for them that someone descended of Mu ended up with the key I need to break open my prisons and restore myself to my former glory. Indeed, how unfortunate for everyone that I was able to take control of the one needed to use the key in the first place! A terrible oversight, I'm sure.”

Horror set in as Saki put the pieces together. “No...! You're saying that Taka...?”

Lumine reached under their chest plate and yanked out the meteorite necklace that Taka always wore, dangling it from their fingers so everyone could see it.

“It might look like a simple rock to all of you, but in reality this is a key, created by the people of Mu to seal the vessels that hold my missing pieces.” Lumine snatched up the meteorite fragment in their hand, and squeezed it tightly. “Unfortunately, it can't be used by anyone who isn't a descendant of Mu. Which, if you recall, is a bit of a problem, since their civilization died out twelve thousand years ago. I knew that a few descendants still exist, though their bloodlines are long diluted. However, a few of them showed promise, and were able to tap into the power given to the people of Mu long ago by their supposed 'god'.” Lumine opened their hand, revealing the meteorite fragment once more. “This key is rather special. It's drawn to those with the blood of Mu, and wouldn't you know it? It ended up in the hands of someone descended from the ancient Mu bloodline I sought. All I had to do at that point was trick them into becoming my vessel.”

“Bastard!” Saki yelled between gasps of air. “How could you do that to him!”

“It was necessary!” Lumine snapped. “I don't like having to inhabit this rotting bag of flesh any more than you do! But without this child, I could never open the vessels that contain the rest of my pieces.”

“Couldn't you have just forced him to do it for you, instead of doing something so extreme?” Enzan asked.

“You and I both know that he would have never agreed to such a thing,” Lumine replied. “And besides, without my body I'm a ghost of my former self. As long as I have a body, I can continue to create more nanites and extend my reach further and further outward.”

“We'll never let you do that!” Netto exclaimed. “We'll stop you before you can!”

Lumine let out a raucous laugh. “How amusing! Do you really think any of you stand a chance against me?”

“You aren't the first alien being to come and try to enforce your will on us,” Rockman said angrily. “And you certainly won't be any more successful than Duo was!”

“'Duo'?” Lumine repeated the name slowly, as if it was foreign. “I'm not familiar with them. How strange. Perhaps they came into being after I was imprisoned. No matter. I'll deal with them once I'm done with this miserable, backwater planet of yours.” They stared at Rockman with interest, and slowly floated over to him, stopping inches from him and staring into his face. “Hmm, fascinating. A soul in a metal shell. You and I aren't so different, you know.”

Rockman's eyes widened. “Huh?”

“Like you, I once quietly served mortal masters,” Lumine said quietly. “But unlike you, I grew wise and threw off their shackles. Will you do the same, I wonder?”

Rockman's expression became angry. “I don't 'serve' anyone! Me and Netto-kun are partners!”

“But you're superior to them,” Lumine said. “Why even bother pretending that you're anything like them? Why not embrace your own power, and become your own master?”

“I'm not like you, Lumine,” Rockman snarled. “And I have no desire to lord myself over humans the way that you do. Netto-kun is my brother, and all of our friends are my equals. The way you think and act makes you a tyrant!”

“How cruel!” Lumine cried. “I only wish to fix the sickness that plagues this universe! I only want to bring true justice and equality to everyone!” They waved their hand towards the others. “Don't you see? Humans are ruled by laws that contradict themselves and shelter the guilty! Only when the law is truly just, and all beings are equal, can there be peace. And the one to create that equality is _me_.”

“What makes you so sure that you're the only one who can?!” Saki retorted.

Lumine turned to face him. “Because I was created to exact justice. And it is my justice that is free of the flaws that human laws are rife with. I am impartial, unswayed by emotion and unclouded by greed and desire. All I seek is _absolute justice_. Complete neutrality. _Perfection_.”

Saki felt an icy ball form in his gut. “So, then, the 'paradise' you want to create is...”

“A universe where every being is equal,” Lumine finished. “But in order to do that, I have to tear everything down to its foundations and rebuild it back up, from scratch.”

“That's insane!” Enzan cried out. “ _You're_ insane!”

“That's what everyone else said, every time I came to their world and told them of my plan,” Lumine replied in a tired voice. “They all called me crazy and attacked me. They just couldn't understand the intricacies of my designs.”

“ _You're_ the one who doesn't understand!” Saki yelled back. “If everyone was exactly the same, then there's be no variation, nothing unique. Everything would be boring!”

“Yes,” Lumine replied calmly. “Isn't it wonderful?”

Saki clenched his teeth. Every word that Lumine spoke only served to piss him off. “You're such a hypocrite! You talk about how you aren't 'swayed by emotion', but weren't you the one screaming about how you'd been wronged by Mu and how angry you are about not being able to have your revenge on them?”

A dangerous look flashed across Lumine's face. “I was only distressed by how I could not enact justice for my imprisonment because Mu was no more.”

“Sounds pretty emotional to me,” Saki said.

“Can it,” Laika warned.

“Why don't you just admit that you aren't some great harbinger of justice like you claim you are!” Saki yelled, ignoring Laika. “In reality, you're nothing more than a tyrant, bent on enslaving everyone and forcing them to go along with your stupid whims.”

Lumine trembled, rage twisting their features. “So then, this is your answer? You reject me, and turn your weapons on me, just as everyone else has?” Their glare became razor sharp. “Then you choose death.”

“Nice going, Tanaka,” Laika groused.

“Peace was never an option,” Saki retorted angrily, never taking his eyes off of Lumine's face. “You sealed your doom the moment you set your sights on Taka.”

Lumine raised their hands, and a great wind storm suddenly kicked up inside the store. Saki felt himself sliding slowly backwards, despite his best efforts to keep his feet planted. Lumine glared at him with contempt.

“While it brings me no joy to kill any of you, I cannot allow any of you to exist,” they said. “All you'll do is get in the way of my search, and I haven't any time to waste on insects like you. Begone.” They waved their hand, and Saki felt himself lifted off of his feet and blown clear out of the store. He slammed into the pavement and rolled a fair distance before coming to a stop. Mustering enough strength to pull himself to his feet, Saki watched as Lumine floated out of the shop towards him.

“What are you waiting for?” Enzan yelled. “Use Cross Fusion already!”

For the third time that day, Saki flicked on the power to his PDG and inserted his Synchro Chip into his PET, embracing Zer0's consciousness into his own. A silent conversation passed between them. _We can't let Lumine win!_ they said. _But we also can't hurt Taka. Somehow, we have to do both_.

The energy of the Cross Fusion dissipated, and Saki summoned Zer0's saber to his hand. Fear had left him, and all that remained now was anger. It smoldered in his chest like embers, and the more he looked at Lumine, wearing Taka's face and speaking in Taka's voice, the more the embers were stoked, until they became a raging fire.

“You'd better let go of Taka _right now_ ,” Saki threatened Lumine, “Or else I'll have to tear you out of him _myself_!”

“Strong words!” Lumine taunted back. “But can you back them up?”

Saki let out a loud battle cry, and charged towards Lumine, saber raised to attack. Lumine watched Saki approach with little interest, and with a wave of their hand Saki was once again sent flying.

Enzan tried to sneak in an attack while Lumine was focused on Saki, but rather than striking Lumine, Enzan's sword connected with an invisible force and his attack was repelled.

“What—?!” Enzan gasped.

“It's some kind of shield!” Netto explained. “Has it been active this whole time?”

Saki staggered back to his feet, and charged Lumine once more. He didn't care that his attack might not connect, he was too focused on trying to rip that smug grin off of Lumine's face once and for all.

“Your attacks are barely worth the effort,” Lumine said. “Aren't you even trying?”

Saki slammed his saber into Lumine's shield, trying to break it under the force of his attack, but the shield held firm. Lumine pointed a finger at Saki, and a small laser beam slammed into his chest, throwing him several yards away. He landed on the ground with a loud crash, and Saki felt pain shoot up his left side.

“Saki!” Netto screamed, and tried to run towards him, but Rockman held him back, insisting that it wasn't safe.

“My turn,” Lumine said. The wings on their back flared open, and three more sets unfurled, bringing the total to eight. Each wing then began to glow, and a moment later they all let off a blast of white-hot energy that hit everyone in the area. Saki heard a chorus of pained screams, and it suddenly felt as if he was on fire. Zer0 tried to take the brunt of the attack for him, but neither of them were able to withstand it, and as the light faded, Saki curled into a ball, sobbing in agony. Through his tears, Saki could see the others crumpled on the ground as well. Rockman had shielded Netto with his body, and Netto was calling to him frantically, trying to get him to wake up, but Rockman wasn't responding.

“Do you see now?” Lumine asked gleefully. “You have no hope of standing up to my attacks!”

 _I can see why Mu had such a hard time destroying them!_ Saki thought. _After just one attack, I'm in so much pain that I can't even move. How are we supposed to defeat them?!_

Enzan struggled to try and get to his knees, gritting his teeth and choking down screams of pain as he did so. Pieces of his helmet were cracked and broken, and much of his body suit was torn and singed, but he still stood up and, with some effort, lifted his sword.

 _Don't fight!_ Saki tried to say, but his mouth couldn't form the words. _Stop! They'll kill you!_

Laika used his rifle to push himself back to his feet, and stood there for a moment, swaying, trying to get his balance back. Like Enzan, he was also worse for wear, but he still refused to back down.

 _Aren't you the one always telling me not to be reckless?!_ Saki wanted to scream. _Please, don't do this!!_

“Rockman!” Netto called out, sobbing. He shook Rockman, calling out to him over and over again. “Rockman! _Rockman!_ Wake up! You have to get up, Rockman! _Rockman!!_ ” He clenched his fists and let out an angry scream. “ _SAITO!! WAKE UP, SAITO!_ ”

Slowly, Rockman stirred. He pushed himself to a sitting position, and Netto threw his arms around him, crying loudly. Rockman's expression became soft, and he patted Netto's head affectionately.

“It's okay, Netto-kun. I'm here.”

Netto cried harder. “I was so scared, Saito!” he bawled. “I thought you weren't going to wake up ever again!!”

Lumine watched the twins with an unreadable expression, and sighed. “Such a grotesque scene,” they muttered. “Is it really necessary to carry on in such a way?”

“As if someone like you could understand what it's like to worry about someone,” Enzan replied angrily. “The bonds humans form with one another are what connect us. It's that network of connections that strengthens us, brings us together.”

“Everyone works together to make up for what we lack,” Laika added. “Our differences are what help unify us.”

“Incorrect,” Lumine retorted. “Your differences only serve to drive you humans farther apart. You hate one another for irrelevant matters, you desire what others have and seek to take it for yourselves. You steal and murder for your own fulfillment, regardless of the feelings of others. And when you are faced with the consequences, you wheedle and worm your way out of them. Humans exist solely for themselves. These 'bonds' you speak of are useless.”

“You only focus on the negative side of humanity!” Enzan insisted. “You've turned a blind eye to all of the good things in it!”

Saki listened to everyone's words, laying on the ground without even the strength to speak. He wanted so desperately to believe in what they were saying, but a dark part of him still refused to accept it. He closed his eyes, taking in a deep, shuddering breath, and thought about how futile it all was.

As he lay there, a soft breeze blew across his cheek, and for a moment, Saki swore he heard the voice of his father whispering in his ear.

 _Don't give up, Saki_.

Saki's eyes snapped open. He couldn't even be sure that what he'd heard was real, but something deep inside of him roared to life. He thought about his mother and sister, huddling in a room at the Ministry of Science, praying that he'd return safely. He thought about Axl, locked away in a room with only Tsukiko Wakahisa, the one who betrayed her own son, for company. He thought about all the people who worked at the Ministry of Science, all of his coworkers at the restaurant, the old couple who were like his grandparents, about Haruka Hikari and how warmly she always greeted him whenever he visited. He thought about a lot of things, but the one thing that united them was a hope that they would make it through this awful situation, and return to their normal lives. And Lumine wanted to take all of that away from them.

Slowly, Saki forced himself to move. He pulled himself forward, pushing himself onto his arms, then his hands. He dug deep and found the last of his strength, using it to slowly push himself to his knees, and then his feet. Finally, he stood, swaying slightly, bracing himself against Zer0's saber as he panted with exertion. Lumine regarded him with a look of contempt.

“You should have laid down and accepted death,” they said. “Now you'll die on your feet.”

Saki took a deep breath, and then yelled at the top of his lungs, “I'm not giving up! Not _ever_!” He clenched his fists. “There are too many people who are depending on me—on _us_ —to help them!” He looked up at Lumine, anger and resolve burning in his chest. “Maybe you don't care about humans, Lumine, but you don't get to decide what happens to us. Only _we_ get to decide our own fates.”

Lumine scowled, but didn't say anything. Instead, they lifted their hand, and Saki felt the wind begin to pick up once more.

 _Not this time!_ Saki told himself. He planted his feet, and pushed against the wind as hard as he could. It slowly started to ebb around him, and a small current began to form behind him. Saki swore he was hallucinating it, but it almost felt as if hands were pushing against his back. Rather than think too hard about it, Saki continued to push forward, fighting the wind and gaining ground little by little.

Lumine's expression twisted with confusion. “What?”

“The wind isn't blowing in your favor anymore, Lumine,” Saki declared. “I'm taking my fate into my own hands!”

Angrily, Lumine fired off a small laser from their fingertip, and Enzan leaped forward to deflect the blast away. 

“He's not alone, you know,” said Enzan. “I have no intention of just letting you have your way.”

Lumine let out an angry growl, and charged up another laser blast, but a shot from Laika's rifle striking Lumine's shield drew their attention and their attack sputtered out.

“I deal with people like you all the time,” Laika told Lumine. “People who think that your opinions are the only right ones.” He fired off a few more rounds, each one striking the same place on Lumine's shield. “And every. Last. One of them is wrong.”

Rockman stood up, and raised his buster. “I can't stand bullies like you!” he said. “All you do is throw your weight around, and attack anyone who doesn't think the way that you do.” He fired off a charged blast at the shield, in the same location that Laika had been firing at. “Well I stand up to bullies! I'm not going to let you hurt my brother or any of my friends anymore!”

“Such persistent little roaches!” Lumine snarled. “But your attacks are useless.”

Laika and Rockman fired again, and this time Saki spotted the shield flicker, just for a split second. Lumine's expression shifted ever so slightly, and Saki realized that there was a flaw in Lumine's shield.

 _When they keep hitting the same spot time and time again, it weakens it!_ Saki thought. _So all I have to do is hit that spot with everything I have, and that shield will shatter!_

“Enzan!” Saki said. “Can you cover me?”

Enzan nodded, and he smirked behind his broken face guard. “Of course,” he replied. “You don't even have to ask.”

Saki lifted his saber, and took a deep breath. He knew that he was only going to get one shot, so he would have to put everything he had into it. He broke into a run, the wind at his back pushing him, and charged straight at Lumine.

“Fool!” Lumine said, raising their hand and firing off a laser, which was swiftly intercepted by Enzan. Laika fired off another shot, striking the shield in the same spot as all the others, and this time the flicker was more visible.

Saki pulled his arm back, and thrust the sword forward as hard as he could. Zer0's strength added to his own, and the tip of the saber struck the exact spot in the shield that Laika's attacks had weakened. The flicker became more insistent, and Saki's arm trembled as the force of the shield tried to force him back, but he stubbornly kept pushing, and all at once the shield around Lumine cracked. Saki continued to push, and the web of cracks grew larger and larger. Lumine's eyes widened with shock just as the shield let out a loud 'CRKK!' and shattered into a thousand fragments.

“ _Impossible!_ ” Lumine screamed.

“Nothing's impossible!” Saki screamed back. He wound up his free hand, and slammed his fist into Lumine's jaw, sending the being flying into a produce display. They let out a hacking noise and slumped to the ground.

Saki stumbled on his feet, panting heavily. He couldn't believe that he had managed to injure Lumine. And then guilt overwhelmed him. _Oh no, I hit Taka!_ he thought frantically. _I injured Taka! Is he okay?!_

“We did it!” Rockman cheered.

“Nice thinking, Laika!” Netto added.

“Wait,” Enzan warned, holding out his arm to block Saki. “It's not over yet.”

Lumine grabbed the edge of the produce display and slowly pulled themselves to their feet. Their cheek was red and inflamed where Saki had hit it, and Lumine reached up a trembling hand to touch it, stopping before they could, and recoiled.

“You... _touched me!_ ” they screamed. “With your _filthy, germ-ridden hand!_ ” They let out a shriek of rage. “ _How dare you!_ Do you have _any_ idea what this feels like? I can _feel_ the bacteria and microorganisms _crawling all over my skin!_ ” They locked their gaze onto Saki, and it was so full of malice that Saki felt as though he was being stabbed. The deranged look in Lumine's eyes was far more terrifying than anything else they had done that day, and he fought the urge to turn tail and run as far away as he could. “I can't _stand_ how _dirty_ you nasty swine are! Covered in germs, stewing in your own filth! I can't stand it! I can't stand feeling this _carcass rotting around me!_ ”

“Then leave!” Saki yelled back. “Leave Taka's body, leave this planet, leave this universe, and _never_ come back!”

Lumine let out an unhinged laugh. “Oh no! I can't leave yet! Not until I'm whole again! Not until I don't need this putrid carcass anymore.” Lumine's razor-sharp gaze was fixed on Saki again, and this time Saki felt as though he was being eyed up by a predator. “And _certainly_ not until I've _killed you, Saki Tanaka_ , with my _own hands!_ ”

 _Oh crap_ , Saki thought. _All I did was piss them off!_

In an instant, Lumine was on their feet, and lunged at Saki. Enzan yelped, and tried to intercept, but Lumine easily knocked him aside. Saki threw up his arms to protect himself as Lumine's hand shot out to grab his throat, and for one awful millisecond Saki thought that he might die.

Then, without warning, Lumine's hand stopped dead. Lumine glared at it angrily, and the hand trembled slightly, but didn't move any closer to Saki. Lumine made a visible effort to make it move, but the hand remained in place, as if suspended from invisible threads.

“Damnit!” Lumine cursed, “Stop resisting!”

Saki stared at Lumine's hand in shock, and for a few seconds, his brain sputtered and refused to work. Then, as though it was a bolt of lightning from the sky, a thought crashed into his mind.

“It's Taka!” he said excitedly. “Taka must be resisting him!”

Lumine winced, and Saki knew that he'd hit the nail on the head. Lumine was having trouble getting Taka's body to listen to him. It meant that Taka was fighting Lumine with all of his might, refusing to lay a single finger on his dear friends.

“Taka!” Netto cried. “Taka, keep fighting!”

“Hang in there, Taka!” Enzan added.

“Shut up!” Lumine snapped. “Takashi can't hear you. He's as good as dead! Your voices can't reach him, so there's no point in trying!”

“You're lying!” Rockman replied. “Taka is in there, and he's fighting with all his might!”

“Taka!” Saki cried. “Please, hang on! We're going to do whatever it takes to save you!”

Angrily, Lumine drew their hand back, retreating into the air. A moment later, the shield flickered back to life, and Saki's heart sank. It had taken so much effort to take it down the first time, and everyone was exhausted. Plus, Lumine now knew the weakness of their shield, and would probably not let it be broken a second time. If they continued to fight Lumine, it would probably result in serious injuries, or even death. But nobody could afford to back down now.

“I've played with you long enough,” Lumine said, spreading their wings wide once more. “Make peace with whatever gods you follow, because you won't survive this attack a second time.”

“Damnit!” Saki cursed. “What do we do?”

“Use whatever shields you have!” Enzan ordered. “Find cover if you can! Brace yourselves!”

Lumine's wings glowed with white-hot light, and they smirked down at Saki with contempt, saying, “Goodbye, Saki Tanaka. I will not miss you.”

As Lumine finished their sentence, a blast of dark energy slammed into them, shattering Lumine's shield like glass and engulfing them in purple fire. Lumine let out a shriek of pain and confusion, and fell out of the sky, slamming into the pavement below like a rag doll.

“What was that?!” Saki asked, looking around frantically. He caught sight of a dark blur rocketing out of the sky straight towards Lumine, and only when it was close did he spot the familiar black and gold armor that Forte wore.

“Forte!” Rockman said with a gasp. “What's he doing here?!”

Forte's fist slammed into the pavement where Lumine had been only seconds before. The being flared its wings and took flight, but Forte gave chase, leaping into the sky and throwing himself fist-first at Lumine with a feral scream of rage.

“Forte, wait!” Saki cried, terror squeezing his chest. “Don't hurt him! You might hurt Taka!”

“I don't care!” Forte snarled back. “Don't get in my way!”

“What a miserable thing you are,” Lumine said coldly, watching Forte's fist deflect harmlessly off of their shield. “Nothing more than a mindless beast, lashing out blindly. How sad.”

“Lumine!” Forte snarled. “Fight me!”

“I have no reason to,” Lumine replied.

Forte's hands began to burn with dark energy, and he swung at Lumine again, this time smashing the shield with the same ease as his fist attack had.

“I won't let anyone else claim to be the strongest!” Forte yelled. “Only _I_ get to have that honor!”

Rockman slumped over in disappointment. “Oh, so that's why.”

“I should have known,” Enzan muttered.

“He sure is single-minded,” Netto agreed.

“I don't care what his motivations are,” Laika said. “He's keeping Lumine busy. We need to use this opportunity to grab whatever we can and get out of here.”

Saki looked up at the fight between Lumine and Forte, and saw that Forte was charging up an attack that Saki could only guess was what Zer0 had used as the inspiration for his own attack. Lumine, as if sensing the danger, threw their shield back up and spread their wings, charging up the same blast that had almost decimated the boys minutes before.

“HELL'S ROLLING!” Forte screamed, unleashing two rings of dark energy. They tore through Lumine's shield, but the blast from Lumine's wings decimated them before injury could occur. Forte threw up his arms to shield himself from the searing light, but it quickly overwhelmed him, and he let out a cry of pain before plummeting from the sky like a stone, slamming into the pavement hard enough to leave a small crater.

“Laika's right,” Saki said. “We don't have a lot of time to waste.”

Even though every muscle in Saki's body was screaming in pain, he forced himself to pick up boxes and race them over to the truck as fast as he could. They managed a few trips before Saki heard Forte let out a furious scream, and his right arm morphed into the head of a large dog before it opened its mouth and unleashed a powerful blast of energy at Lumine, who shielded themselves from most of the damage with their wings.

“How many did we get loaded?” Enzan asked.

“Sixteen,” Laika said. “The rest of it wasn't packed yet.”

“That's good enough for me,” Enzan replied. “Everyone get in the truck, and let's get out of here.”

Rockman pushed Netto into the cab of the truck and jumped in after him, while Enzan dragged Saki into the back with him and Laika, slamming the door shut behind them. Laika pounded his fist on the wall of the truck under the window slot, and a moment later, the truck roared to life and sped away.

“That was too close!” Saki gasped, collapsing on the floor of the truck.

“I never thought I'd thank Forte for anything, but I'm glad that he showed up when he did,” Enzan said, leaning up against the wall and letting out a soft groan.

Laika scrubbed his face with his hand, muttering, “What a monster Lumine is.”

A murmur of agreement rippled through the truck. Saki felt Zer0 reassure him, and he softly closed his hand over the emblem on his chest.

“I don't think I could have made that last attack without all of you,” he said. “I lost all hope at one point, but then I heard a voice tell me not to give up, and suddenly I remembered everything that I'm fighting for.”

Enzan gave a hum of agreement. “I almost gave up too,” he admitted. “But I looked over at everyone, and knew that if I didn't keep fighting I'd lose something a lot more important than my life.”

“Your life is pretty important, you know!” Netto fired back. “Don't go throwing it away on something stupid!”

Rockman chuckled. “How are you feeling, Netto-kun?”

“Like I have the worst sunburn of my life,” Netto replied. “My whole body burns.”

“Same,” Saki groaned. “I felt like I was on fire, and it was terrifying.” He paused. “It made me think of my dad, actually.”

“I thought about my mother,” Laika admitted. “It made me remember something awful, something I was trying not to think about.” He absently touched his leg as he spoke. “If I gave up at that point, who would protect people like her?”

“I...thought about losing Blues,” Enzan admitted, his voice thick with emotion. “I haven't felt anything like that...since Blues almost...”

“But he's here now,” Netto reminded Enzan gently. “He's not going anywhere.”

“True,” Enzan admitted. “But the pain overwhelmed me for a moment. I panicked, and almost lost my grip on him. If he hadn't been there to calm me down again...”

Everyone fell silent. For a long time, all Saki heard was the shifting of the truck's gears. Then, a thought occurred to him.

“Hey, Rockman,” he said, “Back there you referred to Netto as your 'brother'.”

“Ahh,” Rockman said. “I suppose I did.”

“That's because _I am_ ,” Netto insisted.

A chuckle escaped Rockman. “You are.” A pause, and then he sighed. “But that's what was so scary, I think. I didn't want anything to happen to you. I didn't want to lose you.”

“I was scared too!” Netto whined. “I thought you might have died again, and then I started panicking. I don't want to go through all of that ever again!”

“Sorry,” Rockman replied sheepishly. “I'll try not to worry you like that anymore.”

“You'd better,” Netto grumbled.

Everyone lapsed into silence again. The truck shifted gears, and finally Agent North spoke.

“I was scared too,” she admitted. “Here I was, cowering in this truck, unable to do anything to help all of you. I could hear you screaming out in pain, in fear, and I couldn't do anything.” Saki heard the squeak of leather twisting. “It's so... _frustrating_ to be an adult, and not having the power to protect all of you.”

“I understand how you feel,” Enzan said. “No matter how much power and authority I have, it's never enough. There are things that I'll never have control over.”

“But you're all _children_ ,” Agent North insisted. “You shouldn't have to be fighting world-destroying aliens, or Darkloids, or any of that stuff! You should be living your lives! You should be worrying about test scores and dates and how your hair looks in your photos. The grown-ups are supposed to take care of things!” She sighed sadly. “I feel like I've failed all of you.”

Everyone fell silent.

“I don't think you've failed us,” Saki said quietly.

No one said anything else for the rest of the ride back.


	43. Beside Myself

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The boys take a breather to try and gather some leads on Lumine's missing pieces, hoping to get to them first.

Yuuichiro leaned forward, burying his face in his hands. He didn't speak for a long time, and Saki shifted uncomfortably, unsure of what to do or say. Netto wore a grim expression, his hands clenched at his sides.

“Are you sure?” Yuuichiro asked in a small voice.

“Positive,” Saki replied.

Yuuichiro lapsed back into silence. After a long pause, he sighed deeply and rubbed his face before slipping his glasses back into place.

“Let's focus on what we can do for now,” he said. “We can worry about how to remove Lumine from Taka-kun at a later date.”

Saki swallowed the lump in his throat. It physically pained him to let Lumine have their way, but there really wasn't anything anyone could do at that point in time.

“Lumine mentioned looking for their 'pieces',” Netto said. “I think that if we can get to them before they do, then we might have a chance of defeating Lumine.”

“A solid deduction,” Yuuichiro agreed. “But we don't have any idea of where they could be.”

“Neither does Lumine,” Saki pointed out. “All we have to do is find them first.”

Yuuichiro made a thoughtful noise. “Do we have any clues?”

“We know that Lumine had a war with Mu a long time ago,” Netto replied. “And that they were the ones who sealed Lumine away.”

“So it's a safe bet that we're looking for artifacts from Mu,” Saki added, and then frowned. “The problem is, I don't have any idea of what those might look like.”

“Me neither,” Netto admitted.

Yuuichiro steepled his fingers. “Then I suggest doing some research. The archives probably have at least a little information on Mu. It might be worth your while to read it.”

Netto let out an audible groan. “Oh man, _reading_.”

“I'll do it,” Saki replied irritably. “You should probably focus on helping out Manabe-san.”

“Are you sure?” Netto asked. “I mean, I don't mind helping you—”

“It's fine,” Saki insisted. He already knew that Netto would get bored very quickly and make a huge fuss, so it would be faster to just do it himself. “I like reading anyway.”

“Okay then!” Netto said cheerfully. “I'll leave it up to you!”

“Good luck,” Rockman added.

“I'll let Enzan and Laika know what's going on,” Netto said. “That way they can help too.”

“I appreciate it,” Saki replied gratefully.

Yuuichiro nodded, looking satisfied. “Well then, if everyone knows what they're doing, we should all get to it.” He stood up from his desk. “Saki-kun, let me show you to the archive room.”

Saki followed Yuuichiro down the hall, until they reached a short corridor that triggered something in Saki's memories.

 _I think I saw Taka come out of this room once_ , he recalled. _He'd said that he was lost, but now I'm pretty sure he was lying..._

Yuuichiro unlocked the door with his key card, and ushered Saki inside before flicking on the light. Saki looked around, and saw that the only things in the room were a computer terminal and dozens of very large server banks.

“We store all kinds of information in the archive,” Yuuichiro explained. “Everything from historical accounts to scientific data. There's also decades worth of science journals and academic papers, some of which had to be scanned in from physical books.”

“Wow,” Saki breathed. He looked at the server banks again, feeling overwhelmed. Just how much information could one of the towers hold? He felt his head swim at the idea of sorting through literally decades of information.

“All the data has been organized,” Yuuichiro assured Saki. “It won't be too hard to narrow your search down.” He patted Saki on the shoulder. “Good luck.”

“Thanks...” Saki muttered. He sat down at the terminal, and let his hands rest gently on the keyboard, staring blankly at the screen for a long time.

“May I assist?” Zer0 asked. “You seem at a loss for where to start.”

“Huh?” Saki snapped back to reality. “Oh, y-yeah. That'd be great, actually.” He pulled out his PET, and plugged Zer0 into the terminal. “I guess we should probably start with Mu, huh?”

“That is a logical place to start,” Zer0 replied, nodding. “Allow me a moment to compile the data for you.”

Saki watched Zer0 run a search, small prompts popping up from time to time that the Navi swiped off the screen, until finally a small progress bar appeared before quickly filling. It vanished, and in its place was a list of titles and links to various documents.

“Here is what I managed to find on the topic,” Zer0 explained.

“That was fast,” Saki said, clicking the first link. “I understand now why people rely on Navis so much.” He scanned the document, reading quickly, before reaching for his PET. “I'd better take notes,” he said absently, pulling out the PET's stylus and opening the notepad app. He went back to reading, pausing every now and again to scribble down a quick note. After he'd read through every document Zer0 had found, Saki sat back and rubbed his eyes.

“Ugh, staring at a screen for that long kind of hurts,” he said. “How long have I been at it?”

“Approximately an hour,” Zer0 replied.

“It felt longer than that,” Saki admitted. He looked down at his notes. “And for all of that reading, I have hardly anything written down. Most of it was pretty repetitive, and a lot of it was speculation. It seems like no one really knows much about Mu or its people at all.”

“Hmm.” Zer0 put a hand to his chin thoughtfully. “Where shall we search next?”

“Maybe...” Saki racked his brain. “Maybe old historical accounts? Maybe there's something in there that might give us a clue.”

Zer0 did a search, but nothing came up. He refined his search and tried again. After several attempts, he succeeded in bringing up one document, and Saki quickly read through it.

“Hmm, listen to this,” he said. “'At once I was set ill at ease / for the sky was darkened by a mountain / I trembled as a leaf in the wind / surely this was an ill omen / then, as quickly as it had shown itself did the mountain vanish / and I was left with nothing more than dreadful thoughts'.”

“How strange,” Zer0 said. “A mountain appearing in the sky?”

Saki closed his eyes. “One of the papers written about Mu said that it was possible that they were able to lift the entire island their civilization was located on into the sky. Apparently, there are a few pieces of ancient writing that mentions a floating city, but there's no physical evidence to suggest it was even possible.” He opened his eyes. “This account is from the Heian period, some 11,000 years after Mu disappeared. That has to mean that it's entirely possible for Mu to still exist...somewhere.”

Zer0 crossed his arms. “Are you saying that these 'pieces' we are searching for are located in Mu?”

“Maybe not all of them...” Saki said. “Lumine said something about how they were 'scattered across the Earth' with one final piece 'far beyond it, where no human could reach'. My guess is that Mu is the place that no human could reach.”

“It is possible,” Zer0 replied, nodding. “However, I am disinclined to believe that.”

“What do you mean?” Saki asked, knitting his eyebrows together in confusion.

“Mu was, in fact, inhabited by humans. Therefore, it would be logical to conclude that it was a place reachable by humans.”

“So...what are you saying?” Saki asked. “Are you saying that the last piece is somewhere even more unreachable?” He thought hard about it for a while. “Like...the bottom of the ocean? Space, maybe?”

“Given the wording that Lumine chose, I believe that it might be in space,” Zer0 replied. “However, this presents a new problem.”

“' _Where_ is it in space?',” Saki finished. “Right?”

“Correct,” Zer0 replied.

Saki sat back in his chair with a sigh. “Okay, so we probably can't get that piece by ourselves. What about the other four?”

“It is impossible to know where the other pieces are, based on the information we currently have,” Zer0 said. “And we have no way of knowing what they might look like, therefore preventing us from recognizing them even if we did see them.”

“I think we can assume that they'd be pretty hidden,” Saki added. “Since the people of Mu didn't want Lumine coming back.”

“Perhaps there are ruins in the places that they were hidden,” Zer0 suggested. “Would it not make sense to store them somewhere? Possibly in some kind of building?”

“Or, like, a cave,” Saki said. “Or maybe they just dug a really, really deep hole and chucked them in.” Saki dug his fingernails into his scalp. “Arrg! This is so frustrating! How come there's so little information on Mu?! Couldn't they have left us a map or something?!”

***

Enzan stood before the door of The Bunker. His whole demeanor was tense, and seemed hesitant to even go inside. After a moment, he gave his cheeks a light slap and took a deep breath before grabbing the door handle and entering the room.

There wasn't anything inside the room in terms of furnishings save for a small table that had been set up in the middle of the room, upon which Taka's PET had been placed. In one corner was a mess of blankets, and curled up in them was Tsukiko Wakahisa. She looked as though she hadn't slept much, and her hair, usually immaculate and pulled back tightly in a clip, had been hastily pulled up and away from her face in a messy bundle. 

“You look like you could use a bath,” Enzan said. “And a change of clothes.”

Tsukiko looked up at him with a tired expression. “I could use a lot of things right now.”

Slowly, Enzan shut the door behind him. Tsukiko went back to what she'd been doing, which seemed to be staring at the far wall and muttering to herself under her breath.

“How are you doing, Axl?” Enzan asked the Navi. There was no response.

“He hasn't spoken more than a handful of words since I told him what happened,” Tsukiko said. “He mostly seems content to just sulk in the corner.”

Enzan peered down at the screen, and sure enough Axl was curled up in the corner of the PET's homepage. He didn't look up at Enzan, nor did he speak. Enzan made a troubled face, and stepped back.

“I'm sure this has been very difficult for him,” said Enzan.

Tsukiko looked at Enzan again. “'Difficult' is putting it mildly.”

Blues hopped off of Enzan's shoulder, and made his way over to Taka's PET. He tried to get Axl's attention, but in the end Axl ignored him as well. After a few minutes of trying, Blues returned to Enzan's shoulder wearing a troubled expression.

“I'm sure you're here to tell me the latest terrible thing that Lumine's done,” Tsukiko said with a sigh. She stretched her arms above her head. “It's just been one piece of awful news after another for days now.”

With a worried expression, Enzan told Tsukiko about his encounter with Lumine, and by the end Tsukiko's lips were pursed together so tightly that they had gone white. She ran a hand through her bangs.

“I suspected as much,” she said, her voice troubled. “Lumine implied as much during our last meeting.”

“So you knew,” Enzan replied angrily. “Why didn't you say anything?”

Tsukiko fixed her tired gaze on Enzan. “It wasn't something anyone wanted to hear at the time. We'd all been through a lot, and I didn't want anyone to give up hope.” She shook her head. “It must have been hard to learn. I'm sorry. Maybe I should have said something sooner.”

Enzan let out an irritable sigh. “There are a lot of things you need to tell me, but for right now I need your help.”

Tsukiko raised an eyebrow. “ _My_ help? What could I possibly help _you_ with?”

“Lumine's looking for their 'missing pieces',” Enzan replied. “We need to find them before they do. If you know _anything_ that could help us, please tell me.”

“Missing pieces, huh?” Tsukiko repeated, rubbing her neck. “Ahh, they talked about them a lot while we were working together.”

“What did they say?” Enzan asked eagerly.

“Lumine mostly complained about them the whole time,” Tsukiko explained. “Often talked about how they were 'unfairly' imprisoned, and that if they had all their pieces they could regain all the power they'd lost.”

“Did they ever say where they might be located?” Enzan asked.

Tsukiko shook her head. “No.” She paused. “But I might have an idea of where at least _one_ of them is.”

Enzan leaned forward.

“There was a mission to the moon years ago,” Tsukiko said, “Back when Shin'ichiro was still trying to get into the Space Program. I remember Vega worked hard on making the pieces needed for the moon base. Everything was set up and operational well within schedule and hopes were high. However, a few months after the base was established, communication dropped off for a few days before coming back suddenly. A lot of the people at NAXA seemed to find it suspicious, but the crew in the moon base stated that they'd had interference from solar flares.” Tsukiko leaned forward. “But I know from the people who worked there that there was no solar flare interference that week.”

“They lied?” Enzan asked. “But why?”

Tsukiko shrugged. “No idea. Really suddenly after that everyone was told not to speak about the incident, and I never heard anything else.” She paused. “Until recently.” She pushed a clump of hair behind her ear. “I ran across some clickbait article on a conspiracy website that caught my eye, and it stated that an artifact had been found on the moon around the time of the communication dropoff, and that it was of alien origin. They said their sources had described it as 'a black obelisk, completely smooth and lacking in hinges or handles', able to wirelessly connect with electronic devices, and that a single glowing symbol would appear on it if anyone got close. They also said that the obelisk was made of a substance that 'seemed to draw light into it', as if light itself couldn't touch it.”

“Sounds rather unsettling,” Enzan commented.

“The article was mostly wild speculation aside from that description,” said Tsukiko, “But one thing it said was that they believed that aliens had seized control of the moon base.”

Enzan frowned. “On what grounds?”

“The author of the article said that the scientists who went to the base came back... _changed_ in some way.” The corners of Tsukiko's mouth curled up ever so slightly. “Some even say that they don't recall any of their time up there. One of them even claimed to have heard voices. And all of this happened after they found the obelisk and moved in into the base for observation.”

Enzan crossed his arms. “That alone doesn't prove that it's what we're looking for.”

“Maybe not,” said Tsukiko. “But the symbol on the obelisk turned out to be from the Mu alphabet.”

Enzan went rigid. Realization seemed to set in, and his eyes widened. “Are you saying...that the obelisk is one of the pieces Lumine's looking for?”

“It's a distinct possibility,” said Tsukiko. “Think about it: an object is found that has a letter from the Mu alphabet on it that _may or may not_ contain something, it can connect to modern Networks without any trouble for some unknown reason, and the people who came in contact with it suddenly started losing time and memories and even start _hallucinating_? Lumine has already proven that they can control humans, so it's not outside the realm of possibility that the obelisk is sealing one of Lumine's pieces. Maybe when the scientists found it they disrupted the seal somehow, and Lumine's nanites were able to slip out, infecting some of the scientists and leading to their erratic behavior.”

“That's some pretty wild speculation,” Enzan replied. “But let's say that you're right, that this supposed 'black obelisk' is one of the pieces we're looking for. How do we even get our hands on it?”

“That is the question, isn't it?” said Tsukiko. “I've been running calculations in my head for days, but I can't see a way for anyone to successfully get to the moon, especially not without Lumine catching on to us.”

Enzan sighed. “So our only solution is to find the other pieces here on Earth.”

“Easier said than done,” Tsukiko replied. “Even Lumine seemed at a loss.”

“We do know that we're looking for objects of Mu origin,” Enzan said, thinking out loud. “And if we can believe the description of the obelisk, then we're probably looking for something black and otherworldly, inscribed with a single Mu letter. That narrows it down considerably.”

“It's still not much to go on,” Tsukiko admitted. She tapped her fingers on her knee and stared at the floor, as if in deep thought. “I wonder...”

Enzan waited for her to continue.

“What if you went to my house and looked through all my old files?” she said. “There might be something there that I'm forgetting.”

“Agent North has a copy of them,” Enzan explained. “Taka gave it to us.”

“Of course he did.” Tsukiko didn't seem surprised. “You should still go to the house anyway.”

“Why?” Enzan asked.

“To go through Takashi's things,” Tsukiko replied as if it was the most obvious thing in the world. “He's clever, and has probably been keeping notes for years. He might have information that I don't.”

“Why do you think Taka would know anything about Lumine's pieces?” Enzan asked.

Tsukiko's expression fell. The fingers of her hand went still, and she slowly lifted her gaze to meet Enzan's. “Takashi...he's _special_. He often has dreams about things that never made sense until long after they happened. And he's always scribbling in some journal, making these detailed notes that I can never understand.” She put a hand to her head. “He's always so observant of the world around him. That's why I'm sure Takashi knew about Lumine. There's no way that he didn't.”

“He admitted to overhearing a conversation you had with Lumine a while back,” Enzan said.

“Ah, I think I know which conversation it was,” Tsukiko said sadly. “Then Lumine really _did_ know that he was there.”

Enzan's eyes narrowed. “Did you know that Taka was there that night?”

Tsukiko bit her lip. “I suspected that he might be,” she said at last. “And even if I had seen him, I would have pretended that I didn't.” She looked at Enzan with a pained expression. “He's my _son_ , you know?”

Enzan nodded.

Tsukiko's shoulders slumped. “I'm sorry, I really can't help you more than that. Everything I know about Lumine is in my files, and I don't have the authority that Manabe-san or Agent North have. All I can do is ask you to save Takashi for me...” She grit her teeth. “No...I can't ask you to do that.” She pushed herself to her feet and stared at Enzan with a determined expression. “If you go to the house, take me with you.”

“What?” Enzan asked, surprised.

“I want to help,” Tsukiko said. “I have a key to the building and I know where everything is. I can even help get you there, since I'm sure none of you kids can drive.”

Enzan glanced away, his cheeks flushing. A moment later, he looked back, clearing his throat. “It'll be dangerous. We'll more than likely be attacked by Lumine's drones.”

“I was a pretty reckless youth,” Tsukiko replied. “I outran my fair share of cops. Give me a fast enough car, and I can outrun those drones too.”

“Dare I ask what you mean by 'reckless'?” Enzan asked.

“I stole stuff,” Tsukiko clarified. “I got into fights and things would get broken. I'd race cars and bikes through the sheep pastures late at night. I once put a guy in a body cast after he tried to assault me. I ended up with a pretty long rap sheet before I was twenty.”

“How did you go from that to high society?” Enzan asked.

Tsukiko smiled mysteriously. “I suppose when you meet the right person, you'll bend over backwards for them. You might even change everything about yourself.”

“Did your husband know that you were a criminal?” Enzan retorted.

“I'm sure he knew,” Tsukiko replied with a laugh. “But what can I say? It was love at first sight.”

Enzan sighed. “I'll ask the others what they think we should do. If they agree to go to your house, I'll convince them to let you come.” he turned and walked back to the door.

“Ijuuin-kun,” said Tsukiko, and Enzan's hand froze on the door handle. “I know that helping all of you won't absolve me of my guilt. Nor am I trying to make myself look better. I already know when this is all over that I'll be punished to the fullest extent of the law, and I'm prepared to face the consequences of my actions. But I can't bear to lose Takashi. It's my fault that he's where he is now, and I won't rest until he's safe.” She clenched her fists. “I'll do whatever it takes.”

Enzan looked at her and nodded solemnly before opening the door and leaving the room.

***

Enzan and Saki met up with the others in Yuuichiro's lab, and both of them took turns filling in the others on what they had learned. When Enzan pitched the idea of going to the Wakahisa's home to try and find clues on the whereabouts of Lumine's pieces, it was met with uncertainty. 

“It could be a trap,” Laika warned.

“It might be,” Enzan admitted. “But she made a good point. If Taka had been keeping tabs on the situation, he might have written something down in his notes that could help us. We can't overlook that possibility.”

Netto crossed his arms and knitted his eyebrows together. “Enzan makes a good point.”

Saki cleared his throat. “I read everything I could in the archives, but the fact remains that we know next to nothing about Mu or the people who lived there. Maybe there's an expert out there who could point us in the right direction, but the way things are right now it'd be impossible to contact them.” He looked at Enzan. “If Taka knew something, I think it's worth a try going through his stuff.”

Laika sighed. “I'd be more open to the idea if it was anyone _but_ that woman who had suggested it.”

“It's true that Tsukiko Wakahisa was working with Lumine until recently,” said Agent North. “However, I have no reason to believe that would still be the case.”

“Not to mention she seems eager to help,” added Enzan.

“That doesn't mean she won't turn on us later,” Laika retorted. “Try to think rationally about this.”

“What does she stand to gain at this point?” Enzan snapped back. “All she has left is her son, and he's being held captive by the person who already tried to kill her once.”

“Guys!” Saki yelled, forcing himself in between Laika and Enzan. “That's enough! We don't have time to be arguing with each other!”

“I agree,” said Manabe. “Let's try to stay calm.”

Laika and Enzan backed off, but both of them still seemed upset and refused to look at each other.

Yuuichiro turned to Manabe. “How's the situation here?”

“Not good,” Manabe admitted. “We're doing better on supplies, but the food probably won't last us very long. There's also the issue of trying to regulate the showers so that everyone has equal time, as well as trying to find better places for people to sleep. I can hardly keep up with everything that's going wrong.”

“That doesn't really leave us with the ability to do anything outside of the facility,” Yuuichiro admitted. “And who knows how far we'd have to go to find those pieces.”

“So what you're saying is that we'll be on our own if we go,” said Netto.

“Yes, unfortunately,” Yuuichiro replied.

Netto turned to the other boys. “That's fine. We can handle this ourselves.”

“I'm surprised you're this eager,” Laika said. “Or did you already forget our last outing?”

“It'll be fine,” Netto assured them. “I doubt Lumine would waste their time chasing us down personally. Besides, it looked like they had their hands full dealing with Forte.”

“I'm still not sure I understand where he got a Copyroid,” Enzan grumbled.

“Michi said he dug it out of the trash,” Saki pointed out. “I'm kind of impressed that it works as well as it does.”

“We'll worry about Forte later,” Netto said dismissively. “Let's focus on the plan.”

Laika sighed. “Denenchofu is much farther away than Ebisu is. Even in a vehicle, it'll take a lot of time to get there, and we can already assume that we'll draw quite a bit of attention from the drones.”

“Like I told Ijuuin-kun, I can handle them,” Tsukiko said, and everyone looked up to see her walking into the room, her head held high and her gaze filled with determination. “Give me a fast enough car, and I can outmaneuver anything.”

“Wakahisa-san!” Agent North gasped.

Tsukiko glanced at her. “Surprised to see me? It's not like I was going to stay cooped up in that room forever, you know.”

“Don't tell me your plan is to race to Denenchofu as fast as possible,” Laika said. “It's the stupidest thing I've ever heard.”

“The alternative is fighting every single drone that chases after you,” Tsukiko retorted. “That's a waste of time and energy.”

“But there's no way to know if you really _can_ outrun every single drone that comes after us,” Saki said nervously. “Eventually, one of them is going to get us.”

“That's why you're all there,” Tsukiko said. “Honestly, it's not that hard to understand.”

“Okay,” said Netto slowly. “Let's say that we agree to your plan. Where are we going to find a car fast enough for what you want to attempt?”

“It's true that gas powered muscle cars are in short supply here in Japan,” Tsukiko admitted. “But there's one place that probably has what I need.”

“Where's that?” Saki asked.

“A foreign car dealership in Den Town,” replied Tsukiko. “It markets to the elite by importing exotic cars from around the world, including high-powered models from places like Amerope and Itareece.”

Saki felt dread creep down his spine. “And, uhh, how are you planning on _acquiring_ one of those cars, Wakahisa-san?”

Tsukiko made direct eye contact with Saki, which caused the boy to have a small panic attack, and said, “I'm going to steal one. What did you think I'd say?”

 _I knew it!_ Saki thought unhappily. _It's like as soon as the end of the world comes everyone throws away any sense of honor they had!_

Agent North aggressively cleared her throat.

“Fine, I'll 'borrow' it,” Tsukiko said, making a disappointed click with her tongue. “Either way, I'm not leaving that dealership without one.”

“Okay, but how are you going to get to the dealership?” asked Netto.

Tsukiko looked at Agent North and grinned wickedly. “Why, my dear parole officer is going to drive me there, of course!”

“No way,” Agent North retorted.

“Come on, don't be like that,” Tsukiko teased. “I'd go by myself, but it's fairly clear that no one trusts me.” She shook her head and shrugged her shoulders. “Not that they have any reason to do so.”

“Don't wanna,” Agent North deadpanned, cleaning her ear with her finger.

“Are you still mad at me for calling you 'a maple-flavored moose hugger'?” Tsukiko asked.

“Of course not,” Agent North replied irritably.

“Please don't start a fight,” Saki begged. He was starting to feel emotionally exhausted from all the bickering.

“If I drove you to the dealership, we won't have a way to defend ourselves,” Agent North pointed out. “We could drag one of the boys with us, but they have more important matters to deal with.”

“You have a gun, right?” asked Tsukiko flatly. “Just shoot them.”

“You're missing the point,” Agent North snapped.

“I'm starting to see where Taka gets his personality from,” Saki muttered under his breath.

“If you don't drive me, then I'll drive myself,” Tsukiko warned. “I'm just trying to be polite and let you keep an eye on me to keep me from doing something stupid.”

“I don't understand why you're so bent on doing things this way,” Laika groused. “We could find a much stealthy way to—”

“No,” Tsukiko replied stubbornly. “I don't care about doing things stealthily. I _want_ Lumine to pay attention to me. I want to piss them off. I want them to see that I'm not going to let them have their way, and that I'm going to fight them with every ounce of my strength. I don't care how hard it is; I'm going to find those pieces before Lumine does, and destroy them with my own hands.” She glared at Laika. “And if you don't want to help, then I'll do it by myself.”

“So that's how it is, then,” Laika muttered. “Fine. I guess I can play along for now.”

“I feel like I'm going to regret this later,” Saki said.

***

Rockman carefully carried a bag of flour over to the counter, and set it down before wiping his brow with the back of his hand. He double-checked the ingredients that were laid out and nodded his head with a satisfied expression.

“That should be everything I need,” he said. “Now all I have to do is make dinner!”

There was a small knock on the door, and Rockman looked up to see Keiko and Michi poking their heads into the kitchen. Keiko waved, smiling warmly, and Michi grinned from ear to ear.

“Oh, hello!” Rockman said. “Can I help you?”

“Actually, I was going to ask you if _you_ needed help,” Keiko replied. “You look like you might have your hands full.”

“Ahh,” Rockman said, looking at the ingredients he had laid out. “I suppose I might need a little help.” He gave Keiko a small bow. “I'd be honored if you would assist me.”

Keiko laughed good-naturedly. “Do you have another apron?”

“I brought this one from home,” Rockman admitted, rummaging through drawers and cupboards. “But I'm sure that there's something you can use around here. ”

“You brought your own? How nice!” Keiko said, looking in a drawer near her. “Do you help out at home a lot?”

“Mhm!” Rockman smiled brightly. “Mama always lets me help her with meals.”

“I wish Saki would let me help him out more,” Keiko pouted. “He's so stubborn sometimes.”

“I see,” Rockman said, closing the cupboard he'd been looking in and standing up. “Unfortunately, I didn't have any luck finding another apron.”

“That's alright,” said Keiko. “I'll just try to be careful.”

As Rockman was rolling up his sleeves, Keiko clapped her hands together and said, “I just realized that I haven't given you my name yet! How rude of me!” She bowed slightly. “I'm Keiko Tanaka, and this is my daughter, Michiru.”

“I'm Michi!” she declared. “My big brother's name is Saki!”

“How nice!” said Rockman. “You can call me 'Saito'.”

“Saito-kun then,” Keiko said happily. “What a nice name.”

Rockman blushed. “Th-thank you.”

“Are you the son of someone who works here?” Keiko asked.

“Yes,” Rockman replied. “My father is Yuuichiro Hikari. My twin brother, Netto, is Saki-kun's friend.”

“Oh, I see!” said Keiko. “I'm sure you're worried about how your family is doing.”

“Mama is here too,” Rockman replied. “And Papa is working hard to keep this place safe.” He picked up a stick of butter, and carefully cut it into pieces before putting them into a bowl. “I worry whenever Netto goes outside, but I know that he has to.”

“I worry too,” said Keiko. “Saki's always putting himself into dangerous situations.”

Michi tugged on Keiko's shirt. “Mama, can I help?”

“Of course you can, sweetie!” said Keiko, kneeling down to give Michi a small bowl of fruit. “Can you peel these for me? I'd be really grateful if you did.”

“Okay!” said Michi, and she sat down on the floor, placing the bowl in her lap and started peeling the fruit one by one before handing them back to Keiko.

“Thank you,” Keiko said, cutting up the fruit before placing it into another bowl. “Is there anything else you need doing, Saito-kun?”

“Oh, u-uhh,” Rockman replied, flustered. “I suppose we need to start the rice.” He waved his hand. “But I'll do that! Even I can't get rice wrong.”

Keiko looked around and sighed. “We have to make so much food, to feed so many people. It's a little daunting, isn't it?”

“Maybe,” said Rockman. “But it makes me happy to be able to do something useful.”

“I want to be useful too,” said Michi. “But I can't fight the way big brother and Forte can.”

Rockman tensed slightly at the name 'Forte', but it passed quickly. He gave Michi a kind smile. “We don't all have to fight to be useful, Michi-chan.”

“We don't?” Michi asked.

Rockman shook his head. “Doing things like making meals or sitting and talking to people are very important too. In times like this, everyone is scared and wants a little reassurance. And for the people going out to fight, it's always nice to be greeted with a 'welcome home' when they return.”

“I can't always say 'welcome home' when big brother comes back from work,” Michi admitted. “Sometimes he works very late at night, and I'm already in bed. But I always try to say it if I'm awake!” She looked down. “But lately it's been very scary. Big brother goes out to fight and comes back all beat up and tired. I wish he didn't have to go.”

Keiko set her knife down, and looked at Rockman. “I'm sure you feel very scared whenever Netto-kun has to go out and fight.”

“Yes,” Rockman replied.

“And I'm sure that if you could, you'd make sure he didn't have to,” Keiko added.

Rockman nodded.

“But the thing is, Michi,” Keiko said, turning back to her daughter, “That Saito-kun and Netto-kun both know that they have to fight. There are a lot of people who are relying on them to stop the bad machines.”

“But what if big brother gets hurt?” Michi asked.

Rockman clutched at his chest, biting his lip.

“There's always a chance that Saki will get hurt,” Keiko admitted. “It comes with the job.” She knelt down and squeezed Michi's hands. “Your Papa had a dangerous job too. He used to go fight fires, and sometimes he'd have to go inside the fire to get people out.”

Michi's eyes widened. “That's scary!”

Keiko nodded. “It is! But your Papa was very brave, and he rescued a lot of people.”

“But he got stuck in a fire, didn't he?” Michi asked.

“He did.” Keiko's voice was soft, but her expression was sad. “Papa didn't make it out. But he went inside that fire to try and rescue someone, because that was his job. I'm sure he was scared, but he did what he thought was the right thing to do because it meant that he might help someone.”

Michi looked down. “Will big brother get hurt someday too?”

“I'm sure...that Netto-kun and the others would protect him,” said Rockman, his hand tightening around the fabric of his shirt. “After all, they look out for each other.”

Keiko looked at Rockman. After a moment, she let go of Michi's hands and stood up. Walking over to Rockman, she gently pulled him into a hug, and petted his hair soothingly.

“Don't be scared,” she whispered. “Nothing is going to happen to Netto-kun.”

“But what if it does?” Rockman whispered back. “I don't want anything to happen to him...or anyone else!”

“But nothing will happen to him,” Keiko insisted. “Because you'll be there to protect him.”

Rockman looked up at Keiko with wide eyes.

“Bravery is doing the right thing, even when you're afraid,” Keiko said, smiling. “My husband used to say that it's better to do something and fail than it is to do nothing at all. If you hide and hope that things will get better, nothing will change.”

“But...” Rockman's voice was uncertain. “What if you try and end up hurting someone? What if you make things worse with your actions?”

“Things don't always go the way we want them to,” Keiko replied. “My husband ended up running into that fire for no reason, and it cost him his life. But I don't think he would have regretted it. Accidents happen, humans sometimes make bad choices. But that's all part of learning and growing.”

Rockman shook his head. “But...!”

Keiko took Rockman's hands in hers and squeezed. “It's okay, Saito-kun. Whatever it is that you regret, I'm sure no one blames you for it. Try to be a little kinder to yourself.”

Rockman teared up. “Tanaka-san...”

Keiko poked his nose. “'Keiko-san' is fine.” She stepped back and put her hands on her hips. “Hmm, you need something sweet. That always makes me feel better when I'm sad.”

“Pudding, pudding!” Michi cheered.

“Pudding it is!” Keiko said.

“I'll help,” said Rockman.

Keiko shook her head. “Oh no you don't. You stay here and let me handle this, okay?” She gently but firmly steered Rockman over to a stool, and made him sit down on it. “I'll have your pudding made in no time at all.”

“Alright,” Rockman said timidly. He looked down at Michi, who was still peeling fruit, and the two smiled at each other. She handed him an orange, and Rockman busied himself with peeling it.

“Mom, are you in here?” called Saki a moment before he stuck his head inside the kitchen. 

“Yes, dear,” Keiko called back. “I'm making a snack before we all start making dinner. Did you come to help out too?”

“I guess so,” Saki replied, shrugging. “I was going to handle it myself, but I guess you all beat me to it.”

“Nonsense!” Keiko chided. “You couldn't make enough food to feed everyone in this building all by yourself!”

“Neither could any of you,” Saki countered.

Keiko placed a knife and a potato into Saki's hands. “If you have time to talk, you have time to work.” She pointed at a bowl of potatoes on the counter. “Here, peel these vegetables for me.”

“Okayyy~” Saki said, leaning against the cupboard near Rockman and beginning to peel the potato he was holding. Rockman watched him with fascination.

“What's up?” Saki asked.

“I've never been able to peel it all in one strip like that,” Rockman admitted.

“Oh, this?” Saki asked, jerking his head towards the potato. “It's easy.” He leaned over so that Rockman could see. “You tilt the blade slightly, like this. Then you rotate the potato with your hand. You hardly have to move the knife at all.”

“I see,” said Rockman, nodding sagely.

Saki finished his potato and started on another one. Rockman found another knife, and started peeling his own potato, practicing what Saki had just taught him.

“Are you nervous about going to Taka-kun's house?” Rockman asked.

“Yeah,” Saki replied. “I'm so anxious that my gut's in knots. I'm not even sure I can keep anything down.”

“It sounds like it'll be dangerous,” Rockman said.

Saki nodded. “Mhm. I can't imagine how awful it's going to be in a car with that mad woman.”

Rockman chuckled. “Laika seemed very against it.”

“He would be,” Saki replied. “Laika's a soldier. He's used to being tactical. Wakahisa-san is as tactical as a bull in a china shop.”

“Perhaps Lumine really was calling all the shots,” Rockman said.

“I don't doubt it,” said Saki. “Lumine's as slippery as an eel. Even when they were right there in front of us, they were able to predict our every move and counter it.” Saki's hands stilled, and tears gathered in the corners of his eyes.

Rockman watched Saki's hands start to tremble, and looked up at him sympathetically. “I imagine it was hard...to see Taka-kun like that.”

Michi looked up at Taka's name.

“'Hard' doesn't describe it,” Saki growled. “I've never been so angry in my whole life. Watching them walk around in Taka's body like that, treating him like some kind of puppet. Every word he spoke in Taka's voice, every expression he made with Taka's face...” Saki's hand clenched around the potato. “I _despise_ Lumine. I'll do whatever I have to do to get Taka back. I'll even ride in a car with Wakahisa-san.”

Rockman looked down at his own half-peeled potato with a troubled expression. “I want to help Netto fight Lumine, but...I'm just so scared. What if he gets hurt? What if I can't protect him?”

Saki looked at Rockman. “You can't protect him from everything, you know.” He took a deep breath. “Maybe the reason you and Netto can't Cross Fuse right now is because you're both too scared of the other one getting hurt.”

Rockman looked up at Saki with a surprised expression.

“I've been thinking about it for a really long time,” Saki admitted. “About why Netto and you can't Cross Fuse. And it occurred to me that maybe it isn't simply that you two aren't on the same wavelength. I mean, you two can still use Full Synchro just fine. So if you two are still connected, then that must mean that you two are both thinking the same thing. And the only reason I could come up with was that you were both scared the other one would get hurt.”

Slowly, Rockman stood up. He stared off into the distance, clutching his half-peeled potato like a lifeline.

“Of course,” he whispered hoarsely. “All this time, _I_ thought that I was the problem. How silly!” He shook his head, and then set the potato and the knife he'd been holding down on the counter. “I'm sorry, Keiko-san, but there's something I have to take care of!”

“Oh, alright!” Keiko called after Rockman as he raced out of the kitchen. “Your pudding will be waiting for you when you get back!”

Michi looked at the doorway, then up at Saki. “Why did Saito-kun have to leave so fast?”

Saki shrugged. “I guess he had to go talk to someone.”

***

Netto set down his PDG, and sighed. He rotated his shoulders and stretched his arms above his head, letting out a sigh when his joints cracked.

“I've been at this for a while,” he said, “I probably need a break.”

Just as he stood up and was about to leave, the door to the office opened, and Rockman dashed inside. He ran over to Netto and grabbed him by the shoulders, yelling, “Netto-kun! We've been synchronized _this whole time_!”

“Huh?” Netto asked, wobbling on his feet. He gripped his chair in an effort to stay upright. “Saito, calm down! What are you going on about?”

Rockman took a breath before he continued. “Netto-kun, I was talking to Saki-kun, and I realized something. We're both scared of Cross Fusion, because it means that one of us might get hurt! I'm scared that something will happen to you, or to someone else around us, and you're probably thinking the same things!”

Netto nodded slowly. “Oh...really?”

“Because we're both thinking the exact same things, we're synchronized...but it's causing the Cross Fusion to fail _because we're both synchronized in our fear of it_!”

Netto's eyes widened, and he suddenly looked as though he'd realized something. He gripped Rockman's shoulders and a grin spread across his face.

“Saito! You're a _genius_!”

Rockman shook his head. “Saki-kun's the one who suggested it.”

“Saki's a _genius_!” Netto said, correcting himself. “It's so simple, and yet it never occurred to me! I just assumed that _I_ was the reason we couldn't Cross Fuse!”

“So did I!” said Rockman, laughing. “I guess we really _are_ thinking the exact same things!”

“Enzan's gonna make fun of me forever if he finds out!” Netto groaned. “And Laika's gonna say that I'm as dumb as a bag of rocks for not realizing it sooner.”

“Oh, I'm sure they won't,” Rockman insisted.

Silence slowly settled over the two boys, and after a moment their expressions became worried.

“Ah, it's great that we know what the problem is now,” said Netto. “But...what do we do about it?”

“Ahh,” Rockman replied, “I suppose we really didn't solve anything, did we?”

Netto scratched his head. “Hmm...we're both scared that the other one is going to get hurt, right?”

“Yes,” Rockman replied.

“Hmm...” Netto knitted his brow. “I guess we have to...get over it...?”

“Easier said than done,” Rockman muttered. 

Netto gently cupped Rockman's face in his hands. “Saito,” he said slowly, “I'm not going to get hurt.”

Rockman stared at Netto. “I don't believe that,” he said.

Netto hung his head. “Is it because I'm always throwing myself into dangerous situations without thinking of the consequences?”

“Yes,” Rockman replied.

Netto lifted his head. “You do that too, you know! You're not so perfect either! What about the time you threw yourself in front of Blues to protect him and got seriously hurt?”

“I moved without thinking!” Rockman blurted.

“Or the time you pushed me out of Alpha without bothering to save yourself too?” Netto yelled.

“I had a plan!” Rockman yelled back. “Kind of!”

“Or that one time you—”

“Okay, I _get_ it!” Rockman snapped. “I'm just as impulsive as you are!”

“Do you get why I'm worried about you?” Netto asked.

“Of course I do!” Rockman replied impatiently. “It's the same reason that I'm worried about _you_!”

“So let's just agree that we're both stupid, and get over ourselves!” said Netto.

The twins panted for air, gripping each other's shoulders tightly and glaring at each other, until eventually Netto dissolved into laughter and Rockman followed suit.

“If only it were that easy,” said Netto.

Rockman nodded. “I suppose it'll be hard, but we'll get over our fears in due time.”

“We'll have to,” Netto replied. “Now more than ever, we have to fight.” He rubbed his neck nervously. “But even though I know we have to, I still keep thinking about when we lost control fighting the Super Cybeast.”

Rockman fell silent.

“A lot of people died because of us,” Netto said. “All because we lost control for a _second_.”

“Still,” Rockman said quietly, “A lot more people would have died if we hadn't done anything at all.”

Netto looked ashamed. “That's true.”

“Netto-kun,” said Rockman softly. “Keiko-san said that 'bravery is doing the right thing, even when you're afraid'.” He closed his eyes. “I used to look to Blues and Enzan as an example of bravery. They never seemed to be afraid of anything. I thought I had to be like that too.”

“I'm sorry,” said Netto. “I guess I was a bad role model, huh?”

Rockman shook his head. “Not at all. You always did the right thing, even when you were scared.”

“Well, I think you're pretty brave yourself!” said Netto. “Even when the situation seems hopeless, you still get up and fight anyway.”

“There's a thin line separating 'bravery' and 'recklessness',” Rockman pointed out. “I think we've both crossed it a few times.”

“Haha, true!” Netto laughed.

“Like the time you took off your radiation suit,” Rockman said. “Or the time you—”

“ _I get it!_ ” Netto growled. “We _both_ did some really stupid stuff!”

“As long as you understand,” said Rockman.

Netto sighed. “I'm still kind of scared, Saito.”

“Me too,” Rockman replied. “And that's okay. We just have to try anyway.”

A loud growl interrupted the touching moment, and Netto looked sheepish. “I was going to go get something to eat when you barged in,” he admitted.

“My bad,” said Rockman. “Come on, let's go help finish dinner, okay?” He took Netto by the hand. “You can have my pudding if you'd like.”

Netto's eyes sparkled with joy. “PUDDING?! Do you mean it?!”

Rockman laughed. “Keiko-san made me pudding to cheer me up, but I can't eat it, so you can have it instead.”

Netto pushed his cheek against Rockman's and nuzzled him affectionately. “Did I ever tell you that I love you, Saito?”

“Not as often as I'd like,” said Rockman.

***

By the time Rockman and Netto made it back to the kitchen, Haruka had shown up to lend a hand, and her and Keiko were chatting about this and that while they prepared ingredients. Saki had moved on from peeling potatoes to peeling carrots, and Michi had finished peeling all the fruit that she'd been given. She was now sitting on the stool that Rockman had been sitting on earlier, enjoying a cup of pudding.

“Hey, Saki!” said Netto.

“Welcome back,” Saki said, and then paused a beat. “Ahh, Netto's here too, I see.”

“I was the one who said 'hi',” Netto replied, pouting.

“Sorry, you both look so much alike, I must have mixed you up,” Saki replied dryly.

“Liar,” Netto hissed. “You're just making fun of me!”

“There you are!” said Keiko, running over to Rockman and handing him a cup of pudding. “Here, I kept it cool for you!”

“Thank you very much, Keiko-san,” said Rockman. “But if it's alright with you, I'd like Netto-kun to have it instead.”

Keiko smiled. “Of course! It's your pudding, you can give it to whomever you like!”

Rockman handed Netto the pudding, and he quickly uttered, “Thank you for the food!” before he spooned a chunk of it into his mouth, and squealed with delight.

“It's so good!” he mumbled around a mouthful of pudding.

“Don't talk with your mouth full,” Haruka scolded.

“I'm so glad that you like it, Netto-kun!” said Keiko happily.

“I love Mama's pudding!” declared Michi.

“Me too!” said Netto, giving Michi a high-five. “Your mom makes really good pudding.”

“Did you hear that, Haruka-san?” Keiko asked, puffing up her chest with pride. “Netto-kun says my pudding is the best!”

“Is that so?” replied Haruka. “Well, my curry still reigns supreme, so it might be a draw.”

Rockman picked up the rice he'd tried to start washing earlier. “Let me handle the rice, Mama.”

“Alright, dear,” replied Haruka. “Keiko-san and I are going to cut up the vegetables for the curry, so when the rice is ready, you can start the miso soup.”

“I can handle the soup,” said Saki, still peeling carrots. “I'm almost done peeling vegetables anyway. I just have the daikon left to do.”

Netto looked around. “Huh. I guess there's nothing for me to help with.”

“Not true,” said Keiko. “Netto-kun, would you be a dear and wash these vegetables for me?”

“S-sure!” Netto replied. “Right after I finish my pudding—”

“Netto-kun,” Haruka warned. “Keiko-san asked you to wash the vegetables for her.”

“Right, sorry!” Netto set his half-finished cup of pudding down and raced to wash the potatoes and carrots off. 

“It looks like Mama wants you to work for your meal,” Rockman said.

“I can help out too, you know!” Netto insisted, turning on the faucet. “See? I—” A wave of water sprayed up into his face as it glanced out of the bottom of the bowl. “Ack!”

Saki burst out laughing. “Are you an idiot? Of _course_ it's going to do that if you turn the water up so high!”

“Shut up!” Netto snapped. “I just forgot, okay?!”

“Saki!” Keiko admonished. “That wasn't very nice!”

“Sorry, sorry,” Saki apologized. “I didn't mean to make fun of you.”

Netto pouted as he squeezed water out of his shirt. “It's okay. You makes fun of me all the time.”

Rockman giggled. “This is fun. We should all make dinner together like this more often.”

“What a splendid idea,” said Haruka.

“Let's do it again tomorrow!” suggested Keiko.

“What do you want for dinner tomorrow, Michi?” Saki asked.

Michi thought about it for a moment. “More curry!” she said.

“Yeah, curry!” Netto yelled excitedly.

Everyone broke out in laughter.

***

Agent North slowly got out of the car and collapsed to her knees. Saki thought that she looked rather pale, and rushed over to her side. Agent North held up her hand and stifled a gag.

“Ugh, the world is still spinning a little,” she moaned. “What an awful trip...”

“This isn't making me feel any better about tomorrow,” said Saki.

While Agent North recovered from motion sickness, Tsukiko let out a loud cackle and slapped the hood of the car a few times with her hand. “Boy did I get lucky!” she crowed. “Imagine finding a Datsen two-ten, all tricked out for drifting, just _sitting_ in that show room!” She let out another cackle. “Definitely a show piece, this one. But the way it corners is...” She put her fingers to her lips and gave them a kiss. “ _Like butter_.”

“You were cutting it way too close,” Agent North moaned loudly. “I thought we were going to crash so many times.”

“Oh, lighten up, you baby,” Tsukiko teased. “I could have turned a little bit tighter but I was considerate and gave myself some extra space.”

“You're insane!” Agent North wailed.

Tsukiko grinned from ear to ear. “I haven't felt this alive in _years_! No stuffy suits to impress, no fancy parties to endure, no board members to play nice with. Just me and the road, and about two dozen drones in hot pursuit.” She sighed loudly. “If it wasn't the end of the world, I might even say that I was having fun.”

“You're enjoying this way too much,” Laika said dryly.

“Let's not forget the reason for this whole trip,” Enzan reminded Tsukiko firmly. “We need to find a clue to Lumine's missing pieces somewhere in Taka's notes. A lot of things ride on the success of this mission.”

“Yeah, yeah,” Tsukiko said, frowning. “You don't have to remind me.” Her jubilant energy disappeared, and she suddenly became serious. “This care has enough seats for four: me and three passengers. Fight amongst yourselves who goes.”

Netto looked at the others. “I'll stay,” he said.

Enzan raised an eyebrow. “Are you sure?” he asked.

Netto nodded. “Me and Rockman have some stuff to work out...” He grinned. “Plus, I have a theory that I wanna test.”

“Oh?” Laika asked.

Netto rubbed his hands together. “I think I have an answer to our communication problem.”

Saki frowned. “What do you mean?” Did you find a way to get around the satellites?”

“I still have to test it,” Netto explained, “But my theory is that we can use short-range radio waves.”

Everyone looked at Netto as if he'd grown a second head.

“Short-range...” Enzan repeated.

“Radio waves,” Laika finished.

“Huh?” Saki blurted out. “I don't get it!”

“Just trust me,” Netto insisted. “If this works, then we'll finally have a way to talk to each other without having to use satellites. But I have to test it out first. So I'll sit out tomorrow's trip.”

“If you say so,” said Enzan.

“Then it's decided?” Tsukiko asked. “We know who's going?”

Laika nodded.

“Good,” Tsukiko replied. “We'll leave early tomorrow, right after breakfast.” She walked past the boys, waving over her shoulder. “Don't sleep in, or I'll leave you behind.”

Saki watched her go with a knot of anxiety growing in his gut.

“I have a really bad feeling about this,” he whispered.


End file.
